Since its debut in 2013, the World Coffee Roasting Championship has become one of the most anticipated competitions in the industry. Testing roasters’ skills to grade green coffee and develop a roast profile that best accentuates a coffee’s characteristics, the event serves as an important platform to recognise and celebrate excellence in specialty coffee.

The competition relies on sponsors to provide essential funding and support, including supplying equipment. On 16 January 2024, the SCA announced Stronghold Technology as the Official Production Roaster Sponsor for the 2024-27 World Coffee Roasting Championship. The company’s S9X machine will be provided for the 2024 competition, which will take place from 27 to 29 June at World of Coffee Copenhagen.

So considering that different brands and models of machines have a huge impact on how a coffee should be roasted to highlight its best qualities, competitors need to know as much information about sponsor machines as possible before taking part.

To learn more, I spoke to Jason Woo, founder and CEO of Stronghold Technology, and Stefanos Domatiotis, founder of Create Coffee Roasters. 

You may also like our article on how you roast coffee for barista competitions.

What is the World Coffee Roasting Championship?

Every year, roasters from around the world take part in the World Coffee Roasting Championship (WCRC), which is organised by the Specialty Coffee Association. The competition is split into three stages:

• Pre-roasting stage – which includes green coffee evaluation, sample roasting, open cupping, and roast planning for both a single origin coffee and a blend
• Production roasting stage – competitors have 30 minutes to roast the single origin coffee and an hour for the blend
• Production roast evaluation stage – the judges cup and score all roasted coffees to determine a winner

Jason Woo is the CEO and founder of Stronghold Technology, a roaster manufacturer that has sponsored the WCRC and several national Coffee Roasting Championships since 2015.

“Over the past decade, we have witnessed the transformative power of competitions in shaping the specialty coffee industry,” he says. “These championships serve as platforms for innovation, where skilled participants can showcase new concepts, technologies, and techniques.”

How are sponsor machines selected?

Sponsors play a huge role in establishing competitions like the World Coffee Roasting Championship by providing necessary funding, equipment, and support. Simply put, it would be impossible for organisers to host the event in a different country every year without them.

One of the key forms of sponsorship for the WCRC is providing the equipment, including the most important piece of machinery: the roaster. In order to be selected as a qualified sponsor, roaster manufacturers must meet a series of rigorous requirements. Some of these are:

• Comply with a range of technical specifications, such as a 3 to 6kg batch capacity
• Meet various country-specific certifications and installations
• Perform to a consistently high standard for a competition environment

“Many international coffee champions have used the S9X not just in competitions, but also for commercial roasting,” Jason says.

Moreover, he explains how important it is for sponsors and organisers to share similar values, as this is also a crucial aspect of the selection process.

“As part of our ‘Assist, Connect, and Inspire’ ethos, we are committed to engaging with the coffee community, fostering connections, and pushing for further innovation, so our approach aligns with the SCA’s mission and purpose” Jason adds. “For example, in recent years, we have transitioned to zero-to low-carbon emission electric roasters to improve our sustainable practices.”

What do roasting competitors need to know about sponsor machines?

Whether in a commercial or competitive setting, roasters need to be familiar with the machines they have to use. If not, they run the risk of negatively impacting coffee quality and losing more of the desirable characteristics.

In a competition environment specifically, this, of course, can hinder a roaster’s chance at winning. So what are the most important factors they need to consider?

Stefanos Domatiotis is the founder of Create Coffee Roasters in Athens, Greece. He is also a seasoned coffee competitor – he won the 2014 World Brewers Cup and placed in the finals of the 2010 and 2012 World Barista Championships.

“First and foremost, competitors need to understand how they can create and modify roast profiles when using a specific machine,” he tells me. “To do this, they should familiarise themselves with variables like temperature control, airflow adjustments, and total roast time to calculate consistent and precise results.”

He adds that competitors should also practise according to recommended batch capacities for sponsored machines to ensure even heat distribution and consistent results. For instance, as the Stronghold S9X has a batch capacity between 3kg and 8kg, competitors shouldn’t roast above or below this range per batch.

Practice makes perfect

It goes without saying that roaster competitors are highly skilled and trained, so analysing and customising key roast profile metrics comes as second nature to many. But if a WCRC sponsor machine operates differently than one that a competitor is more familiar with, understanding how to monitor and change variables is vital for success.

One example that Stefanos mentions is knowing how to use the machine’s interface and control panels, which only comes with continuous practice.

“You have to be comfortable with navigating different settings, adjusting parameters on the fly, and troubleshooting any operational issues that may arise during practice sessions,” he tells me. “Essentially, you need to make sure you can consistently replicate optimal roast profiles.”

As part of the WCRC, competitors are provided with green coffee and a set of information, such as origin, altitude, processing method, and variety. Using this data, in addition to their knowledge and expertise, roasters are able to create optimal profiles in a much shorter space of time.

What’s more, roasters also receive dedicated lab time to measure variables like screen size, density, moisture content, and any defects, so understanding how to use sponsor machines in line with these factors is also very important.

Finally, Stefanos mentions that the machine’s cooling system will have an impact on competitors’ final scores and performance. 

“An efficient cooling procedure is crucial to prevent over-roasting and achieve optimal flavour development,” he explains. “I advise roasters to practise using the machine’s cooling cycle to achieve their desired roast level.”

Understanding what competition judges are looking for

As with any coffee championship, roaster competitors need to familiarise themselves with the rules and scoresheets, and always keep them in mind when developing roast profiles.

“The judges will expect a balanced flavour profile that highlights the unique characteristics of the provided coffee,” Stefanos says. “This requires skillful manipulation of various roast parameters to bring out the more desirable flavours.”

WCRC judges also assess a wide number of factors to determine a winner, such as bean colour, aroma, sweetness, and body. It’s therefore critical that competitors pay close attention to even the smallest details of how sponsor machines work. In turn, they can precisely control different variables to achieve the best results possible and increase their chances of success.

Using sponsor machines to your advantage

For obvious reasons, extensive practice with sponsor machines prior to competitions means roasters will feel more confident and prepared beforehand. In turn, this places them in a better position to perform well and receive higher scores.

Although all competitors may not have equal access to sponsor machines, it’s important that they can become as familiar as possible so they can use machine features to their advantage.

“Different coffees require specific roast profiles to bring out their best qualities,” Stefanos says. “The S9X’s triple heat system – which uses convection, conduction, and radiation heat generation and recirculation – enables competitors to tweak roasting parameters according to the unique characteristics of each coffee.

“This maximises the potential for exceptional expression of flavour,” he adds, also mentioning that roasters are able to achieve more balanced and consistent results.

As the popularity of roasting competitions has soared in recent years, the World Coffee Roasting Championship has been a pioneer of these events – helping organisers to innovate and shape the wider industry, too.

Equipment sponsorship also plays a fundamental role in these competitions. So if roasters want to achieve success, they need to understand how sponsor machines work.

But perhaps more importantly, they need to feel comfortable using these roasters. As a result, they can get the best out of their competition coffees and increase their chances of winning.

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

Photo credits: Stronghold Technology, Specialty Coffee Association, World Coffee Events

Perfect Daily Grind

Please note: Stronghold Technology is a sponsor of Perfect Daily Grind.

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