2018-12-14T11:28:20+00:00

United Kingdom, Nick Mabey

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 [...]

2018-12-14T11:24:24+00:00

Ukraine, Kristina Radchuk

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 [...]

2019-01-02T12:35:59+00:00

Turkey, Cagatay Gulabi̇oglu

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. -- Facebook | Instagram

2018-12-13T16:49:23+00:00

Thailand, Pornprasit Paisansinsakul

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 [...]

2018-12-13T16:41:24+00:00

Taiwan, Chieh Wu

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. -- Facebook

2018-12-13T16:32:49+00:00

Switzerland, Panagiotis Megalessis

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. 🙂 -- Facebook

2018-12-13T16:27:48+00:00

Sweden, Joanna Alm

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. -- Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

2018-12-13T16:24:01+00:00

Russia, Vladimir Nenashev

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 [...]

2018-12-13T16:17:13+00:00

Romania, Oprisan Andrei

Romania Oprisan Andrei SC Mister Tosh Cafe SRL Please tell us a little about yourself:  I am a 31 years old, married and have one beautiful daughter. I have been in the coffee industry for about 7 years now, moving from barista to coffee roasting in the past 2 years. How long have you been roasting for?: 2 years. What roaster do you currently roast on?: Giesen W60A How did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer: Patrick O'Malley & Alexandru Niculae What's your favorite weather to roast in?: Definitely autumn What music do you listen to when roasting?: None What is your secret weapon when roasting?: My senses What is your BEST roasting memory?: The first batch I roasted -- Facebook

2018-12-13T16:10:50+00:00

Italy, Emanuele Tomassi

Italy Emanuele Tomassi Tomassi Coffee Roaster Please tell us a little about yourself:  My family has had a cafeteria for 50 years. I decided to open a roaster after meeting Klaus Thomasen of The Coffee Collective at Roskilde in 2008. Coffee roasting has become my mission and I try to improve on it every day. What roaster do you currently roast on?: Probattone 5 What is your coffee of choice: Ethiopia naturals How did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer: I attended roasting courses with the master Marco Cremonese. To prepare the world championship I created a team of people headed by my coach Paolo Scimone. Who is your roasting hero?: Each roaster creates a unique product that identifies them. I admire many people for the a variety of reasons. What's your favorite weather to roast in?: Winter. What music do you listen to when [...]

2019-01-02T14:23:30+00:00

Poland, Rafal Kaniewski

Poland Rafal Kaniewski Java Coffee Poland Please tell us a little about yourself:  I’ve been in the coffee industry since 2008, starting in a chain like many of us (CoffeeHeaven). Roasting since 2013 when I joined CoffeeLab as an account manager and junior roaster. As a Junior Roaster I roast rarely.... one batch a month or less. As a coincidence, the day I became Head Roaster, my colleague who was Head Roaster before was switched to my position. When I joined Java Coffee, I joined as a trainer. A lot of things happen but I switched to Head Roaster after five months. Right now I am head of coffee and head roaster. How long have you been roasting for?: Five years What roaster do you currently roast on?: Diedrich CR-25, and Loring 35 Kestrel. What is your coffee of choice: My choice will be always Kenyans. I love love, love, love them! How did you learn [...]

2018-12-05T17:28:48+00:00

Norway, Simo Christidi

Norway Simo Christidi Solberg & Hansen Please tell us a little about yourself:  I have been in the coffee industry since 2003.  Currently I am the Head Roaster at Solberg & Hansen in Norway. I enjoy my job and I love exploring new roasting methods and the evolution of the coffee industry generally. How long have you been roasting for?: 15 years. What roaster do you currently roast on?: Probat and Loring. What is your coffee of choice: Kenya and Ethiopia. How did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer: I learned at Solberg & Hansen. Probably the best place to learn how to roast. Who is your roasting hero?: Tim Wendelbow and Audun Sørbotten by far. What's your favorite weather to roast in?: Norwegian summer. What music do you listen to when roasting?: Hellbillies. What is your secret weapon when roasting?: Being humble and enjoying what [...]

2018-12-11T16:56:48+00:00

Mexico, Salvador Benítez

Mexico Salvador Benítez Passmar Please tell us a little about yourself:  I started out helping my dad at the house with a small drum roast. I remember approaching a table to do my task while the coffee was taken. I did not know the impact and the care would be so important. It is something that lived with me, and today I am responsible for quality in our business. How long have you been roasting for?: 32 years. What roaster do you currently roast on?: Currently we have 4 roasters—a Giesen W6, and a 30, 15, and, 10 kg air roaster built in Mexico. What is your coffee of choice: Atoyac de Álvarez, a natural coffee producer was at one point a favourite. Today mostly washed coffee, mainly from Finca la Vequia (Huatusco, Veracruz). Both are delicate, and my approach to roasting them has changed from 3 years ago. How [...]

2018-12-05T17:10:11+00:00

Greece, George Delichristos

Greece George Delichristos The Underdog Please tell us a little about yourself:  My name is George Delichristos, I work for the The Underdog Roasters family in Greece. I've been a  Barista for the past 7 years, and I have been roasting coffee for the past 18 months. My passion for specialty is what keeps me going everyday, and that same passion has led me to achievements I am very proud of, like winning the 2018 Greek Coffee Roasting Championship, and giving me the opportunity to represent Greece and The Underdog team in the World Coffee Roasting Championship in Rimini. How long have you been roasting for?: I have been roasting coffee for the past 18 months but I'm a fast learner! What roaster do you currently roast on?: Giesen W6A, W1A. Ikawa Pro V3. What is your coffee of choice: Any natural. How did you learn to roast? Did you have [...]

2018-12-05T17:06:21+00:00

Germany, Kilian Seger

Germany Kilian Seger Hoppenworth & Ploch Please tell us a little about yourself:  I am from Frankfurt. I've been working for Hoppenworth & Ploch since 2014. I started as a Barista, but roasting expanded my horizons a lot. In my free time I enjoy traveling, and I am a fan of Eintracht in Frankfurt. How long have you been roasting for?: I started roasting coffee at the beginning of 2015, so it's been more than 3 years now. What roaster do you currently roast on?: I use a L12 by Probat. It's quite an old roaster but I actually really enjoy working with it. What is your coffee of choice: Ethiopian natural coffee beans are my first choice. When trying to make people familiar with specialty coffee, it's a very good option because it's quite easy for beginners to taste the sweet berry flavour of these beans. How did you learn [...]

2018-12-05T15:20:49+00:00

France, Veda Viraswami

France Veda Viraswami Le Café Alain Ducasse Please tell us a little about yourself:  I was born in Mauritius and I have been living in France for the last 20+ years. My journey on the coffee planet started 12 years ago, and I currently work as Head of Coffee of "Le Café Alain Ducasse". It's a new-comer on the coffee scene just launched by the most-starred chef in the world. Our roasting lab is located in downtown Paris. We humbly try to make coffee within the standards and requirements of high gastronomy. Our values: radicality & creativity. How long have you been roasting for?: I have been roasting since 2006 and am still always learning. What roaster do you currently roast on?: I currently roast on two Diedrich roasters. One IR2.5 and one IR12. These roasters are really fantastic and they do allow me to stick to the roast profiles [...]

2018-12-05T15:13:46+00:00

Denmark, Nobuaki Matsui

Denmark Nobuaki Matsui Democratic Coffee Bar Please tell us a little about yourself:  I have been working behind the bar for 15 years in total, but 6 years in specialty coffee. When I was working in Japan in the 6th year of my career as a barista, I got interested in Denmark. It was because I heard that there were 4 World Barista Champions in Denmark back in 2008. Since then I somehow managed to move to Denmark in 2012, and have been heavily learning about brewing and roasting light. How long have you been roasting for?: 2 years and 9 months. What roaster do you currently roast on?: Loring smart roaster. What is your coffee of choice: Ethiopian coffee. How did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer: I have been learning to roast by making so many mistakes. Who is your roasting hero?: Tim [...]

2018-12-05T14:04:24+00:00

China, Liang Yin

China Liang Yin In Coffee Please tell us a little about yourself:  My name is Liang Yin. I come from Luoyang, He Nan Province, China. I have been roasting coffee for 5 years and give all my passion to it. I am glad to have this chance to take part in the WCRC. How long have you been roasting for?: I have been working on it for five years. What roaster do you currently roast on?: Proaster and HB. How did you learn to roast? Did you have a trainer or coach?: Anything that has great aroma and sweetness. What is your coffee of choice?: I took part in the SCA roasting classes. Who is your roasting hero?: Damon Chen. What's your favorite weather to roast in?: Sunny days. What music do you listen to when roasting?: Jay Chou's pop music. What is your secret weapon when roasting?: Passion. What [...]

2018-12-05T13:57:19+00:00

Brazil, Donieverson Afrânio dos Santos

Brazil Donieverson Afrânio dos Santos Bourbon Specialty Coffees Please tell us a little about yourself:  I'm a 25 year old Agronomic Engineer who started to work with coffee in 2014, while in college. In college, I had contact with field work in coffee, followed by several courses and internships. In 2017, I started to work with coffee quality control, learning more about Sensory Analysis and Roasting. I graduated at the end of 2017, and in 2018 I joined Bourbon Specialty Coffees to work with coffee quality, classification and roasting. Since then, I competed and won the Alta Mogiana Roasting Championship and had the pleasure to represent my region at the National Championship, reaching first place. I was born in a coffee producing region, and I'm completly in love with coffee. I've never stopped studying and learning about these beautiful bean. How long have you been roasting for?: One and a [...]

2018-12-05T13:33:58+00:00

Australia, Ben Toovey

Australia Ben Toovey Genovese Coffee Please tell us a little about yourself:  I like coffee, dogs, travel, film, tattoos and food. How long have you been roasting coffee for?: I like coffee, dogs, travel, film, tattoos and food. What roaster do you currently roast on?: Probat UG22, Customised STA Impianti 5kg, Brambati 240kg, Brambati 120kg What is your coffee of choice?: If I had to drink one coffee every day it would probably be a Kenyan. How did you learn to roast? Did you have a trainer or coach?: Roast, taste, repeat. What's your favorite weather to roast in?: 18 degrees celcius, 50% relative humidity. What music do you listen to when roasting?: The music of the beans in the drum. What is your secret weapon when roasting?: That I don't listen to music. What is your BEST roasting memory?: Winning the nationals in 2018. What is your WORST roasting [...]

2017-11-27T12:54:06+00:00

Simo Christidi, Norway

Norway Simo Christidi Solberg & Hansen Please tell us a little bit about yourself: I am 42 yrs old, married and, father of 2 beautiful kids. I have been in the coffee industry since 2004. All those years I have been working for Solberg & Hansen in Oslo. I am the head roaster and I am still learning. How eid you get started in coffee? I graduated as an automation engineer just in case you have any technical issues. Coffee appeared in my life quite unexpectingly but since then, those beautiful small beans have changed my life. Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results: 2012 World Coffee Roasting Challenge (først ever) - 1st Place 🙂 2005 & 2017 Norwegian Coffee Tasting Championship - 2nd Place 2017 Norwegian Coffee Roasting Championship - 1st Place Nordic Roaster Championships (Team Solberg & Hansen) What roaster do [...]

2017-11-27T12:54:53+00:00

Matthew Robley-Siemonsma, United Kingdom

United Kingdom Matthew Robley-Siemonsma Prufrock Coffee Please tell us a little bit about yourself: I am a new father. I love great coffee, coffee roasting, coffee people, coffee business, product design, art. How did you get started in coffee? It's a long story like everyone's!  In 2007 during the last year of my art degree I was just starting to learn how to make decent filter coffee at home.  I think it was in that same year that I first had a really really good coffee.  It was a Kenyan brewed with a Chemex at Sightglass Coffee when they were just a kiosk starting in San Francisco.  It really tasted like strawberries!  In 2009 I moved to the UK and since then I've taken part and learned a lot during this exciting era for coffee in London.  I became a naturalised British Citizen in 2015 and I'm now the General Manager at [...]

2017-11-27T12:56:24+00:00

Yuliia Saichuk, Ukraine

Ukraine Yuliia Saichuk Svit Kavy How did you get started in coffee? This is a fun story. While studying at the university I decided to work during the summer holidays. It was a waiter job in a coffee shop, I liked it and I stayed to work further ... until today. After a waiter I became a barista, I was very pleased to work with guests, discussing their coffee preferences.  I discovered coffee from the other side, it was the basis for development and experiments. Then there were championships, new impressions and I clearly understood that I wanted to know absolutely everything about coffee from the plantation and ending with an ideal cup. And at the moment when I was not getting enough preparation, I started taking a roast coffee. And now I am quite happy with what I do. I will give the guests of our coffee shop pleasures in [...]

2017-11-27T12:57:07+00:00

Mark Michaelson, United States

United States Mark Michaelson Onyx Coffee Lab Please tell us a little bit about yourself: I enjoy roasting, my family, and watching comedies. How did you get started in coffee? I started in coffee as a second career, while using a local coffee shop as my second office. While there, I fell in love with all aspects of coffee and pursued the owner to give me a job. Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results: I have only personally competed in two competitions, which was this year (2017). The first regional competition I placed 5th. The second competition, which was nationals, I placed first. What roaster do you currently roast on? IR12, IR40, and a two barrel Primo Sample Roaster How did you learn how to roast coffee? By taking classes, experimenting, and learning to cup correctly. What are your interests [...]

2017-11-27T12:57:29+00:00

Serkan Sagsoz, Turkey

Turkey Serkan Sagsoz Roast and Found Co. Please tell us a little bit about yourself: I am 31 years old, married, and I have 1 child. I live in Izmir, Turkey. I finished university and graduated from both Foreign Trade and Business Administration. How did you get started in coffee? A friend of mine wanted me to try a cold brew of a coffee shop in Istanbul. After I tasted it and saw some more coffee shops, I said myself ; "this is great but I can do it much better." So, I started to roast coffee in a room in my house. That's how I started roasting in 2015. Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results: 2017  Turkish National Coffee Roasting Championship - 1st Place What roaster do you currently roast on? Toper Cafemino - 1 kg Garanti - 5 kg (fully [...]