World Barista Championship Interview - Tumi Ferrer

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If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t remember that moment you officially decided you like coffee. But for Tumi Ferrer, this is ingrained in his memory. He was merely four and dipping sugar cubes in black coffee gave him great pleasure, as he savored the sweet sensation infused with coffee. It’s no surprise, then, that this love has paved his way to become Iceland’s Barista Champion. Now it’s up to him to prove his skills in Bogota.


Tumi, who works for Kaffitar, has spent the majority of his adult life surrounded by coffee and has made it his mission to share his acquired love and knowledge of coffee with others. He even blogs about his experiences, which you can view here. In his opinion, communication is key to successfully merging the world of coffee to the world of coffee lovers.


One of the things Tumi really focuses on is the quality of the coffee he produces. When asked how he goes about ensuring consistency, he stated that using scales and knowing what are the appropriate parameters and controls are key. He adds that “science isn’t working against the art of brewing; it’s a tool to make this work of art more efficient and predictable.”


As for brewing techniques, he favors the pour-over method (which we recently visited), because it helps him to maintain consistency. As he aptly put it, quoting a famous violinist, “If I don’t practice for one day, I’ll know it. If I don’t practice for two days, the critics will know it. If I don’t practice for three days, the whole public will know it.” His favorite coffee drink would be “a cloth filter brew” and the Hario Woodneck would have to be one of his “favorite brewers.”/files/World-Barista-Championship-Tumi-Ferrer-espresso-machine.jpg" alt="Tumi Ferrer working the espresso machine magic" title="Tumi Ferrer working the espresso machine magic" align="right" height="451" width="300" />


Some other tools he relies on to ensure the quality of his coffee is consistent is using coffee that has been ground correctly for the machine in use. In addition, he believes that “the quality of the brew is dependent on the freshness of the grinds.” Other than that, he encourages you to stick to your favorite brewing method and make sure that everything you use “is clean and in good condition.”

We’ve asked a lot of baristas if they have a food they like to pair with their coffee, and for the most part, they do have a preferred food, but almost all of them, in a resounding voice, agree that it’s the quality of the coffee that makes the experience successful. When pushed for an answer, Tumi admitted that his pairing would have to be chocolates, cookies or cakes.

Clearly, Tumi is passionate about his profession and is eager to share
his love with others. We hope he’ll take what he’s learned and apply it
in the World Barista Championship this year in Bogota.

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