How much is too much for barista training?

[bernie]

I just received this advert for Mike Fergesons newest endeavor. 'couple days of training for a cool big G. It seems very pricey to me, but I'm that way. Does this price range seem low, average or high in todays heating-up barista training market? http://www.elementsofespresso.com/signup.html
Bernie

[Beezer]

Coffee Klatch charges about $500 for a full day of training with Heather Perry. So maybe $1,000 for two days isn't too unreasonable.

[Marshall]

I just received this advert for Mike Fergesons newest endeavor. 'couple days of training for a cool big G. It seems very pricey to me, but I'm that way. Does this price range seem low, average or high in todays heating-up barista training market? http://www.elementsofespresso.com/signup.html
Bernie

You have to look at who is doing the actual training. It's Intelligentsia's former head trainer, Ellie Matuszak! $250 for each half-day, hands-on session sounds like a real bargain to me. I've already recommended it to someone.

[Paul]

I have no idea whether the above prices represent good value over there. Out of interest, do many technical colleges/community colleges/polytechnics offer barista courses? These are popular in NZ and run at a few hundred $ for a couple of weekend's tuition. I have noticed a local barista offering personal training in your home for about $30/hr.

[Psyd]

I just received this advert for Mike Fergesons newest endeavor. 'couple days of training for a cool big G. It seems very pricey to me, but I'm that way. Does this price range seem low, average or high in todays heating-up barista training market? http://www.elementsofespresso.com/signup.html
Bernie

What you're looking at is having someone come in an train you in the methods of the pro competitors, and tricking out your entire shop to make them competitive in the market. That's money, in anyone's book. Having the person that can wow the judges at the USBC and the WBC competitions show your troops how to do that same thing (or thereabouts) to the customers in a competitive marketplace is worth five bills a day. If you just want someone to come to your house and show you how to use your new machine, paying them a few hundred bucks to research the unique user tweaks that your machine needs to produce the best espresso you can get is worth it. Or, you can spend six months cruising this site.
You get decent espresso, but you'd like your baristi to learn to pour art? What's that going to be worth in the market, over the next year?
OTOH, I'll come show you what I know for $300 and travel expenses. ; >
I've made the offer publicly before, and I ain't backing out of it now!

[HB]

Does this price range seem low, average or high in todays heating-up barista training market?

As a point of comparison, the SCAA conference labs like "espresso fundamentals" cost $125. One of my friends volunteered to bus tables as part of his conference fee and commented that "utterly clueless" would be a kind assessment of the lab staff in 2006 (to the SCAA's defense, I heard it was much improved the following year). Coffee Solutions is double the price if you exclude the conference fee, but you're getting trained by top talent. FWIW, it's a lot cheaper than professional education fees in the I/T sector.

[JimWright]

You might also consider picking up the Schomer DVD set (see http://www.espressovivace.com/books_videos.html) if you just want to spend a little time watching people do the right thing on video. Of course, there's no substitute for hands on experience under a guiding hand, and value is relative.

[jesawdy]

Also, see related topic, Are Barista Training Classes Worth the Money?. The price mentioned is in line with the Coffee Klatch and PT's offering and I suspect others. I tried to summarize the training offerings that I know about here.

[cannonfodder]

Interesting discussion. I once heard a saying that I like and I think it fits the theme of the discussion. Amateurs practice until they get it right, professionals practice until they can't do it wrong. Which are you, or rather which do you want to be? So how much training do you need.

[miKe mcKoffee]

If someone's serious about getting hands on barista (or roasting) training and have the time interesting apprenticeship being offered by Cultiva Coffee Roasting Company in Lincoln, Nebraska.

[zin1953]

Yeah, but Mike -- you have to go to Nebraska!