We hear about the Romanian non-coffee-pro competitor and learn his winning recipe.
BY ISABELLE MANI
SPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Photos by Matthew Machanda for World AeroPress Championship
George Popescu of Romania made waves in the coffee world by snagging the 2024 World AeroPress Championship title, which took place September 19-21 in Lisbonβs historic Alfama neighborhood. (Sophan Nugraha of Indonesia earned second place, and Jamika Mahmoud of Egypt was third.)
Getting to Know George Popescu
What makes Georgeβs win surprising? He isnβt a coffee professional; heβs a software engineer. But with more than 5,500 competitors in the mix for the world title, his precision, focus, and engineering-minded approach gave him the edge.
George was also well-loved by his peers during the competition. βHe had such a calm, gentle presence, and his mindset really impressed us,β shared Valentina Palange, the Italian AeroPress champion and a well-known influencer in her country. She tells me his fellow competitors admired not just his skills but also his kindness and thoughtful approach to brewingβa combination that made him stand out in more ways than one.
Georgeβs journey into specialty coffee isnβt your typical story. Heβs not in it for a career but for the love of it; he talks about brewing at home with the kind of warmth youβd expect from someone making coffee for friends on a quiet morning. We talked to George to hear more about his journey to coffee, and to also learn his 2024 World AeroPress Championship-winning recipe.
Barista Magazine Online: Can you walk us through the moment when your name was announced as the 2024 World AeroPress Champion? How did you feel?
George Popescu: It was surreal. When my name was called, I think I was too shocked to react immediately. The whole competition had been intense, and I was surrounded by incredibly talented brewers from all over the world. Honestly, I didnβt expect to win, so it took a few moments for it to really sink in. I felt a mix of excitement, disbelief, and a lot of gratitude. Being able to compete with such passionate people was already a win, so taking home the title felt unreal.
What was your strategy going into the competition? Did you stick to a specific recipe, or were you tweaking and adjusting along the way?
I had a strategy, but I made some adjustments as I went along. I aimed for consistency while also being flexible enough to tweak things based on feedback and how the coffee tasted. I spent a lot of time refining the recipe beforehand, focusing on details like water temperature, grind size, and pressing technique. The AeroPress is really versatile, and I wanted to bring out the natural flavors of the coffee. The goal was to keep it simple and let the coffee shine.
Can you share a bit of your history with specialty coffee? When did your passion for coffee begin, and how did that lead to you enrolling in the competition? Was this your first time?
My journey into specialty coffee started in 2019 pretty unexpectedly. I was on vacation in Berlin with my friend Lucian, and another friend, Mihai, recommended we visit this well-known coffee spot. Up until that point, I wasnβt much of a coffee person. I was more into tea, sweets, good food, and certain spirits. But at this cafΓ©, they had a tasting menu that offered the same coffee prepared four ways: espresso, Americano/long black, cappuccino, and AeroPress. Tasting the AeroPress brew was a lightbulb moment for me. It sparked my curiosity.
From there, I started diving deeperβwatching tutorials, joining conversations, and exploring specialty-coffee shops in Bucharest. The pandemic created a unique opportunity for me. I started going regularly to this small, cozy coffee shop where I could learn more. During that time, I decided to try competing. My first competition was the Romanian AeroPress Championship in 2022. And now, here we are.
Although Romania isnβt always in the global coffee spotlight, youβve emerged as the World AeroPress Champion. How has Romaniaβs local coffee culture influenced your journey as a home brewer?
Romaniaβs coffee scene is vibrant and impressive, especially when you look at our achievements in different categories like roasting, brewing, and CIGS at the World of Coffee competitions. Iβm not going to name specific people here, but weβve definitely made our mark internationally. Winning the World AeroPress Championship as someone from Romania is something Iβm really proud ofβitβs the first time this title has come home to Romania.
As a coffee lover and home brewer, how does it feel to now be recognized as part of the AeroPress βlegendsβ after winning this championship? Has this victory changed your perspective on coffee, especially after spending time with so many passionate professionals in the industry?
Honestly, even though Iβve won the World AeroPress Championship, Iβm still living my normal life. Coffee is still a passion, not a profession, for me. It actually took a while for me to fully process this win. Iβm a pretty private person, and I enjoy genuinely exploring my interests without turning them into something professional. So Iβm keeping coffee as something I love without it needing to be a career.
What the championship did give me, though, was the chance to meet amazing people who are just as passionate about coffee as I am. They love a well-made cup of coffee shared with friends, and that sense of community is something that really inspires me. These people are always learning, improving, and bringing fresh ideas to the table. The conversations, the experiences, and the moments of just enjoying a great cup of coffee with a smileβthatβs what I love about this community.
Itβs still early days, so Iβm not sure how much being the champion will change things for me. After the event, I went back to my usual work routine, and that also gave me a lot of satisfaction. Moving forward, I want to keep coffee as a passion and use this title to maybe give something back to the Romanian coffee scene. For me, this win shows that passion and striving for excellenceβeven when itβs just a hobbyβcan lead to great things.
Tell us more about your career, and how you continue to nurture your coffee love alongside it.
My professional career is in technology, and thatβs where my focus is day-to-day. I enjoy the challenges and fulfillment I get from my work. If, at some point, my tech career and coffee passion cross paths, Iβm open to exploring that. But for now, I like to keep them separate.
Thereβs still so much to explore in the coffee worldβnew flavors, techniques, and experiences that keep me excited. But beyond coffee, I also have a lot of goals and projects in my tech career that Iβm looking forward to. And, of course, spending time exploring new places and sharing experiences with my girlfriend, which brings a lot of joy into my life. All of these things combined are what keep me fulfilled and busy.
Georgeβs Winning AeroPress Recipe
Grind: Medium-fine (about 22 clicks on a Comandante grinder).
Coffee: 18 grams of a light-roast, washed Ethiopian coffee.
Water: 250ml of water at 83Β°C (181.4Β°F)
Method:
1. Rinse the AeroPress filter with hot water to remove any paper taste.
2. Add the coffee to the AeroPress.
3. Start the timer and pour 50ml of water, stirring gently to saturate all the grounds.
4. At 30 seconds, pour in another 200ml of water.
5. Stir again, cap the AeroPress, and let it steep for 2 minutes.
6. At 2:30, start pressing gently, aiming for a total press time of 30-40 seconds.
7. You should have around 76-79 grams of coffee output. Dilute with warm water until you reach 130-135 grams.
8. Add another 20-30 grams of room-temperature water to cool it down slightly before serving.
Isabelle ManiΒ (she/her) is a writer, journalist, and communicator specializing in theΒ internationalΒ coffee industry. Since 2017, she has focused on writing articles and features for various international coffee news outlets. Isabelle has traveled to coffee-producing countries such as Colombia, Kenya, Rwanda, China, and Brazil to study and research coffee. She holds training certifications from theΒ Specialty Coffee AssociationΒ (SCA) and theΒ Coffee Quality InstituteΒ (Arabica Q Grading).
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