Rules and Format – UAE Aeropress Championship

The competition is a multi-round, elimination tournament.
In each round, two or more competitors will brew coffee simultaneously, using an AeroPress Coffee Maker.
Competitors have five minutes for the complete process of preparing, brewing, and presenting their coffee.
Post-brewing, the coffees are to be presented in identical vessels to a panel of judges.
Judges will conduct a blind taste-based evaluation of each coffee, making a private assessment to determine the best brew.
On a synchronised count of three, judges will simultaneously point to their preferred coffee.
The winner of each round advances to the next stage, while the other competitors are eliminated.

Brewer Specifications and Restrictions

Competitors must use a genuine AeroPress Original or AeroPress Clear.
All components of the AeroPress, including the chamber, plunger, and original filter cap, must be used.
Other versions of AeroPress Coffee Makers, including but not limited to Go, XL, Premium, and the Flow Control Filter Cap, are not permitted in the competition.
Competitors may use World AeroPress Championship-issued trophies, and custom-painted AeroPress brewers, provided they are made from an unaltered and genuine AeroPress Original or Clear.
No other coffee brewer is permitted for use in any aspect of competition. This includes, but is not limited to, brewing methods such as French presses, pour-overs, zero bypass brewers, syphons, or any other alternative brewing devices.

1. Any type or brand of filter is permissible, as long as it does not replace the AeroPress filter cap.
2. Filters can be made of paper, metal, cloth, or any other material, provided it is neutral in taste and does not impart flavour to the brewed coffee.
3. The filter must fit inside the filter cap when it is affixed to the chamber, and simultaneously be the primary mechanism by which the brewed coffee is filtered.

1. Accessories that aid in coffee brewing, such as grinders, kettles, decanters, scales, stirrers, spoons, timers, thermometers, brewer stands, sifters, air blowers, RDT (Ross Droplet Technique) tools, WDT (Weiss Distribution Technique) tools, chilling rocks (frosty balls), and water dispersion aids are allowed for use in competition.
2. All accessories must comply with the rules specifically stipulated under “Brewer Specifications and Restrictions” and may not contravene any other rules of the competition.

1. Unless Hosts have specified and provided a competition water, competitors may bring their own water to use in their recipe.
2. The water must taste “neutral” and not be noticeably sweetened or adulterated.
3. The Head Judge reserves the right to taste the water and may disallow its use if deemed inappropriately sweetened.
4. The use of ice in recipes and any temperature water for bypassing is permitted.
5. The same standards applied to brewing water also apply to both ice and bypass water.

Each round is judged using the blind cupping technique (spoon, slurp, spit).
Competitors’ names and/or countries are marked on the underside of the cups to remain hidden.
There is no formal scoresheet. Judges simply determine their preferred choice of coffee.
Each judge arrives at their conclusion independently, without discussion with fellow judges.
On the count of three, judges point simultaneously, confidently, and definitively at their chosen cup.
The MC reveals the round winner by lifting the winning cup.
In case of a tie, with all judges pointing at different cups, a predetermined Head Judge will taste all samples and decide the winner. This decision is final.

1. Before stage time, competitors may preheat brewing water, sort through and pick coffee beans, weigh out coffee doses, assemble the brewer, and place the filter into the filter cap.

1. Within the 5 minutes of competition time, competitors must;
  1. Pre-heat or pre-chill brewer and vessels, if doing so
  2. Grind the coffee
  3. Prepare the recipe
  4. Pour all the brewed coffee into the judging vessel

Registered competitors must bring their own genuine AeroPress Classic or Clear. No AeroPress will be provided.
Competitors may use their own scales and grinders.
Competitors may bring their own water, but it will be subjected for the head judge’s approval.
In the event where a national champion is unable to travel, or unable to obtain a visa to enter the world final host country, eligibility passes to the 2nd place winner of that national competition. Similarly, if the 2nd place winner cannot attend, eligibility passes to the 3rd place winner. Eligibility does not pass any further than this, nor can it be transferred to any other person. Eligibility does not ‘roll over’ to any future seasons.
The AeroPress Flow Control Filter Cap may not be used in competition in 2023.