We recently caught up with the winner of the 2017 Toronto Aeropress Championship, Yadi Arifin, to brew a few Aeropresses and learn about his award winning recipe. Yadi, former pastry chef and owner of Fika Cafe in Kensigton Market, recently competed in the National AeroPress Championship hosted by Dogwood Coffee in Winnipeg. Unfortunately Yadi didn't advance to World's this time, but he came back to Toronto with tons of coffees and ready to host an Aeropress brewing class. You can find out more about his upcoming class on September 22nd by clicking HERE.
"My approach for the Toronto competition:
"Keep it simple." So you just need a good hand (or burr) grinder, filtered water, digital scale and an electric kettle.
Then it is just a matter of playing with the amount of coffee, temperature, grind size, agitation and brewing time." - Yadi Arifin
2017 Toronto Aeropress Winning Recipe by Yadi Arifin
Coffee: 17g Hatch T.A.C. Blend (50% Ethiopian natural, 50% Kenyan washed)
Water: 235g filtered water @ 81°C
Brewer: Inverted
Filter: Paper (single)
- Grind coffee at "14" on a Baratza Virtuoso grinder
- Heat water to 81°C, rinse paper filter
- Add 60g of water
- Stir five times slowly and bloom for approximately 40 seconds
- Add the rest of the water (up to 235g) in 20 seconds
- Stir gently for 15 times
- At 1:35 mark, press down for 50 seconds, stop immediately when you hear the "hissing" sound
- Aerate coffee and pour into serving vessel (200ml)
Total brew time : 2:25
Interior, Fika Cafe. Kensington Market, Toronto.