Philipp Kasch | Comandante Champion Belgium

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

I work as a barista and roaster for Günter Coffee in Freiburg, Germany. 

What does coffee mean to you, and what do you love about it?

When I was a teenager, I never wanted to drink coffee because I didn’t want to need that caffeine kick every day. But when I met my girlfriend back in 2021 - who is now my wife - she started taking me to many specialty shops in Melbourne, and a good cup of coffee became a reason to share special and intimate moments. That’s what it is for me to this day: a reason to connect with people, share moments and experiences. Coffee has the power to bring people together from all worlds, whether it be people from different fields of the industry or people from every walk of life in the daily life of a cafe. 

I love that it is impossible to know everything about coffee and there is always something new to learn and master. I can still remember the first good brew at home, the beans, the brewer and the excitement. A feeling I want to have again and again. 

What is your experience with Comandante grinders, and what do you like about them?

My Comandante grinder is my trusted companion for almost five years and provides me with good and consistent brews at home and wherever I travel. One thing I appreciate about it, is the possibility to talk with my friends about the different recipes we try based on the click system. This makes it easy to share experiences with different coffees, brewers and recipes.

Also you guys behind the Comandante are amazing and extremely helpful!

Why did you apply for the Comandante Championship?

I just wanted to have fun brewing some coffee together with nice people and test my skills. So this evening was the perfect start to kick off the WOC week in Brussels and to catch up with friends. In general, I like taking part in competitions as it motivates me to give my best and inspires me to try new recipes and serve better coffee to other people. 

How was the competition for you?

It was super fun to see many known faces, but also many new faces from the Brussels coffee scene. I really enjoyed brewing along with the other participants, and of course, in the final, I was quite nervous. Thank you for organising this event, and also big thanks to MOK for the tasty coffee we were brewing. 

What is your advice for future competitors?

Just show up. If you feel like you want to compete but have doubts about whether you are ready for it or good enough, just go for it! Try to find like-minded people and surround yourself with people who have been there, who can support you. Take any learnings from competitions and apply them to the next one; that’s how you will learn and get better each time. 
But I think most important: don’t get lost in any rankings or points; in the end it’s all about having fun and staying curious. 

What are your future goals?

I would love to visit the origin to see and learn more about the producing side of the coffee chain. Especially, I’m curious about Ethiopia, which is my favourite origin and which fascinates me, and how many small producers take lots of pride and put hard work into the production of outstanding coffee.  Also, I want to try myself out in other competition disciplines besides brewing.