Do you have what it takes? Roast Masters ROAST MASTERS RETURNS TO THE ACF WITH A BRAND NEW FORMAT! Designed by the creators of Coffee Masters, Roast Masters is the cutting-edge tournament celebrating the best specialty roasters on the planet. This year at ACF, some of the worlds best specialty roasters will compete in teams in a fast-paced, head-to-head, knockout tournament. Put through their paces by a panel of industry-leading judges in front of a crowd, this is the ultimate test of skills, know-how and commercial aptitude. This is a unique opportunity to excel in front of key industry players and an international audience. DISCIPLINES This year, Roast Masters has officially upped its game with brand new disciplines! Did someone say... LIVE ROASTING? Throughout 4 rounds (qualifying rounds, quarter finals, semi finals and the final) teams will compete in 7 different disciplines. #1 The Cupping Table > On day 1 all competitors are given 90 minutes to create a roast profile of the same mystery single origin coffee, using the Stronghold S7 Pro sample roaster > The sample roasts from all competitors will then to be cupped on day 2 by the judges > The discipline is scored on taste and flavour > The teams who make it to the Final will present their roasted coffee from day 2 head-to-head on the cupping table > The two finalist coffees are judged purely on taste and flavour #2 The Espresso Smackdown > Competitors will bring three coffees: a light and a medium single origin and a blend > Head-to-head format, three rounds: light vs light, medium vs medium, blend vs blend > Best tasting coffees win each round #3 The Order Challenge > Using their own coffees, competitors will make 10 drinks as listed on the presented order within a maximum time of 9 minutes > The drinks prepared in this discipline are commonly found on specialty café menus > Each drink will be scored according to wether it is passed or failed by the judges based on balance, extraction, mouthfeel and handling > A 'passed' drink will be awarded 3 points. A 'failed' drink will be awarded 0 points #4 The Latte Art Showdown > Roll the dice, get assigned a shape > Pour and win (best of 3)! > Judged on appearance #5 The Brew Face-Off > Roasters prepare a filter roast from their own portfolio > Presented in 15 minutes > Judges to judge on taste, presentation and showmanship #6 The Signature Drink > 12 minutes to create a signature beverage > Mystery ingredients provided on the day > Judged on taste, creativity, professionalism, presentation and showmanship #7 The Espresso Blend > Roasters are presented with a selection of mystery roasted single origin coffees > They are tasked to create a bespoke espresso blend > An espresso and cappuccino will be presented for evaluation COMPETITORS We can finally announce the final competitors for Roast Masters at The Amsterdam Coffee Festival 2023! Give it up for the 15 roasters from across Europe competing head-to-head for the title of Roast Master 2023. Drumroll please... EQUIPMENT The Machine Our Roast Masters contestants will be able to flaunt their expertise on the prestigious Sanremo Café Racer, which ties beautiful design to the latest energy saving technology. With advanced boiler technology, a unique ‘suspension drip tray’ and a simple user interface the Racer delivers outstanding high volume coffee time after time, while using 50% less energy than traditional machines. It's no wonder this machine is making its entrance to the Roast Masters stage. The grinder To ensure the perfect grind, the contestants will also be able to rely on Sanremo’s latest and revolutionary grinder, the X-ONE. A high precision innovative instrument which is made to create a new approach to the grinding of coffee, preserving all of its aroma and volatile compounds. The Sample Roaster Meet our first ever official live roasting partner, Stronghold, the South Korean innovators in electric roasting technology. Plug-n-Roast with Stronghold's S7 Pro, bringing unparalleled ease and performance to coffee roasting at RM 2023. The Coffee None other than green coffee trader Sucafina Specialty will deliver the green coffee for the Roast Masters competition. Expect exciting specialty lots from this specialised coffee trader! The Coffee Bags To keep all the amazing coffees nice and fresh, Packiro will provide eco-friendly stand-up pouches, perfectly suited for coffee. As the expert in individually printed and sustainable packaging solutions, Packiro produce 250 grams or 1000 grams pouches with aroma valve & protection against oxygen, moisture and UV radiation. Visit their stand at the festival to discuss the coffee bag of your dreams. The Cups All the amazing coffee brewed by the contenders will be poured into the iconic cups from Huskee. The Australian brand offers a modular, reusable cup for the home, cafe, or takeaway that repurposes waste coffee husk, adding to the sustainability goals of this year's ACF. Plus, they look fantastic! The Water For Roast Masters 2023, BRITA will offer filtered water, which positively influences the extraction of coffee in body and aroma. BRITA filtered water is ideal for all those who want to fulfill the highest quality in cup. With the right balance in carbonate and total hardness this water supports the perfect harmony in flavour. Specifications: Total hardness - 4° dH / Carbonate hardness - 2,5° dH / TDS around 100 ppm / PH around 6,5-7 The Milk Holland Jersey will provide milk across the entire festival, from Roast Masters, to Latte Art Live and all the stands. Founded in 2015, their rich milk is produced by Jersey cows. These purebred cows are known to have the lowest ecological footprint. They eat 30% less and thus produce 30% less manure than other breeds. Another advantage is the milk: one liter of Jersey cow milk contains more nutrients than “regular” cow milk. And the flavour in coffee… it’s incomparable! The Syrup In order to create the ultimate Signature Drink the Roast Masters-contestants are able to delve into Monin’s treasure box with more than 120 flavoured syrups. They offers endless possibilities: from cocktails and hot beverages, as well as culinary applications. THE JUDGES Anne Lunell – head judge Anne Lunell is a Swedish barista champion and the visionary behind Koppi, an internationally respected and well-loved coffee roaster in the Swedish town of Helsingborg, which she founded in 2007 with Charles Nystrand. Anne is also a experienced juror, heading the panel of Coffee Masters New York and London and Coffee Mixologists and Roast Masters in Amsterdam, and therefore we are so proud to welcome her back for this tournament. Kris Schackman Growing up in the USA, Kris’ love for coffee started in the mid-1990s while attending the University of Massachusetts and Hampshire College, drinking Scott Rao batch brews by the liter. Soon after moving to Berlin, he co-founded Five Elephant Coffee Roastery & Cake Shop in 2010 with his wife & partner Sophie. Is there anyone more equipped to judge the world’s most allround coffee tournament as this coffee veteran? Gabriele Limosani He experienced the live action first hand last year judging Roast Masters at The Milan Coffee Festival 2022. Flying in from Italy, let us introduce you to Gabriele Limosani, a Q-grader with 10 years of industry experience, passion and pure coffee love under his belt. THE MC's Keri Mol The host of the SCA NL Championships and now also Roast Masters knows how to put the participants at ease and guide the audience on their way to the finals. Valentina Palange Half of the inspirational coffee duo Specialty Pal and ambassador of The Milan Coffee Festival, Valentina Palange, joins Keri on stage with her infectious energy.