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

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

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

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 roasting?:
James Taylor and Italian singer-songwriters.

What is your BEST roasting memory?:
At the first selection for the championship in 2014, I met many people who had my same passion. It was great!

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

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 to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer:
Before I joined Java I learned from other unexperienced roasters and one day I decided to forge my own path and went for it. I read a lot of articles accross the web like Scott Rao, and did a lot of roast analyzing. When I joined Java I went for a two days training with Joanna Alm. It was really incredible experience. She helped me a lot with theory and practical knowledge.

Who is your roasting hero?:
Joanna Alm. I like her style!

What’s your favorite weather to roast in?:
Any weather!

What music do you listen to when roasting?:
The sound of the crack. I really like just listening to the coffee.

What is your secret weapon when roasting?:
Olfaction

What is your BEST roasting memory?:
My first batch of Kenya. I still remember this Kagongo from Bero Polska, in October 2013.

What is your WORST roasting memory?:
Have you ever forgotten about your roast while you are doing one hundred things at a time ? I have… I have.

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

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 I do.

What is your BEST roasting memory?:
When Audun Sørbotten won the World Coffee Roasting Championship.

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

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 did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer:
I learned to roast with my father, with drum and air equipment. He is my main judge, he always speaks the truth. I was my own coach at the WCRC in Shanghai, but after using a Giesen, I decided to think again about competing. My wife Alelí always boosts me and is the reason I’ve returned to the worlds today.  This time I wanted to involve people who could give me their experience. I’d like to thank Arturo Hernández and Team Ghibli for your space, the Etrusca team, Sylvia Gutiérrez, Santiago Sota, Manuel Díaz and Haniel García.

Who is your roasting hero?:
My father.

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

What music do you listen to when roasting?:
Any music.

What is your secret weapon when roasting?:
Practice and trying your hardest.

What is your BEST roasting memory?:
When I give a commitment ring to my wife, while roasting coffee.

What is your WORST roasting memory?:
At the 2016 Shanghai WCRC, during my practice time on the Giesen W6. I checked my coffee with Cropster, and noticed that the curve hadn’t risen. It was turned off.

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

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 a coach or trainer:
First I learned the fundamentals of roasting and how it affects coffee flavor by working behind the brew bar. I tasted and dialed in the coffees my brother was roasting, and when the timing was right I started to roast too.

Who is your roasting hero?:
My brother. He makes every coffee he gets his hands on taste delicious!

What’s your favorite weather to roast in?:
Winter. Not that cold, but cold.

What music do you listen to when roasting?:
The music of the drum rotating the beans!

What is your secret weapon when roasting?:
My timer for sure. It has never failed me so far!

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

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 to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer:
It’s mostly been trial and error, I just put a lot of effort into studying roasting in theory and trying to realize what I learned. Both of my bosses at work helped me a lot to develop my roasting skills and show me the support I needed.

Who is your roasting hero?:
Scott Rao. His book “The Coffee Roaster’s Companion” helped me to gain a lot of the knowledge I have about roasting.

What’s your favorite weather to roast in?:
I usually like roasting in winter better than in summer, as it’s always hot around the roaster. Besides, it’s nice to have constant weather that does not affect the roasting process too much.

What music do you listen to when roasting?:
I usually listen to hip-hop music while roasting, but when there are other people working with me
I also have to compromise.

What is your secret weapon when roasting?:
When it comes to roasting, I am very focussed on what I do. It is very important for me to be patient and to accept mistakes that I make, so that I can constantly get better and better.

What is your BEST roasting memory?:
I really enjoy getting to know so many like-minded people through roasting.

What is your WORST roasting memory?:
The first (and last) time I accidentally totally burned coffee beans.

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

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 I need in my day-to-day work.

What is your coffee of choice:
I always try to get the best out of the coffees when it comes to roasting. I just adapt my roasting style to the beans with which I am working with.

How did you learn to roast? Did you have a coach or trainer:
It is a long process to become a roaster. There were very few courses and training on roasting at the time when I decided to roast on my own.

Who is your roasting hero?:
There are many people whom I consider as roasting heroes. They are the people who are dedicated to education in roasting for the coffee community.

What’s your favorite weather to roast in?:
We always have to adapt our roast according to weather conditions but I definitely prefer to roast when it’s sunny and warm outside.

What music do you listen to when roasting?:
To me, the sound of beans being roasted is the sweetest music possible. I also try to focus as much as I can and to not pay attention to anything else than my batch.

What is your secret weapon when roasting?:
Concentration and meticulousness are, I believe, the best weapons for a roaster if he masters the specificities of the green coffee he wants to roast.

What is your BEST roasting memory?:
I still remember the day I roasted my very first batch of coffee. The moment I dropped the coffee after the roast process was simply magic and this is one of the best roasting memory I have.

What is your WORST roasting memory?:
I was roasting an excellent coffee from Costa Rica and due to a fire issue I had to stop the roast in the middle of the process.

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

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 Wendelboe.

What’s your favorite weather to roast in?:
Sunny but not too hot.

What music do you listen to when roasting?:
I don’t listen to music.

What is your secret weapon when roasting?:
Coconut milk.

What is your BEST roasting memory?:
I haven’t had one yet so far…

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

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 is your BEST roasting memory?:
The time I became the CCRC Champion.

What is your WORST roasting memory?:
Coffee with high bitterness.