Please tell us a little about yourself:
I am a production employee at April Coffee Roasters, and have an Msc. in Agriculture.
What are your interests outside of coffee?:
Geology and Agriculture.
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Please tell us a little about yourself:
My name is ShengHaoChen, and I’m from China. I’m a roaster at The Few Coffee.
Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results:
2019 China Coffee Roasting Champion
What are you excited to do while you are in Taipei?
Taiwan is a very special place. I want to experience the coffee culture in Taiwan and eat some local food.
Which coffee-producing country most interests or excites you?:
Ethiopia and Costa Rica.
What are your interests outside of coffee?:
Gaming and basketball.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:
Actually, I don’t know! But I will probably still be making coffee.
Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the competition?:
I want to thank my coach, my colleagues, and my family for their support and trust.
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Please tell us a little about yourself:
I am the founder of Brut Coffee and head roaster of Deluca Coffee in Sydney, Australia. I have been making and roasting coffee for about 8 years. I fell in love with coffee culture when I moved to Sydney 12 years ago and haven’t looked back since. I love seeing my customers smiling when they have a good coffee experience.
Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results:
1st in Australian Roasting Championship 2019
What are you excited to do while you are in Taipei?
Food!!!
Which coffee-producing country most interests or excites you?:
Colombia. I may be biased as I have visited Colombia twice, but I believe it is one of the most exciting coffee producing countries right now. The people are very passionate about coffee and are working hard to improve the quality. Diversity in variety and the many new processing techniques excite me very much.
What are your interests outside of coffee?:
I love making ceramics on a wheel. I have been trying to make the ultimate coffee cup for a couple of years now. I guess it all comes back to coffee. : )
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:
I would like Brut Coffee to be the best coffee roaster in the world.
Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the competition?:
My partner Juliane who always puts up with my endless coffee talk. Lucas from Deluca Coffee, for trusting me as his head roaster for the last 6 years. And Nawar from Collective Roasting Solutions, for helping me to prepare for the competition.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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