Korea
Taehwan Kwon
Signature Roasters

Please tell us a little about yourself: 
I am Taehwan Kwon, I live in Korea and am responsible for roasting in Signature Roasters.

How long have you been roasting for?:
For about six months.

What roaster do you currently roast on?:
Giesen W1M, W6, W15

What is your coffee of choice:
I like coffee with charming characters.

How did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer:
I learned from the owner of our company, Moonkyu Jang who was 2nd Place at the 2014 WCRC in Rimini.

Who is your roasting hero?:
The owner of our company, Moonkyu Jang.

What is your favourite weather to roast in?:
Thinking about the weather in Korea, it is better to have a hot and humid summer than a cold, dry winter. In fact, I have so little experience that I need to experience more in the future.

What music do you listen to when roasting?:
I do not listen to music when roasting.

What is your secret weapon when roasting?:
I still do not know my own merit to answer that I am a secret weapon in roasting.

What is your best roasting memory?:
When multiple batches of the same bean were processed, they all progressed to the same profile without error.

What is your worst roasting memory?:
When I did not follow the profile I had envisioned, I had to modify too many variables at once, and ruin the next batch. I learned that it is wise to take one step at a time in handling coffee.

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United States
Ian Picco
Topeca Coffee Roasters

Please tell us a little about yourself: 
I work as Director of Coffee for Topeca Coffee Roasters in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’ve been in coffee since 2004, starting my journey as a barista. I am an SCA Authorized Trainer and teach at the Professional level in Roasting and Sensory Skills. Outside of work, I consider myself to be a culinary enthusiast continually learning new techniques in food and beverage, exploring new flavors, and discovering humanity through cuisine.

How long have you been roasting for?:
9 years

What roaster do you currently roast on?:
Joper BPR25, Diedrich IR12, Proaster THCR1.5, Mill City 500g, San Franciscan SF1

What is your coffee of choice:
Washed Sulawesi Typica

How did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer:
On the job training, SCAA education, and sharing knowledge and theory with fellow roasters.

Who is your roasting hero?:
My good friend Joe Marrocco. He’s been a continual inspiration since we first met at Roasters Guild Retreat some 8 years ago.

What’s your favorite weather to roast in?:
Rainy day, for sure.

What music do you listen to when roasting?:
Vintage African Highlife

What is your secret weapon when roasting?:
Uh…I don’t know. I just roast, monitor my temperate curves and make adjustments to achieve my intended outcome. There’s really no mystery to the act of roasting.

What is your BEST roasting memory?:
The first SCAA Roaster Level 1 course I instructor in our campus, Topeca Instruments Division. That was such a great group of students, and we all learned so much that week.

What is your WORST roasting memory?:
Any time I’ve accidentally left the drum door open and mixed green coffee into the roasted in the cooling bin.

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United Kingdom
Nick Mabey
Assembly Coffee and Volcano Coffee Works

Please tell us a little about yourself: 
Jazz drummer turned coffee professional. Co-founder of Assembly Coffee in London. Q-Grader, Runner up in 2017 Coffee Masters, and green buyer. Obsessed with consumer psychology, behavioral ecomonics, and believes the coffee trade could be the best lens in which to imagine positive change and transformation.

How long have you been roasting for?:
3 years

What roaster do you currently roast on?:
Loring s15 and s35

What is your coffee of choice:
That question is too hard

How did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer:
Self-taught and listening to the right people

Who is your roasting hero?:
James Eastman or Kurt Stewart or Senina Cojocari

What’s your favorite weather to roast in?:
Depends how much I have to roast

What music do you listen to when roasting?:
Wayne Krantz

What is your secret weapon when roasting?:
Knowing what to ignore

What is your BEST roasting memory?:
Anytime I get to use a roaster or method that is new to me

What is your WORST roasting memory?:
Anytime you forget to close the gate in the cooling tray…

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Ukraine
Kristina Radchuk
LCC UKRCOFFEE

Please tell us a little about yourself: 
I was born and live in Odessa region and was really inspired by coffee, so after school I desided to enter the Odessa National Academy of Food Technologies. Unfortunately during my studies I saw a lot of things, after which I decided not to ever work in the food industry. It’s a really hard industry to work in—both physically and morally. After graduation I wanted a job, and it was really good luck to hear about a new coffee factory which opened at Chernomorsk. So I had to make a decision about changing my opinion on the food industry, to follow my love of coffee. At first it was really hard, especially with night shifts and a lot of unexpected factors. But I overcame all this ,and became the main technologist at UKRCOFFEE Ltd. I am proud of the company that I work in and the product which we produce.

How long have you been roasting for?:
I started my studies of the science of roasting in 2015.

What roaster do you currently roast on?:
Probat and Hasgaranti

What is your coffee of choice:
I really like experimenting with African Arabica.

How did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer:
A really strong love of and interest in the world of natural coffee made me start roasting and coffee grading. It’s been a long way from the very beginning.

What’s your favorite weather to roast in?:
There is no bad weather for a good roast.

What is your secret weapon when roasting?:
Good mood and positive vibrations :-)) You have be very confident to control every stage of roasting.

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Turkey
Cagatay Gulabi̇oglu
Probador Colectiva – Roastery, Training, Consultancy

Please tell us a little about yourself: 
Trying to implement the idea of finding coffees that are not only exceptional in taste, but also in the way they are traded.

How long have you been roasting for?:
5 years.

What roaster do you currently roast on?:
Giesen W15 and Probat UG22

What is your coffee of choice:
Any coffee that is ethically sourced and perfectly processed.

How did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer:
On my own, by experimenting, trialling, reading, and googling.

What music do you listen to when roasting?:
Classic I guess, early morning, not too humid or hot.

What is your secret weapon when roasting?:
Nothing specific, but being highly alert and concentrating like anyone else.

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Thailand
Pornprasit Paisansinsakul
Koff&Bun

Please tell us a little about yourself: 
Hello my name is Pornprasit, but everyone calls me “Sith”. I’m the owner of Koff&Bun. First I started to drink coffee. Then I went to study coffee tasting, before taking the Q-grader exam. It made me discover that I wanted to roast good coffee. Then I went to roasting class, before opening a coffee shop to offer it’s own coffee style.

How long have you been roasting for?:
3 years ago

What roaster do you currently roast on?:
Giesen W1A , W6

What is your coffee of choice:
I usually choose green beans with cupping score of 80+, and cup them myself. Mostly I cup the coffee I choose from origin with clean and sweet characteristics.

How did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer:
When I first started roasting I had to took as many classes and lectures as I could. Even now I have to force myself to be open minded and learn new things. However, I believe the most significant aspect comes from hands-on experience and trial and error. I have a coach who’s my friend, and he suggested and helped with my roasting plans for the competition.

Who is your roasting hero?:
Kammie Hui and Sang ho park

What’s your favorite weather to roast in?:
Chill and cool

What music do you listen to when roasting?:
Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, and music from Thailand.

What is your secret weapon when roasting?:
Knowledge

What is your BEST roasting memory?:
When I have roasted coffee and all customers like it

What is your WORST roasting memory?:
The time I roasted the Panama geisha lamula natural for the first time and it got burnt.

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Taiwan
Chieh Wu
Woots Roaster / Cafetaster咖啡嗜者

Please tell us a little about yourself: 
I come from Taiwan, as a manufacturer of Woots Roaster. I also engage in coffee education.

How long have you been roasting for?:
15 years

What roaster do you currently roast on?:
Woots Roaster

How did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer:
Each and every coffee roaster is my teacher.

What’s your favorite weather to roast in?:
Cool weather.

What is your BEST roasting memory?:
People appreciating coffee roasted by me.

What is your WORST roasting memory?:
One time I accidentally pressed 100% on the gas position after the first crack, and of course it didn’t end up great.

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Switzerland
Panagiotis Megalessis
Stadtrösterei

Please tell us a little about yourself: 
I am a passionate Coffee Roaster who always seeks the best roasting profile and coffee beans.

How long have you been roasting for?:
3 years.

What roaster do you currently roast on?:
Probatone 5

What is your coffee of choice:
Ethiopian Heirlooms

How did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer:
SCA Roasting Intermediate, Scott Rao’s book, internet classes, and more.

Who is your roasting hero?:
Scott Rao

What’s your favorite weather to roast in?:
Winter

What music do you listen to when roasting?:
Rock

What is your secret weapon when roasting?:
Cropster

What is your BEST roasting memory?:
Swiss Roasting Championships

What is your WORST roasting memory?:
They are all good. 🙂

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Sweden
Joanna Alm
Drop Coffee

Please tell us a little about yourself: 
Joanna is the managing director at the roastery and café Drop Coffee based in Stockholm, Sweden. This is the 4th time Joanna is competing in the WCRC.

How long have you been roasting for?:
10 years

What roaster do you currently roast on?:
Diedrich IR 25

What is your coffee of choice:
Washed Yirgacheffe

Who is your roasting hero?:
Kaetlyn Hatch, production roaster at Drop Coffee, nailing the curves like none else

What’s your favorite weather to roast in?:
Steady weather, not too cold or hot. Living in a country with four strong seasons you truly appreciate roasting on an early spring day.

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Russia
Vladimir Nenashev
Mosaic Coffee

Please tell us a little about yourself: 
Hello! My name is Vladimir. I am a roastmaster from Samara, Russia. My passion for coffee started out as a hobby: I was preparing espresso at home and wanted to study further. My work is my hobby now.

How long have you been roasting for?:
About 4 years

What roaster do you currently roast on?:
My equipment for roasting is Trobrat 20 kg. This is the first Russian roaster, which can compete with global brands.

What is your coffee of choice:
Ethiopia.

How did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer:
Empirically, through a lot of experiments. Not long ago I finished 3 levels of SCA courses. My coach is Timur Dudkin.

Who is your roasting hero?:
Dmitry Boroday

What’s your favorite weather to roast in?:
It’s rain, of course.

What music do you listen to when roasting?:
Electronic or alternative rock

What is your secret weapon when roasting?:
Second crack

What is your BEST roasting memory?:
Roasting coffee for a barista championship where my friends were competing.

What is your WORST roasting memory?:
Maybe on an electrician’s day off when a short circuit happened, and you need to roast!

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