The World AeroPress Championships: David Titmus

Next up? It's David Titmus from Belfast and he's representing Northern Ireland. David works for Established Coffee and co-ordinates the coffee and education programmes. You can follow his journey on the Established Coffee instagram: @establishedcoffee or on his own (if he lets you): @dctitmus.

Why did you choose to enter the AeroPress Championship?

The AeroPress Championship is always a night when the coffee community comes together, has some drinks, catches up with old friends, makes new ones, and one lucky person wins some incredible prizes!

What’s your favourite way to make coffee (other than AeroPress of course!)?

Part of my prize haul was a Bonavita 8 cup brewer, so I’m loving that at the minute; if I was making coffee just for myself then it’s usually with a V60 or Clever Dripper.

What led you to using the AeroPress?

It’s a quick, convenient, consistent brewer that produces really tasty coffee; the fact that it’s ludicrously easy to clean is the icing on the cake!

Which grinder will you use for the competition and why?

As I used an EK43 to win my national competition I think I’ll use one of the 6 provided, as travelling from Northern Ireland with an EK is probably not the best use of luggage allowance!

How did you get in to the coffee industry?

I come from a family of coffee drinkers and so grew up surrounded by, admittedly terrible, coffee. When I was 14, I asked for a drip filter machine for Christmas and so began my personal love affair with, in particular, filter coffee.

When the university route didn't work out for me there was only one thing I was passionate enough to pursue a career in, and that was coffee; 8 years later and I'm still learning about, and enjoying, coffee every day.

What are you most excited about in coffee?

In the last year I've been fortunate to try some amazing coffees from countries I had decided (stupidly) that I didn't enjoy; new and interesting styles of processing coffee and producing countries we've rarely, if ever, seen in Northern Ireland. I used a Semi-Carbonic Macerated Racemosa, from the Daterra farm in Brazil, roasted by La Cabra (Denmark), in Brewers Cup, and it destroyed so many preconceived ideas of origin, process and variety for me!

Just today I tasted a Homey Processed Catimor from China, roasted by Origin Coffee, and it was amazing.

Coffee is rarely a stationary industry, and this constant evolving means every day is a school day and I think that's incredibly exciting.