Most Americans love coffee, averaging two cups a day.聽Our collective obsession, however, is nothing compared to the passion of Lemuel Butler, a competitive barista who won the in 2016 and then placed fourth in the in Dublin.
Butler, who works for the North Carolina-based coffee roaster , fell in love with the competitive side of coffee consumption after entering a contest聽out of college. 鈥淚 walked into that first competition, and there was a crowd, music playing loud, an MC keeping things moving鈥t was like Iron Chef. I had to do it,鈥 he says. Butler perfected his skills at聽one of Counter Culture鈥檚 Training Centers, where coffee professionals and the public are schooled in the art of coffee, from harvest to service, then聽worked his way up the competitive barista circuit until he claimed the national title last year.
For some coffee-brewing tips, we asked聽Butler about his coffee habits at home and got him to dish on the gear that he relies on daily.
Chemex ($40)
What draws me to coffee are the dynamic aromatics鈥攖he floral and citrus notes鈥攁nd you can really get a sense for those with a Chemex. It also gives me more balance in the cup, and it鈥檚 the perfect size to share with one other person.
鈥婣erobie Aeropress Coffee Maker ($30) and Porlex Grinder ($60)
I travel a lot and most of the hotels I stay at just have a Keurig. So, I travel with a and an Aerobie Aeropress coffee maker. That鈥檚 all you need to make a great cup of coffee when you鈥檙e on the road. Bring the whole bean and put it all together in a travel bag, like a shaving kit. You鈥檒l get looked at funny by security in the airport. Every time, they have to open it up and smell the coffee.
Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine ($600)
I鈥檓 around commercial espresso machines all day, so I don鈥檛 make a lot of espressos at home. But not everybody gets to work at Counter Culture, so there are some good home espresso options. If you have the coin, the 聽($4,500) is an awesome machine that can rival any commercial machine out there. For the rest of us, check out the Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine. It鈥檚 much more affordable, and a great machine for the kitchen.
鈥婤ehmor Home Brewer ($170)
If you want a totally automated cup of coffee, the Behmor Home Brewer is actually kind of cool. You set everything up at night, then program it to start at 6 am, or whenever, and you鈥檝e got a good cup of coffee by the time you鈥檙e ready to go. There鈥檚 even an app for it so you can control it remotely.
Counter Culture Apollo Beans ($20)
As for the coffee bean itself, I鈥檓 really into African, mainly Ethiopian, coffees right now. These coffees have really bright notes of citrus that are balanced with a heavier body. Counter Culture gets our Ethiopian coffee from a co-op called Idido. You can find them in our Apollo bag.
Take Your Coffee Game to the Next Level
If you want more coffee training, Counter Culture聽has more than a dozen training centers across the country. The centers are primarily dedicated to training coffee professionals, but every Friday, they offer free tastings for the public, where you can learn about different beans and different brewing methods.
Find out more .