Top 4 in Korean Barista Championship use Nucleus Coffee Tools equipment

[This article was originally published and translated by Nucleus Coffee Tools Korea]

The 2025 Korea National Barista Championship, which selected Korea’s representative barista for the World Barista Championship, is a stage where baristas with different philosophies and extraction worlds embody their approaches to coffee using various tools.

Among those tools, the most outstanding products in the final round were Nucleus Coffee Tools’ Paragon Espresso, Stem, and NCD Pulse. These products garnered attention from professional baristas as tools that bring out the flavor of coffee. How did the Top 4 baristas of KNBC interpret and utilize these tools? Nucleus Coffee Tools Korea found the answer through interviews with the four baristas who achieved excellent results in this year’s final round.

1st place - Miseon Im (Lab CNC)

Barista Miseon Im used the NCD Pulse and Paragon Chilling Rock in her performance, which gained her 1st place.

She said of the NCD Pulse, “The NCD Pulse makes espresso expression more delicate and expands the possibilities that baristas can express.”

In her signature beverage, she also used the Chilling Rock to create a unique texture. She explained, “I didn’t use the Paragon Chilling Rock merely as a cooling tool, but rather as a core element in completing the performance of the signature beverage.”

She placed the espresso and signature ingredients into the Paragon Chilling Rock and applied steam from the machine for about two seconds. The resulting fine foam formed a physical structure composed of lipids and sugars, known as a micelle, which created a soft and distinctive texture.

Through these two tools, Miseon Im expressed that “within the precision provided by technology, the emotion became more vivid.”

2nd place - Heonkwan Moon (Month Coffee)

Barista Heonkwan Moon explained that he chose one of Nucleus Coffee Tools’ first tools, Stem, because of its exceptional practicality during competition.

“When placing a scale on top of the machine, mistakes were prone to happen. The Stem helped maintain the cleanliness of the drip tray and streamline the workflow,” he said, highlighting how useful it was on the competition stage.

“During the actual performance, this clean and stable flow directly influenced the technical score—and, more importantly, helped me stay mentally composed.”

However, he didn’t see its use as limited to competitions. “Even in a typical espresso bar setting, the Stem is highly valuable for measuring the exact extraction yield of every shot,” he said.

“Especially in cafés serving single-origin coffee, where recipes often need to be flexible, the Stem provides a great reference point for maintaining consistency – there’s absolutely no reason not to use it.”

3rd place - Hyejin Kim (BIB Coffee Roasters)

Barista Hyejin Kim’s presentation centered on the theme of “Temperature Control”. Paragon Espresso and NCD Pulse were integrated throughout her entire routine.

When working with a Colombian Java coffee, she explained, “Sudden temperature changes can compromise flavor and texture, so I chose the Chilling Ball to enable gradual cooling”— a choice that clearly demonstrated Paragon’s suitability for preserving and enhancing flavor.

She further noted that the concentrated milk made with a rotary vacuum concentrator, when combined with coffee chilled to 45°C, “blended seamlessly without temperature gaps, creating a smoother mouthfeel.” This showed how she used the Paragon to carefully balance flavor, temperature, and texture. She described the Paragon as “a device that brings stability to demanding extractions.”

The NCD Pulse, too, served as an all-around stabilizer for extraction, helping to “prevent channeling,” “save time,” and “reduce temperature sensitivity.” On its educational value, she added, “It enables a sensory and experience-based learning approach rather than just theory,” highlighting its expandability as a tool that bridges both real-world and educational settings.

4th place - Seungbaek Kim (MI Coffee)

Barista Seungbaek Kim defined his concept as “clear flavor” and selected the NCD Pulse to help realize that vision.

Rather than relying solely on sensory evaluation, he demonstrated the value of the NCD Pulse with measurable data—showing a 0.6% increase in strength and a 1.1 percentage point improvement in yield. “I only changed the leveling [distribution] tool, keeping the extraction recipe the same,” he said. “Yet there was a clear difference in flavor clarity.”

A particularly memorable moment in his presentation was when the judges were able to feel the pulse’s vibration for themselves—an intuitive and impactful way of showcasing the tool’s effectiveness. “Connecting with the judges through the Pulse was the most unforgettable part for me,” Kim recalled, emphasizing how the tool’s function resonated with the panel.

In terms of café use, Kim emphasized that the Pulse can be a medium for “conveying sincerity to customers,” offering a clear example of how the care and intention behind each cup of coffee can be communicated through tools.

The 2025 KNBC was a stage where technology, emotion, and science came together in perfect harmony. At the heart of that stage stood Nucleus Coffee Tools.

It was striking to witness how the Paragon Chilling Rock, Stem, and NCD Pulse were each interpreted through the lens of different baristas’ philosophies, opening the door to new possibilities in extraction. These tools elevated the coffee presented on stage. Now, the potential they demonstrated at KNBC is set to carry forward—into cafés, classrooms, and beyond.

View the original copy of this article via Nucleus Coffee Tools Korea.