Understand green coffee: sourcing, processing, storage, preparation.
2
Master the roasting curve: heat, airflow, development time, crack points.
3
Recognize first and second crack: what they mean, why they matter.
4
Control roast color from light to dark: using the colour wheel and tasting.
5
Roast multiple origins and taste the difference: how roast affects origin character.
6
Develop roasting intuition: adjusting heat in real time based on bean feedback.
7
Understand roaster equipment: drum, fluid bed, and small-batch mechanics.
8
Leave confident to roast coffee at home or begin professional roasting training.
Course Syllabus
Day-by-day breakdown of topics, timings, and deliverables.
1
Roasting Foundations
Green to Brown to Gold
09:00
Green Coffee Origins
Where coffee comes from. Processing. Why it matters for roasting.
09:45
Roasting Fundamentals
Heat, airflow, time, colour. The four variables you control.
10:30
First Roast Demo
Watch Maryam roast a light roast. Notice the curve, the sounds, the smells.
11:30
Your First Roast
You're in control of heat. Feel the bean respond. Hit a light roast.
Hands-on
12:00
Lunch
13:00
First & Second Crack
The audible markers that divide light, medium, and dark roasts.
13:45
Medium Roast Demo & Practice
Listen for first crack. Stop before second. Repeatable.
Hands-on
14:30
Cupping Your Roasts
The light you roasted vs. the medium. How roast changed the profile.
15:30
Take-Home Guide & Next Steps
Who It's For
Home enthusiasts who want to roast their own coffee.
Café professionals curious about the roasting side of specialty coffee.
Anyone interested in the full coffee journey from origin to cup.
Baristas who want to understand how their beans were roasted.
Prerequisites
None — Foundation assumes zero roasting experience.
Comfort being around heat and the smell of roasting coffee.
The Introduction to Coffee course is recommended but not required.
The Instructor
Maryam Tabatabaei
Authorized SCA Premier Trainer · Q-Arabica Grader
Taught by Maryam.
Maryam is an Authorized SCA Premier Trainer and a Q-Arabica Grader certified under the SCA Q Coffee System (formerly the Coffee Quality Institute) — one of the few practitioners in the United Arab Emirates who holds both credentials at once.
She placed fourth at the HB Best Batch Roasting Championship (Feb 2026), judged the UAE National Roasting Championship (Jan 2026), and presented at Gulfood 2026’s Specialty Coffee Stage. Cohorts in her studio are kept to six learners — closer to a master class than a campus.
“I will not teach you what to think about coffee. I will teach you how to taste it for yourself.”
I'm Maryam Tabatabaei — Authorized SCA Trainer, Q-Arabica Grader, and Q Instructor (SCA Licensed). One of very few practitioners in the UAE holding all three credentials. Whether you're opening a cafe, setting up a roastery, or training a team — let's talk.
Cafe and roastery setup
Equipment, layout, workflow, menu — from concept to opening day.
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