ZSOFIA ALBERT| BUDAPEST 2019
ZSOFIA ALBERT
WINNER OF THE HUNGARIAN COMANDANTE CHAMPIONSHIP 2019
MY NAME IS ZSOFIA ALBERT. I’M 30 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR.
I WAS BORN IN SZEGED, HUNGARY, BUT LIVING FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS NOW IN THE CAPITAL, BUDAPEST.
I AM A CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGIST IN A HUMAN DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY IN BUDAPEST, WHERE I CURRENTLY LIVE.
WHAT DOES COFFEE MEAN TO YOU?
COFFEE IS MY PASSION! BESIDES, TO ME COFFEE IS ALSO ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND THE AMAZING COMMUNITY BEHIND IT. I’VE MADE SO MANY GOOD FRIENDS, MET COUNTLESS INTERESTING, INSPIRING PEOPLE AND LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THEM – ONLY BECAUSE WE SHARE THE SAME PASSION FOR COFFEE!
WHAT DOES COMANDANTE MEAN TO YOU?
QUALITY, PRECISION AND BEAUTIFUL DESIGN.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT MAKING COFFEE?
I BLAME IT ON MY SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION AND BACKGROUND, BUT I LOVE HOW YOU CAN APPLY SCIENCE THROUGHOUT MAKING A CUP OF COFFEE! IF YOU THINK ABOUT EXTRACTION YIELD, TDS, WATER CHEMISTRY, PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION… IT’S ALL SCIENCE! IT’S SUPER EXCITING TO PLAY AROUND WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT VARIABLES, SO I CAN GET THE MOST OUT OF THE BEANS I’M CURRENTLY USING.
WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS?
I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COFFEE, TO DEVELOP MY SENSORY SKILLS, KEEP ON VOLUNTEERING ON VARIOUS COFFEE EVENTS AND BEING AN ACTIVE AND HELPFUL MEMBER OF OUR LOCAL COFFEE COMMUNITY CALLED FILTER CLUB. OF COURSE I WOULD LIKE TO COMPETE FROM TIME TO TIME AS WELL. :)
AND MY ULTIMATE DREAM IS TO BUY AN OLD RV, CONVERT IT TO A COFFEE TRUCK AND TRAVEL THE WORLD, MAKING FRIENDS AND GOOD COFFEE ALONG THE WAY.
WHY DID YOU APPLY FOR THE COMANDANTE GRIND & BREW CUP?
I’VE COMPETED IN “FRIENDLY” COFFEE COMPETITIONS BEFORE, LIKE THE HUNGARIAN AEROPRESS CHAMPIONSHIP OR THE FIRST FLOW FILTER FIGHT, AND I REALLY ENJOYED THEM. I LOVED THE COOL VIBES, THE RELAXED ATMOSPHERE, AND THE POSSIBILITY TO HANG OUT AND CONNECT WITH PEOPLE WHO SHARE THE SAME PASSION. ALSO I FIGURED THAT I LEARN A LOT DURING THE PREPARATION. THE COMANDANTE CUP SEEMED EXACTLY LIKE THESE KIND OF COMPETITIONS, WHERE EVERYTHING IS MORE ABOUT HAVING FUN AND ENJOY OURSELVES WHILE CHALLENGING OUR RECIPES, SO IT WAS NO QUESTION THAT I’D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE AND TAKE PART IN THE FUN.
HOW WAS THE COMANDANTE GRIND & BREW CUP FOR YOU?
I KNEW IT WILL BE A WELL-ORGANIZED AND FUN EVENT, BECAUSE THE HOSTS HAVE ALREADY PROVED THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO ORGANIZE A COFFEE COMPETITION ON THE HIGHEST LEVELS. BUT HONESTLY, IN THE END IT EXCEEDED ALL MY EXPECTATIONS. I DIDN’T PREPARE MUCH BEFORE, BECAUSE I’VE HAD NEITHER A COMANDANTE GRINDER NOR A KALITA 155, SO I WAS SUPER CHILLED KNOWING I WILL NOT GET OVER THE FIRST ROUND. TO MY BIGGEST SURPRISE I GOT TO THE SEMI-FINALS AND THEN TO THE FINAL. WINNING THE COMPETITION AND SEEING EVERYONE’S HAPPY FACE, THAT THEY WERE CHEERING FOR ME AND TRULY HAPPY FOR MY VICTORY MADE IT A REALLY SPECIAL DAY THAT I’M NOT GOING TO FORGET FOR A LONG LONG TIME!
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR FUTURE COMPETITORS?
DON’T BE AFRAID TO APPLY AND DON’T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY, JUST BE PASSIONATE, HAVE FUN AND TRUST YOUR TASTE BUDS.