Congrats to the Top-Ranking Qualifiers at U.S. CoffeeChamps Denver

Congrats to the Top-Ranking Qualifiers at U.S. CoffeeChamps Denver

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Congrats to the Top-Ranking Qualifiers at U.S. CoffeeChamps Denver

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Congrats to the Top-Ranking Qualifiers at U.S. CoffeeChamps Denver

U.S. Coffee Championships 2023 Denver Qualifiers Reach New Heights

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Congrats to the Top-Ranking Qualifiers at U.S. CoffeeChamps Denver

Congrats to the Top-Ranking Qualifiers at U.S. CoffeeChamps Denver

minimum dose size?

Jan 31, 2024 |

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

Congrats to the Top-Ranking Qualifiers at U.S. CoffeeChamps Denver

Dozens of coffee professionals competed at qualifiers this weekend in Colorado for coveted spots at the U.S. Coffee Championships next month.

BY J. MARIE CARLAN
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Cover photo by J. Marie Carlan

For competitive coffee professionals in the USA, the U.S. Coffee Championships are the place to be. Over the weekend, the second USCC Qualifier of the competition season took place at Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Englewood, Colo. Competitors raced against the clock and each other to grab qualifying spots. Those who qualified will have the privilege of moving on to the USCC national events in April.

Here are the competitors who came out on top in each contest; you can view a full list of competitors moving on to nationals here.

The three finalists pose with their wooden plaques. Kimhak gives a shaka hand or hang ten sign with thumb and pinkie extended, three middle fingers curled against the palm. He wears elbow crutches and a Kodak hoodie. Kiara in the middle wearsa gray sweatshirt and green beanie. Steve wears a beard, flannel shirt and snazzy brown cardigan.
Roaster qualifiers, from left: Mark Kove (who finished in seventh place and also advanced), Kiara, and Steve. Photo by Matthew Temple courtesy of U.S. Coffee Championships.

U.S. Roaster Top-Ranking Qualifiers

  1. Kiara Freysinger of Huckleberry Roasters in Denver
  2. Kimhak Em of Paircupworks in Mesa, Ariz.
  3. Steve Cuevas of Black Oak Roasters in Ukiah, Calif.
Thomas wears a half zip pullover and jeans. Sebastian wears gray and jeans and trucker hat. Mehmet wears white and khaki with a thin gray scarf. All hold wooden plaques.
The top Cup Tasters qualifiers, from left: Thomas, Sebastián, and Mehmet. Photo by Matthew Temple courtesy of U.S. Coffee Championships.

U.S. Cup Tasters Top-Ranking Qualifiers

  1. Thomas Chandler of Black Oak Coffee in Ukiah, Calif.
  2. Sebastián Legner of Coda Coffee in Denver
  3. Mehmet Sogan of Memli Coffee in San Diego
Piyapat is in a blue button up shirt, wenbo wears a side-zip hoodie, and Truc wears and brown turtleneck. They all wear jeans, two are holding up plaques.
Latte Art qualifiers, from left: Benjamin Parham (who finished in fifth place and also advanced), Flook, and Truc. Photo by Matthew Temple courtesy of U.S. Coffee Championships.

U.S. Latte Art Top-Ranking Qualifiers

  1. Wenbo Yang of Artly Coffee
  2. Truc Ngo of IOCoffea
  3. Piyapat ”Flook” Lapteerawaut of Coffee Project NY
A huge group of 18 competitors, many in bright colors, one cowgirl hat, and three wooden plaques held up by winners crouching in front.
Barista qualifiers, with top-three finishers (from left) Anthony, Seidy, and Isaiah up front. Photo by Matthew Temple courtesy of U.S. Coffee Championships.

US Barista Top-Ranking Qualifiers

  1. Seidy Selivanow of Kaflex Roasters in Vancouver, Wash.
  2. Isaiah Sheese of Archetype Coffee in Omaha, Neb.
  3. Anthony Ragler of Black & White Coffee in Zebulon, N.C.
11 competitors, three with wooden plaques crouched in front, all smiling.
Brewers Cup qualifiers, with top-three (from left) Jesus, Danesha, and Korachai up front. Photo by Matthew Temple courtesy of U.S. Coffee Championships.

US Brewers Cup Top-Ranking Qualifiers

  1. Korachai Silpavitanku of Amberson Coffee in Indianapolis
  2. Danesha Toro of Greater Goods Roasting in Austin, Texas
  3. Jesus Iniquez of Archetype Coffee in Omaha, Neb.
Three competitors in all neutral colors holding their wooden plaques.
Garrett, Natasha, and Edwin are the top-three qualifiers for Coffee In Good Spirits. Photo by Matthew Temple courtesy of U.S. Coffee Championships.

U.S. Coffee In Good Spirits Top-Ranking Qualifiers

  1. Garrett VanWambeke, Independent, of Atlanta
  2. Natasha Solowoniuk of Caffe Vita in Seattle
  3. Edwin Gorritz of Barista Squared in Orlando, Fla.

Every competitor brought their A-game, but only some will go on to the U.S. Coffee Championships in Portland, Ore; the championships are a big part of the Specialty Coffee Expo, which will take place April 21-23.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J. Marie Carlan (she/they) is the online editor for Barista Magazine. She’s been a barista for over a decade and writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. When she’s not behind the espresso bar or toiling over content, you can find her perusing record stores, collecting bric-a-brac, writing poetry, and trying to keep the plants alive in her Denver apartment. She occasionally updates her blog.

The post Congrats to the Top-Ranking Qualifiers at U.S. CoffeeChamps Denver appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

Congrats to the Top-Ranking Qualifiers at U.S. CoffeeChamps Denver

Perfect Little Beans

Chinmey Hill Coffee uses specialty-grade beans with zero primary defects (such as black beans or sour beans) and less than five secondary defects (such as broken beans). This is important because primary defects will greatly affect the taste of the coffee. Having zero defects allows the coffee to be the most optimal flavor.

Window for Optimal Flavor

Chimney Hill Coffee ships our coffee the same day it was roasted, so you will receive it before it enters the window of optimal flavor.  This means you’ll never miss the opportunity to enjoy the coffee’s peak flavor.

Coffee Ratings

Coffee undergoes many scoring processes by professionals who achieved their Q Grader certification. Coffee is first graded when it’s green. If there are defects the coffee is determined to be “not-specialty grade”. For those coffees that pass green grading, they are sample roasted and cupped. (Cupping is the official term for critically tasting and scoring coffees. The official cupping form is standard worldwide, and where the 100-point scoring system comes from.) A coffee’s dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body, acidity, balance, and overall impression are taken into consideration while uniformity issues and defects, will lower the overall score.

Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee, coined by Erna Knutsen in 1974, refers to a coffee that receives a quality grading score of 80 percent or higher. While “premium” or “gourmet” seem like they’re synonymous with “specialty,” they simply are marketing terms with no defined standards. Specialty coffees are grown in specific and ideal micro-climates, and have distinctive and unique flavor profiles, with little to no defects.

Third-Wave Coffee

We’re currently in the third wave of coffee. The first wave of American coffee put pre-ground, vacuum-sealed cans in kitchens across America. The second wave started with the late ‘60s introduction of Peet’s coffee (by Alfred Peet) through the proliferation of Starbucks. The third wave of coffee focuses on origin transparency, nuanced flavors, and artisan roasting. The term “third wave” is synonymous with specialty coffee.

Congrats to the Top-Ranking Qualifiers at U.S. CoffeeChamps Denver

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