Australia Crowned 2022 World Aeropress Champion.
Last December, Sydney barista Jibbi Little took the trophy of 2022 WAC (World Aeropress Champion).
I dropped the ball on this one.
Not only have I had a chat with Tim the organiser (yes, the WAC is based in Melbourne), but I’ve also video-called the four champions before they competed in the 2021 finals.
My bad for not following up, because I’m a sloppy lazy sack of potatoes.
But, my question is, why didn’t the media pick up on this?
Sure, the competition itself is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but the whole point was to celebrate coffee, yes? For Australia to beat 50+ champions around the world is still a pretty good story.
Why, did the media not pick up on this?
How come, the way I found out was in the dark corner of a room next to my sleeping child, sliding through a square image on a phone, and not on a billboard, or a poster, or the very least, during the morning news scroll on the toilet bowl?
I googled ‘Word Aeropress Champion 2022 Australia’ and sure I have the WAC website, I have beanscene, I have coffee blogs, but none of Good Food, Broadsheet, the lifestyle section of Herald Sun, zero. Oh wait, on page three, there’s the AustraliaToday, and - oh wait - it’s about the Indian Barista Champion coming to Melbourne to compete in the World Barista Championship, which is totally unrelated to Aeropress. Thanks Google.
I’m just going to steal this title and hopefully juice some SEO when people actually search about World Aeropress Championship.
Could it be that the 2023 winner is a Thai female?
I doubt so, all the little trophies on her profile seem solid - former World Latte Art Champion, Roaster Cup Champion, Brewer’s judge etc. She is still very active and competing in the 2023 Australian Coffee Championship. So busy, that she didn’t even reply to my invitation for a chat.
Still, I can’t help imagining if the winner is backed by some roaster like St Ali or Campos or Blue Bottle or even Lavazza, this would be all over the news.
Anyway, I have tried her recipe.
Removing the inaccessible stuff like Perfect Coffee Water, double grinders, fancy beans, sifting the grounds, TDS, etc., the gist of it is to reduce the water by half, making it super concentrated, then add more water towards the end.
So 18g beans, 90ml water at 92°C infused for 2 minutes, press, then add another 90ml or so, resulting in around 150ml of coffee. It’s double the strength of the usual 12g to 200ml ratio of Aeropress recipes.
This recipe produces a strong yet smooth cup of coffee, without the tannins, the sourness, and the need for a cup of sparkling water.
Pop quiz hot shot: why do they serve sparkling water when you order black coffee in a cafe? And do you drink said sparkling water before or after the coffee?
Before: it’s to cleanse your palate, because you just paid $5, you better prep your tongue for this.
After: it’s to hydrate yourself, if you’re staying for brunch or ordering a croissant they don’t want the coffee to get in your gourmet way of life.
Neither, it’s just what wanky cafes do.
You guys get sparkling water???
And of course, the answer is all of the above.
Do and feel whatever you want man. Pour them into your water bottle for later.
Since making my coffee the 2022 world champion way, I find it hard to accept long blacks in cafes anymore.
Perhaps this is the real reason no one really knows about the WAC.
Big Coffee is silencing it.
Because it makes you wonder if you really need all the fancy gadgets, the machines, the tampers, the grinders, the digital scales when all you need is an inside-out plastic bong.
Honestly though, if you’re going to spend money, drop it on the grinder.
But anyway, congratulations Australia.
Pat yourselves on the back.