How roasting champions are redefining profile development

For many in the industry, competitions represent the pinnacle of specialty coffee. They showcase different varieties and processing methods, push the boundaries of coffee flavour, and highlight the work of talented professionals. In turn, they have a huge influence on trends in the wider industry.

Roasting competitions are no exception, and a reason why they have become more popular in recent years. To stand out against their peers, roasting champions must finetune profile development to express the best characteristics of the coffee. 

This requires advanced skills and knowledge, but leveraging roasting technology to precisely control different variables is equally important. As roasters have utilised new machine features in competitive environments, others in the industry have followed suit.

Ben Put, co-founder of Monogram Coffee and Canadian Barista Champion, and Matt Winton, co-founder of Rose Coffee Roasters and the 2021 World Brewers Cup Champion, provide their insight on how roasting competitions are redefining profile development in specialty coffee.

You may also like our article on how to get the results using sponsor machines at the World Coffee Roasting Championship.

How competitions have influenced roasting techniques

Coffee championships are arguably the most innovative events that take place in the industry. The competitive nature pushes baristas and roasters to be as creative as possible, kickstarting wider trends in specialty coffee. This is most noticeable with the exclusive varieties that are often presented on stage, such as Gesha, Pink Bourbon, and Sidra.

To get the best results with these coffees, competitors have to be innovative with their brewing methods. At events like the World Barista and Brewers Cup Championships, it’s not uncommon to see competitors using unique ingredients, advanced accessories, or new techniques to stand out.

“Baristas in specialty coffee are always pushing the limits of extraction,” says Ben Put, multi-World Barista Championship finalist and co-founder of Monogram Coffee in Calgary, Canada. “One of the biggest trends I have noticed at recent competitions is the ‘revival’ of exploring the full spectrum of extraction – from espresso turbo shots to cold blooms for filter coffee.

“To accommodate these brewing techniques, you need to experiment with different roast profiles,” he adds. “Previously, when baristas used more ‘rigid’ recipes, they would only work with certain roasting styles. But now that we have a larger set of tools to get the most out of coffee, it’s opened up new possibilities.”

The move towards lighter roasts

Highlighting terroir and desirable characteristics – including sweetness, balance, and specific flavour notes – is key to receiving a high score from judges. Lighter roast profiles tend to best showcase these qualities, which is why they have become so prominent in specialty coffee over the last decade or so.

“Competitors had a tendency to develop their roast profiles for longer to account for differences in water quality and hardness, or push their milk beverage roast development a little darker to balance out flavour profiles,” says Matt Winton, 2021 World Brewers Cup Champion and co-founder of Rose Coffee Roasters in Zurich, Switzerland. “In recent years, however, we have moved away from this, and lighter roast profiles have definitely come to the forefront.”

The unique varieties and experimental processing methods used at competitions lend themselves well to lighter roasting styles. Baristas and roasters can emphasise the more delicate, complex flavour notes that increase their chances of earning a higher score.

Moreover, using different equipment and working in an unfamiliar environment pushes competitors to be more flexible and open-minded when roasting coffee.

“Competitions are the perfect testing ground for taking new approaches to roast profile development,” Ben tells me. “It can be a big wake-up call for roasters when they taste their coffee using a different grinder, espresso machine, or water source – it forces them to take more risks.”

How competition machines affect roast profile development

In the context of roasting competitions specifically, competitors are given coffees rather than choosing them. For the World Coffee Roasting Championship, competitors receive five different coffees: one to sample roast, one single origin, and three other coffees to create a blend. All coffees are arabica sourced from various origins, and are processed in a number of different ways.

During the first round, roasters have allocated time to practise and evaluate their green coffee before sample roasting, taking part in an open cupping session, and developing a roast plan. In addition to leveraging their extensive knowledge of how to roast different coffees, roasters also need to be familiar with sponsor equipment, including the machines. Navigating settings, adjusting parameters, and troubleshooting issues is much easier if competitors have prior experience using them.

On 16 January 2024, the SCA announced Stronghold Technology as the Official Production Roaster Sponsor for the 2024-27 World Coffee Roasting Championship. The S9X machine was provided for the 2024 competition, which took place from 27 to 29 June at World of Coffee Copenhagen.

Matt points out how this machine’s features have helped him to achieve consistent results both in and out of competitions.

“The S9X’s infrared bean surface probe provides real-time results for any changes you make,” he explains. “Its halogen energy system also ensures more heat is transferred into the centre of each bean so roast profile development begins as quickly as possible.”

Even heat distribution, including at the beginning of the roasting process, reduces the risk of baking, scorching, or tipping coffee – all of which impede flavour and quality.

“These features are all tied together by the machine’s auto-replication system, which makes it easier to accurately repeat roast curves,” he adds.

More advanced features means more control

To showcase the full complexity of their chosen coffees, competitors must carefully adjust different parameters to customise profile development. Not only does this require expertise and skill, but it also means roasters must know how to use machine features to their advantage.

These coffees are often delicate and subtle with nuanced flavour profiles, so even the slightest roast defect is accentuated and becomes noticeable. On such prominent platforms like the World Barista and Brewers Cup Championships, anything less than perfect means losing valuable points on scoresheets.

Avoiding these pitfalls is then all the more important, which means using a reliable machine that offers more control is crucial to success.

Ben says he has long used the Stronghold S7Pro for his competition routines, as well as for coaching other roasters. 

“The machine includes convection technology, but also features halogen heat sources, and an additional drum heater in the S7X model,” he notes. “The numerous heat sources open up different ways to roast coffee, and the simple layout of the roasting software makes it easy to replicate profiles.”

Incorporating multiple heat sources such as convection, conduction, and radiation into one machine allows the user to exert more control over the roasting process, thereby achieving more consistent results.

“Stronghold’s infrared surface probe technology also makes the machines a great option for competition roasting, where a few seconds or a few degrees in temperature can be the difference between first and second place,” Ben adds.

Developing roast profiles: Advice from the champs

Specialty coffee roasters will always draw inspiration from competitions. As coffee champions continue to develop their roasting techniques, new innovation will also impact trends in the wider industry. 

With this in mind, both Matt and Ben share their tips to experiment with roast profile development, while still achieving great results. 

“Espresso is more concentrated, so all of its attributes are amplified, and any peaks in acidity or dryness will be exposed,” Matt explains. “So I tend to prolong the total roast time for espresso profiles. This smooths out brighter flavour notes and acidity while increasing solubility and sweetness.

“For this reason, I don’t usually roast the same for espresso and filter, but an exception in my experience is for infused and co-fermented coffees,” he adds. “I had more success with darker profiles for filter and lighter for espresso, so an omni roast helped to balance it out.”

Matt continues to point out that processing methods can have a significant impact on how to approach roast profile development.

“Heavier processed coffees require different techniques. If you roast them similar to a high altitude washed coffee, you won’t get the best results,” he explains. “You need to be flexible to achieve the best outcome and highlight the desirable traits of many different coffees.”

Using roasting technology to your advantage

Ben emphasises that a less-is-more approach to roast profile development is sometimes more effective.

“There are many ways to roast coffee, but you don’t have to use all of them,” he says. “When new technology comes out, people feel obligated to use all the features at once to maximise the new tech. But this can make things very confusing and often doesn’t lead to better results.”

Matt, meanwhile, tells me that he aims to balance temperature and timing to optimise roast profiles.

“At the start, I often increase the halogen and hot air settings on my Stronghold machine as much as possible,” he says. “Then as the roast progresses, I slowly increase the bean agitation while decreasing the halogen and hot air sources to provide a clean finish.”

Coffee championships often drive innovation in the specialty industry. Roasting competitions are no exception, with champions pioneering new techniques that are redefining profile development.

More advanced technology and machine features will spur these trends even further – expanding the possibilities of coffee flavour.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on whether co-roasting spaces will become more popular in specialty coffee.

Photo credits: Stronghold, Matt Winton

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