Profession coffee taster

Coffee tasters taste coffee samples in order to evaluate the features of the product or to prepare blending formulas. They determine the product's grade, estimate its market value, and explore how these products may appeal to different consumer tastes. They write blending formulas for workers who prepare coffee products for commercial purposes.

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Personality Type

Knowledge

  • Temperature scales

    Celsius and Fahrenheit temperature scales.

  • Food and beverage industry

    The respective industry and the processes involved in the food and beverage industry, such as raw material selection, processing, packaging, and storage.

  • Types of coffee beans

    Most known coffee types, Arabica and Robusta, and the cultivars under each one of those types.

  • Coffee characteristics

    The origins and types of coffee and the processes of coffee preparation, production and trade.

Skills

  • Prepare specialised coffee

    Prepare coffee using specialised methods and equipment. Ensure a high quality preparation process.

  • Evaluate coffee characteristics

    Analyse and evaluate coffee taste sensations including the coffee’s body, aroma, acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and finish.

  • Perform coffee tastings

    Perform coffee tastings and coffee demonstrations whether for improving the product in the production process or for showcasing the final product. Taste coffee to objectively evaluate its quality.

  • Apply HACCP

    Apply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).

  • Tolerate strong smells

    Tolerate strong smells expelled by the goods being processed during the production of goods.

  • Boil water

    Boil water in large quantities in the context of manufacturing or food production (e.g. almond blanching).

  • Grade coffee beans

    Grade coffee beans based on their characteristics, defects, size, colour, moisture content, taste, acidity, body, or aroma.

  • Perform sensory evaluation

    Evaluate the quality of a given type of food or beverage based on its appearance, smell, taste, aroma, and others. Suggest possible improvements and comparisons with other products.

  • Apply GMP

    Apply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

  • Create coffee flavour profiles

    Creates coffee flavour profiles based on the characteristics perceived from the coffee such as coffee’s body, fragrance/aroma, acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and aftertaste/finish.

  • Educate customers on coffee varieties

    Instruct customers about origins, characteristics, differences in flavours and blends of coffee products.

  • Check processing parameters

    Check processing parameters to keep under control the technological processes.

  • Apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beverages

    Apply and follow national, international, and internal requirements quoted in standards, regulations and other specifications related with manufacturing of food and beverages.

Optional knowledge and skills

communicate with customers find new types of food & beverages liaise with managers maintain food specifications act reliably label samples analyse characteristics of food products at reception liaise with colleagues have computer literacy analyse trends in the food and beverage industries perform public relations

Source: Sisyphus ODB