The Singapore Roaster Forum Returns Stronger Than Ever 

The Singapore Roaster Forum Returns Stronger Than Ever 

Breaking New Ground: A Sicilian Coffee Plantation, Part 2

The Morettino family has successfully cultivated a coffee plantation right in Sicily. Next on the agenda: making the island an international coffee hub. BY JOSEPH PHELANSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Feature photo by Tomas Anton Escobar via Unsplash Editor’s note: Check out part one of this story here. Andrea Morettino’s family has proven that coffee […]


Miami-Made Panther Coffee is Popping Up in Manhattan

Beloved Miami specialty coffee company Panther Coffee is making its first major New York City showing with the opening of a popup shop in Soho. With a soft opening scheduled…


Brewing at Home and on the Road with Wilford Lamastus Jr.

We talk to the multi-time Panama Brewers Cup champion about his brewing preferences. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Wilford Lamastus Coffee professionals tend to spend most of their days brewing coffee. It can be an espresso shot pulled for a customer or a cupping to check out a new roaster to choose […]


New AFCA Director Gilbert Gatali on the 20th African Fine Coffees Conference

As the African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA) prepares for the 20th iteration of its flagship event, the African Fine Coffees Conference and Exhibition, the group is operating under new executive…

The Singapore Roaster Forum Returns Stronger Than Ever 

Thread Coffee Roasters Opens Tailor-Made Roastery in Baltimore

The interwoven actions of Thread Coffee Roasters in Baltimore are finding exponentially more space this week with the grand opening of a brand-new production roastery and training lab. The worker-owned…


Brewing at Home and on the Road with Justin Pierce

In this series, we ask coffee professionals how they like to drink their coffee while at home and when traveling. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Feature photo courtesy of Justin Pierce Coffee professionals tend to spend most of their days brewing coffee. Baristas brew coffee behind the bar for their customers. Roasters brew it to […]


10 (More) Minutes With Helena Oliviero

Today we continue our conversation with Helena Oliviero about her coffee career and life on a Colombian finca. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Helena Oliviero Barista Magazine: Let’s talk about living on a Colombian coffee farm, Finca Palma Roja. How do you spend your days? What’s usually happening on a busy coffee […]


Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part Two—Environmental Concerns

Agave has become an increasingly popular sweetener in the coffee industry. But is it as environmentally friendly as people claim it to be? BY EMILY JOY MENESESBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Featured photo sourced via Pixabay In recent years, you may have noticed an increase in demand for “alternative sweeteners” like agave. While today, the nectar serves […]

The Singapore Roaster Forum Returns Stronger Than Ever 

The Caripe Variety: A Groundbreaking Milestone in Venezuelan Coffee Farming

Today, we unveil the story behind the Caripe variety and its significance for the Venezuelan coffee industry. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Carlos Felipe Ramírez Mesa via Unsplash In the heart of Venezuela, nestled among the picturesque states of Monagas, Anzoátegui, and Sucre, lies a legacy deeply rooted in coffee cultivation. This […]


3 All-Women Coffee Roasting Companies that Are Changing the Game

The world of specialty coffee is still largely governed by men, but these all-female specialty-coffee roasters are helping to close the gender gap. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Feature photo courtesy of Lot Zero/7Gr As is the case for many commercial sectors, the world of specialty coffee continues to display gender disparity along the entire […]


3 Noteworthy Cafés in the Borough of Brooklyn, N.Y.

We explore three standout Brooklyn cafés: drip, BKG, and Coffee Project New York. BY EMILY MENESES BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Cover photo by Nelson Ndongala via Unsplash Whether you’re a New York local or planning your next NYC trip, you won’t want to miss out on Brooklyn’s vibrant (and constantly evolving) coffee scene. Today, we’re exploring […]


Understanding the Process: Anaerobic Processing

We continue our series on fermentation with a look at the anaerobic process, which has quickly become a favorite in cafés worldwide. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Bram de Hoog for Ally Coffee A simple cup of well-brewed coffee can have endless variations of flavors and aromas. These are closely linked to […]

The Singapore Roaster Forum Returns Stronger Than Ever 

The Singapore Roaster Forum Returns Stronger Than Ever 

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...

The Singapore Roaster Forum Returns Stronger Than Ever 

We look at some of the highlights of the recent Singapore Roaster Forum, from coffee bar takeovers and cupping tables, to panel discussions with industry experts. 

BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Photos courtesy of Singapore Coffee Collective 

Singapore may be a small island, but when it comes to specialty coffee, it packs a mighty punch. This was evident during the second Singapore Roaster Forum; held on the first weekend of October 2022, the forum brought together some of the best local and international talent in the coffee industry. Halted for two years due to COVID-19, the highly anticipated event finally took place, and it did not disappoint. 

The forum, which organizers describe as an open platform for coffee professionals to share and exchange knowledge, saw a variety of panel discussions, coffee bar takeovers, and coffee tastings. There were also guest appearances from some of the biggest names in coffee. Today we’ll take a look at some of the highlights from this event, sure to be an annual staple on the Singaporean coffee calendar. 

Matt Winton speaks before an assembled audience. He is holding a microphone in one hand, gesturing to the audience with the other. He is wearing bright colors with a whimsical dinosaur print tee under an open button-up shirt.
2021 World Brewers Cup Champion Matt Winton spoke on how small roasteries can build sourcing relationships.

Highlights from the Singapore Roaster Forum 

Among the main highlights of the event were the bar takeovers by Matt Winton, 2021 World Brewers Cup Champion, and Sierra Yeo, 2022 UK Brewers Cup Champion. These two talented coffee professionals manned the bars at Dough and Glyph Supply Co., and treated guests to amazing coffee creations. Other memorable moments included competition coffees being served by Yessylia Violin, the 2022 Indonesian Barista Champion, and Mikael Jasin, the 2019 and 2020 Indonesian Barista Champion 2019/2020, at The Community Coffee, as well as their impromptu guest shifts at Dough. 

Three women sit on a panel for women coffee entrepreneurs. The one in the middle has chin length hair and is speaking into a microphone. To her left sits a woman in a black top, facing the speaker. On the other side is a woman with a ponytail holding a cup and listening. On the other side of her is a man in a white shirt, also on the panel.
Women’s entrepreneurship was also put in the spotlight during the Roaster Forum.

Hot Topics

There were panel discussions aplenty at the Singapore Roaster Forum, with topics ranging from cupping and processing methodologies, to roasting approaches and entrepreneurship in the coffee industry. Hee Wei, 2022 Singapore Barista Champion, shared his journey to the World Championships, while Matt Winton gave insights on sourcing coffee beans for small roasteries. Mikael Jasin further spoke about different processing methodologies used to achieve higher cupping scores and prices for coffee beans. Experienced roasters weighed in on sample versus production roasting. Additionally, a panel of women entrepreneurs shared their experiences in the coffee industry.  

The coffee cupping table at the Singapore Roaster Forum featured a large variety of coffees from across Asia, including some Vietnamese specialty coffees brought by Will Frith and Kel Norman of Building Coffee.  

Back view of a man at the cupping table arranging many bags of display coffees brought by Singapore roasters for the event. He wears a white tee and grey baseball cap.
The cupping table featured more than 20 coffees from across Asia.

So You Think You Can Brew? 

The weekend ended with the first-ever So You Think You Can Brew? home brewers’ brewdown at The Community Coffee. The competition saw 18 finalists compete in a series of challenges, with each round featuring a mystery coffee to calibrate with the goal of presenting the best brew to the judges within 15 minutes. 

Shining a spotlight on the home brewers was a great way to encourage coffee enthusiasts of all levels to get involved in the industry. We’re confident that this won’t be the last time we see such an event at the Singapore Roaster Forum.

All in all, the weekend was a resounding success, giving coffee lovers a chance to meet and mingle with some of the best in the business, learn more about coffee, and enjoy some truly excellent cups of joe. We can’t wait to see what next year’s event has in store! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior online correspondent for Barista Magazine, and a freelance copywriter and editor with a primary focus on the coffee niche. She has also been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, providing content to help educate people about baristas and their work. You can follow her adventures at thewanderingbean.net.

The post The Singapore Roaster Forum Returns Stronger Than Ever  appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

The Singapore Roaster Forum Returns Stronger Than Ever 

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.

The Singapore Roaster Forum Returns Stronger Than Ever 

Shopping cart0
There are no products in the cart!
Continue shopping
0