The secret to delicious coffee using an air-pressure technique is low hot-water temperature, a long brew time and large bean-particle sizes.
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That’s according to Isabella Willis, head barista at The Blessed Bean in Wagga, who secured first in the Australian AeroPress Championship on September 19 in Victoria.
Mrs Willis, who’s been in the coffee industry for nearly eight years and has had her Aeropress device for three, said her gold finish felt “very surreal”.
“I entered this as a wildcard with no expectations of getting past the first round,” she said.
“It’s my first time winning something like this – I entered the 2016 South Australia regional competition but was knocked out in the first round.”
At the national competition this year, she was also reminded about a crucial factor in using an Aeropress device, an alternative device using air pressure, to brew coffee.
“Make sure the lid is screwed on tight – it’s the lesson I learnt in the first round where the lid popped off and the coffee exploded all over the table,” Mrs Willis said.
I’m very lucky, I love my job.
- Isabella Willis, head barista at The Blessed Bean
She competed in seven rounds against some of the best baristas from around the nation.
“The caliber of competition was incredible with so many talented baristas,” she said.
Coffees were judged via blind tasting.
“It all comes down to taste and every single round was a knockout,” Mrs Willis said.
“There were three contestants per round and the end of their two-minute judging times, they all point to the ones they think tastes best.
“Somehow I ended up first.
“I’m very lucky, I love my job.”
Asked about the future, she said she would now take on the world, getting set to compete in the World AeroPress Championship in Sydney on November 17 this year.
Competitors will have eight minutes in which to prepare, brew, and present their coffee to a panel of three judges.
Drinks will be presented in identical vessels, so judges cannot know who brewed which cup.
The Blessed Bean’s manager Alex Cutts said they were “very luck to have Izzy and all her knowledge”.
“She’s fantastic and really passionate about what she does,” Ms Cutts said.
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