Last week we ‘did’ the SCAA in Atlanta! It was a huge show for us and the event was brilliant from so many perspectives:
– Most of the Baratza team was on hand to meet, share and soak up the energy of the specialty coffee industry and get a sense of the role (albeit small) we play in this close knit market.
– We met so many resellers and friends, enjoying the chance for an annual catchup, hug, and #2Dto3D experiences
– We hosted our International partners in a special training session on the Sette and in one-on-one meetings to plan for the future and strengthen our partnerships
– We attended lots of events including two we were involved in sponsoring – the #EPICTNTATL and the US Aeropress Championships – lots of fun!
– And….without a doubt the highlight of the Expo for us was the launch of the Sette Series! Wow, we were blown away with the level of interest, the questions, the previous knowledge, and the overall support we heard about the design and especially the function of the Sette. It was incredibly good to finally have the public see and test the grinder, and hear the eager interest to test and own one. Many people took a turn at our brew bar, to give the Sette 270W a test drive. We estimate that our guest and drop by baristas ground and brewed over 7 pounds of coffee on Saturday and were pleased with both the ease of operation and taste in the cup. Kyle Anderson, Baratza co-founder and design genius, did a fantastic job of explaining the innovative grinding chamber and unique features of the Sette. Using the internal parts of the grinder, Kyle explained how simple and elegant the design is, a true testament to the power of our collaborative work between our partners Etzinger, for the burr mechanism, and Acaia, for the scale technology behind the 270W. The icing on the cake was being awarded the title of Best New Product by the SCAA judges in the category of Consumer Coffee or Tea Preparation and Serving Equipment (Electrical)
We had a superb team of guest baristas for the 3 days. They quickly learned the operation of the Settes and shared with booth visitors their knowledge and impressions, encouraging and training attendees to try it out. The talk at the bar was often about how the Sette would fit in the home and potentially on a brew bar. Our thanks to Jenny Bonchak of Slingshot Coffee (NC), Cabell Tice of Revelator Coffee (ATL), Seth Mills of Misto Box, Angela Billings of Okra (NC), Akaash Saini of Equator Coffees (CA), Ben Jones (newly crowned US Aeropress Champion) of Ristretto Roasters (PDX), and Steven Lim of S&D Coffee and Tea (NC).
Our brew bar was well equipped thanks to Rocket USA providing us with the beautiful R60V espresso machine, plus the on demand hot water supply via the Wilbur Curtis tower. We were spoiled by so much delicious coffees – Temple, Good Guys, Counter Culture Coffee, Ristretto Roasters, and Equator Coffees.
Once again we were the prize sponsors for the US Barista and Brewers Cup Championships. We are proud to sponsor these competitions and recognize the incredible work that all these professionals put in to their preparations and telling the stories of their coffees. We congratulate these competitors and soon they too will be grinding via Settes!
Barista Champions
1st Place: Lemuel Butler — Counter Culture Coffee
2nd Place: Andrea Allen, Onyx Coffee Lab
3rd Place: Devin Chapman, La Colombe Coffee Roasters
Brewers Cup Champions
1st Place: Todd Goldsworthy — Klatch Coffee (BTW Todd ground his coffee on a Preciso prior to his performance!)
2nd Place: James Tooill — La Colombe Coffee
3rd Place: Alexander Choppin, Olympia Coffee Roasting Co.
Since the show, we’ve been mentioned in a few places if you’d like to check them out and get more perspectives on the Sette:
Daily Coffee News: Shiny New Products , plus the original breaking news at Baratza Reveals the Sette: One Rotating Ring to Rule Them All
Sprudge: Baratza Sette Get Horizontal
Whole Latte Love Video
Barista Hustle Blog by Matt Perger
Thanks to the SCAA and the Specialty Coffee community for making this a truly memorable and stimulating event! See you all next year back in Seattle!
Read more about the Sette 270W and Sette 270.
