Meet Inna Zamikhovska, a self-made coffee entrepreneur from Odessa, Ukraine. Since 2018 Inna together with her husband Slava runs a successful and vastly growing coffee brand called Black Hat Coffee. The brand has its signature espresso bar in Hamburg and soon Inna plans to expand with a second location in Berlin. Inna’s unique approach to design and detail definitely helps her brand to stand out. Not only with the impeccable coffee quality but also with dedicated, sophisticated all-round branding and a matching approach to hospitality. Barista Stories are sponsored by PUQpress. Inna, what is ..read more

Meet Andrei Clenciu, a professional… soldier who fell in love with specialty coffee as a home barista and soon after became a co-owner of Perfect Simplu that now features three amazing cafes in the vibrant capital of Romania, Bucharest. Andrei travels all around Europe to compete in the AeroPress Championship, with significant achievements: 1st Place – Slovak, 2nd Place – Swiss and 3rd Place – Italian Aeropress Championship. In 2022 Andrei participated in the World Aeropress Championship in Vancouver, Canada. Andrei also won the first-ever Romanian Comandante Championship and since then hosted ..read more

Meet Lisa Zancanella, an amazing coffee globetrotter from Verona, Italy who also made Porto and Athens her homes. She is involved both in the Portuguese coffee scene as the co-owner of SO Coffee Roasters, in Greece as the co-owner of Foyer espresso bar and in Italy as an active and inspiring Brewers Cup competitor! Lisa grows her coffee knowledge every competition season and always incorporates her personality in her championship performances. She always makes them personal and finds new things that excite her in coffee. As she says herself “Coffee is never just a beverage”. Barista Stories ar ..read more

Learn how to use Hario Switch immersion dripper from the World Brewers Cup Champion. Emi Fukahori taught us her easy Hario Switch recipe that will be used at all MAME coffee shops in Switzerland. Watch the video on our YouTube channel.HARIO SWITCH RECIPE by Emi Fukahori 14 grams of coffee 200 grams of water (93C) 25 clicks on the Comandante grinder ► 1st Phase (Blooming) – valve closed 50 grams of water open the valve after 30 seconds ► 2nd Phase (Pouring) – valve open 150 grams of water single continuous pour to the centre of the coffee bed 1:10 end of pouring 2:20 total brew time The post ..read more

Meet Brice Robin, an exceptional coffee professional who moved from the French countryside 9 years ago to Paris to make a difference in the coffee industry. Brice is an educator and an Authorized SCA Trainer in Barista Skills at Polygone Formations which he founded together with Sébastien Vouillon. Since 2016 Brice has competed in coffee championships every year since 2016 and became the French AeroPress Champion in 2017 and The French Barista Champion in 2023 and just a few weeks ago also 2024! Brice placed 7th at the World Barista Championship in Athens and will represent France again in May ..read more

Learn about Eagle One Prima EXP – a new single-group professional espresso machine from Victoria Arduino. We unboxed and installed it in our studio to share key specs and observations from making espresso, cappuccino but also filter coffee with PureBrew technology. Watch the video on our YouTube channel.Learn more about products from Victoria Arduino and Nuova Simonelli: New Mythos MYG75 Espresso Grinder: A Quick Field Test w/ Professional Barista Eagle One Espresso Machine – Barista Review with Gwilym Davies A Guide To Buying A Commercial Espresso Machine The post Victoria Arduino Eagle On ..read more

All you need to know about the new Comandante C60 Baracuda manual coffee grinder: it’s the third major addition to the Comandante product line after the Comandante C40 Nitro Blade and X25 Trailmaster coffee grinders. Watch the video on our YouTube channel.Learn more about Comandante coffee grinders: Comandante Grinder Factory Tour with The Founder The Ultimate Comandante Grinder Guide Comandante X25 Trailmaster: The Ultimate Travel Coffee Grinder? Timestamps: Comandante C60 Baracuda Unboxing (00:51) Comandante C40 vs C60 vs X25 Comparison (01:58) Comandante C60 Baracuda in Detail (02:23) C ..read more

Meet Osama Shammo, an active coffee educator and professional based in Hamburg, Germany. At 35, Osama brings six years of industry expertise to his role as the Quality & Education Manager at Elbgold, a renowned roastery with a 20-year legacy and five quality-orientated cafés across Hamburg. Osama’s journey from his birthplace in Aleppo, Syria, to his current position reflects a passion deeply rooted in the coffee culture. His achievements, including podium finishes at the German Barista Championships in 2023 and 2024 just prove his will to grow and share coffee knowledge. At Elbgold, Osama ..read more

Meet Dario Pieber, the two-time Swiss Latte Art Champion for the years 2023 and 2024. Dario’s journey in the world of coffee began in 2018, and since then, he has immersed himself in various aspects of the industry. From becoming a part-time barista on farmers’ markets, to a co-owner of Rent a Barista and training other baristas and coffee enthusiasts. However, amidst these ventures, Dario’s passion currently focuses on the art of pouring and crafting latte art. He took part in numerous championships and represented Switzerland at the World Latte Art Championship in Taipei, where he took an am ..read more

Meet Andrei Alexandru Tecau, a seasoned coffee professional and educator, hailing from Brasov, Romania. Andrei is the Sales Manager at an accomplished Bucharest-based specialty roastery GUIDO and an Authorized SCA Trainer in brewing. Andrei’s involvement in the Romanian specialty coffee community goes beyond just enthusiasm as he recently got elected as the National Coordinator of SCA Romania. When we chatted with Andrei before the voting was over, we were mesmerised by the passion Andrei has for coffee education and the initiatives he had in plans once elected. We keep our fingers crosse ..read more