The 2023 New Zealand Aeropress Championship
I was at the New Zealand Aeropress Championship today! They held it at Atomic Coffee at Kingsland and it was super packed. Here's how it works:
27 brewers compete in pure elimination rules. Each round, three competitors brew and present to three judges who blindly evaluate by taste. At the count of three, the judges simultaneously point to which cup they like best (the criteria is which cup they would want to finish). In the event of a tie the MC/host will taste and act as the tie breaker.
There are nine judges in total, and first prize is a trip to the World Aeropress Championship held in Melbourne.
Everyone brings their own gear (often in baskets or plastic tubs), including kettle and water. You have five minutes to set up, but you cannot grind your beans during this time.
Pictured: Three of the nine Aeropress judges slurping away. The word 'Boring' on the back of the judge's shirt is referring to the New Zealand Boring Oat Milk brand.
Before I give you a breakdown (in case you want notes for your own Aeropress techniques), here's my own background:
- I know what an Aeropress is (lol)
- I also know Aeropress people are pretty crazy about them
- I've never used one because I think with my current coffee and baking equipment, my kitchen is about to explode
Alright, so grinders first. You don't have to bring your own, you can use the supplied Malkonig (I think) electric grinder, but most chose to use hand grinders. I spied a lot of Commandante hand grinders (the C40 was the most common) and some Timemores.
Some used brushes to ensure they got all the grounds from their grinder, others shook it to ensure it didn't retain too much. Some did a weird single hand spin and let the grind handle whirr freely.
With kettles, they varied greatly, from the Brewista Artisan to the Bonavita to the famed EKG Stagg (that I've always wanted but can't afford). Everyone brings their own water which is smart, because you wouldn't want to brew with water that's not the right pH or too hard (high in dissolved minerals) for this kind of competition.
Not everyone chose to use Aeropress Original. Some used the Clear (the so-called 'updated' version).
With dosing, everyone had their own particular flair. One contestant brought out a mini squeeze hand pump after putting their grounds on a tray, and I can only guess that it's either to separate the grind sizes if they weren't uniform or to get it evenly dispersed without a comb before you put it into the Aeropress? This one really escaped me.
During the preinfusion phase, some chose to only swirl the Aeropress. Most used a plastic/wood scoop to stir, but the stirring method varied greatly. I also saw a stabbing motion done with one hand while their other hand turned the Aeropress container.
Several contestants poured hot water after the press to change the water ratio. There were also some very, very slow presses.
Quite a few contestants used the famous upside down Aeropress brewing method.
Prior to serving, some poured the coffee back and forth between the judge's cup and their jugs to cool it down faster than swirling. Others swirled inside their V60 Hario Coffee Server. One contestant kept the coffee in a stainless steel milk jug for as long as possible, probably trying to use the metal to sap heat. They poured it into the judge's cup in the final ten seconds of the brewing phase. (As you might know, coffee is easier to taste when it's cooler, not when it's super hot).
Anyway, that's all the interesting details I noted down. I wish you the best in your own Aeropressing!
If you're not into Aeropress (like me), then uhhhhh I'll give you the warning everyone else told me -- it's a rabbit hole. But then again, most things involving coffee is, lol.