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C

For contestants, rank-

ings matter, but they’re

not everything.

Roasting is a Circle establishment of a new coffee roastery in Nanchang,
and he has his own insights when it comes to choosing
For Liu Taiyang, coffee roasting is a bittersweet pro- roasters: “Firstly, energy sources must be taken into
cess. When one’s hobby transforms into a job, there is inev- consideration, as not all locations have access to gas.
itably some degree of discomfort. Accustomed to a “daytime It’s crucial to factor in one’s actual circumstances. If
rest, nighttime work” schedule, Liu Taiyang sees roasting as opting for an electric-only roaster, its max batch will
a personal retreat, relishing the solitude and satisfaction of be relatively smaller. Furthermore, the reproducibility
roasting coffee by himself in the peaceful evening. of the machine’s roasting programs is also significant,
His accumulated experience enables him to swift- as this will become relevant during actual production.
ly devise a roasting approach for a new coffee. Even in Using machines with high reproducibility or minimal
the face of today’s increasingly diverse and intricate deviations can better save on labor costs.”
processing techniques, Liu Taiyang possesses a set of When discussing the current roasting trends, Liu
his own guiding principles: “Firstly, you must have a Taiyang candidly stated that coffee roasting trends
certain understanding of proper roasting and be able to tend to form a cycle: “Perhaps due to the increas-
taste and evaluate coffee. Experience is gained through ing availability of high-quality green beans, it seems
countless roasts. For each unique processing technique, that everyone is opting for lighter roasts nowadays.”
origin, and bean variety, you’ll develop tailored strate- However, the roasting trends themselves are cycli-
gies,” Liu Taiyang believes that exceptional roasting is cal and will evolve over time, showcasing a state of
rooted in flawlessness and maximizing the regional fla- flourishing diversity. Many continue to favor the deep
vors and nuances introduced by the processing meth- roasting style of Japanese origin, while others opt for
od. “When you’ve accumulated sufficient experience, omni-roasting (a roasting method designed to cater to
you can adapt and fine-tune previous plans.” both espresso extraction and drip brewing). There is
Liu Taiyang’s first roaster was a small Feima Yang- no right or wrong between different roasting styles; it
jia roaster. Nowadays, he is already preparing for the all depends on whether they meet market demands.

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