Peter Duran | German Comandante Champion

What is your job and where do you live and work?

I’m the co-owner and manager of Isla in Berlin.

What does coffee mean to you?

Coffee is a ritual with transformational potential. The amount of people involved in the entire value chain gives us incredible power to improve the lives of others, if we approach our trade with good intention.

What do you love about Comandante grinders, and how did you hear about them?

I heard about Comandante through the usual sources, Sprudge and other like publications, as well as seeing them at different events and in certain shops. I’ve never used such a consistent, well-built hand grinder.

Why did you apply for the Comandante Grind & Brew Cup?

I liked the challenge of walking into a competition with no impression of the coffee or water and just making coffee based on taste alone. It was a welcome departure from the weighing, refracting, very scientific approach we can get lost in on a daily basis. I just made some intuitive decisions and got lucky!

What do you love about making coffee?

I love that you get to know your customers’ tastes overtime and can suggest new things to them. Especially, those customers who were skeptical at first and now know what they want and where to get it.

What are your future goals?

I’d like to keep developing the broader project that Isla is. We’re attempting to use a cafe as a platform for showing how we thinking hospitality should work from a perspective of holistic sustainability. We’ve seen interest in our approach develop over the past few years and take this as a sign that we might be on to something. But, who knows!?

How was the Comandante Grind & Brew Cup for you?

Fun. It was a no frills competition that put baristas in the position of not fussing around and just making a hot drink.

What is your advice for future competitors?

Don’t overthink things. It’s just coffee. Trust your taste. If it tastes good, it probably is good.