The World Coffee Championships wrapped up this week, with winners crowned in each of the three categories on October 29. Colombia's Diego Campos is now our World Barista Champion, with Matt Winton of Switzerland taking home the World Brewers Cup Championship title, and Kyoungha Chu winning the World Cup Tasters Championship for Australia.
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Each category was judged over a period of seven days at the HostMilano trade show, Milan, with over 100 competitors vying for the top spot. The main event judges entrants on their technical barista skills and creativity, but other categories put tasting and filter brewing to the test as well.
The World Coffee Championships are usually an annual affair, with events presented with the Specialty Coffee Association and World Coffee Events. Last year's preceedings, however, were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the competition back in full swing this year, we have winners for three out of the Championships' seven categories. You'll find this year's winners below.
World Barista Championship 2021
Competitors in the World Barista Championship must produce four espressos, milk drinks, and original signature drinks in a 15 minute routine judged on everything from taste to cleanliness, technical skill to creativity. Diego Campos took home the win this year, with Andrea Allen coming in second for the US and Hugh Kelly running up third for Australia.
- 1 - Diego Campos, Colombia
- 2 - Andrea Allen, US
- 3 - Hugh Kelly, Australia
- 4 - Emi Fukahori, Switzerland
- 5 - Martin Shabaya, Kenya
- 6 - Wojciech Tysler, Ireland
World Brewers Cup 2021
To compete in the World Brewers Cup competition, entrants must show their skill with filter coffee, brewing three drinks by hand from the beans provided. Switzerland's Matt Winton placed first, taking up the mantle from 2019's winner, Jia Ning Du of China.
- 1 - Matt Winton, Switzerland
- 2 - Daiki Hatakeyama, Japan
- 3 - Elika Liftee, US
- 4 - Carlos Escobar, Australia
- 5 - Ply Pasarj, Canada
- 6 - Tomas Taussig, Czech Republic
World Cup Tasters Championship 2021
Competitors must demonstrate their accuracy and speed in identifying unique flavor profiles from a range of specialty coffees in the World Cup Tasters Championship. Entrants are provided with three cups, two of which contain the same coffee, and a third of a different kind. They must then identify the alternate brew as quickly as possible across eight rounds. Australia's Kyoungha Chu was victorious this year, with Dénes Rajmond of Germany and Sang Min Ju of South Korea landing runner up places.
- 1 - Kyoungha Chu, Australia
- 2 - Dénes Rajmond, Germany
- 3 - Sang Min Ju, South Korea
- 4 - José María Gómez Mora, Costa Rica
If you don't have the time to work on your own barista skills, check out the best Keurigs on the market right now. Or, take a look at the best Cuisinart coffee makers available if you're after a drip pot instead. We're also looking ahead to this year's Black Friday coffee maker deals for holiday savings as well.
