The World AeroPress Championships: Elly Cortez

Next up is Elly Cortez, she will be representing Canada at the World AeroPress Championships, having won Canada's national championship. Elly works for Show & Tell Coffee, you can follow her journey on instagram: @ellecortado

Why did you choose to enter the AeroPress Championships?

I chose to enter the AeroPress championships after seeing how versatile the style of competition was at last year's Canadian event. The energy was inviting and encouraging to all, which only challenged me to experiment on my own!

What's your favourite way to make coffee?

Currently, any infusion-style method of brewing has seemed to make its way into my daily coffee routine. At the moment, the Hario V60 and Kalita Wave 185 are in my rotation; I enjoy the vibrant and clean textures that this style of brewing showcases in every cup.

What led you to using the AeroPress?

My curiosity of producing silky textures in coffee led me to experiment with my AeroPress device. I find it to be one of the most versatile brewing devices in the industry. With its many variations of brewing, the AeroPress is an excellent learning tool for testing my coffee calibration methods as well as building and expanding my palate.

Which grinder will you use for the competition and why?

I will be using the Baratza Encore grinder for this year's competition. This grinder has proven its consistency in the mid-range grind sizes. I personally enjoy showcasing light and complex brews, similar to a pour over, with my device, which allows me to experiment with grind sizes in the medium-coarse range.

How did you get in to the coffee industry?

My fascination with coffee started with an admiration for coffee shop culture. Exploring the backdrops and atmospheres of this industry is what drew me in as a consumer. It was only fitting to start working behind the counter at the age of 17, and I have not looked back since. My mission in coffee, however, has changed as I continue to grow and share my experiences with others as a coffee professional.  As an aspiring shop owner, I hope to one day create a space of my own where creativity and passion are valued; but most importantly trying to link the chain between farm to cup to others. It is so important to me to honour the chain in coffee; I believe that connecting and uniting the entire chain to our consumers will be a big win for this industry.

What are you most excited about in coffee?

At the current moment, I am enjoying the many unique collaborations happening in the industry. Collaborations are being presented in many different formats:

-Shops are presenting both local and international multi-roasters as options for consumers.

-Shops are unifying coffee with quality ingredients to match the quality of coffee.

-Shops are creating new atmospheres where coffee is able to correlate and exist alongside a different theme (nutrition and food, other beverage industries, lifestyle, the arts).