Tradition and future: Kevser Atmaca

Kevser Atmaca has had a short, tumultuous, yet successful career in coffee. After only beginning her coffee career in 2020, she has co-founded her own coffee business, coached her business partner to win multiple national titles and finals, won the Turkïye Cezve Championship, and survived hardships in the aftermath of natural disasters.

Following her second place win at the World Cevze/Ibrik Championship in Copenhagen, we spoke to Kevser about her budding coffee career, competitions and what it means to be on stage representing her country.

Please tell us about how you started working in the coffee industry, and about your experience to date.

I started my career in the field of Nutrition and Dietetics. However, after completing my education in coffee, I found myself in the coffee industry. In 2021, I co-founded Niji Coffee Co with Alireza Razzaghzadeh. Alireza later placed eighth in the 2024 World Coffee Roasting Championship. I became his coach, including for national competitions.

With Alireza becoming the Türkiye Coffee Brewing Champion in 2022, we strived to be more beneficial to our sector with this success. Additionally, I proved my own expertise by winning the 2023 Türkiye Cezve/Ibrik Championship. Although I placed second in the 2024 Türkiye Coffee Roasting Championship, it was a great honor for us that Alireza won the national title. During this process, the innovative techniques we developed, particularly using new equipment and Paragon balls, were key to our successes.

In 2023, I was also the first competitor to use paragon ball cooling in the Cezve competition. This journey has allowed us to continually improve ourselves and push our boundaries in the coffee world.

What is your fondest memory so far as a coffee professional?

When asked about my fondest memory as a coffee professional, many moments come to mind, but the most significant are: firstly, Alireza, whom I coached, becoming the Türkiye Brewing Champion just four months after we founded our brand. Another unforgettable memory is training for the national Cezve competition while living in a car after a devastating earthquake struck our region, which led to many losses. Despite these challenges, we worked hard and won the championship. Knowing I would represent my country in the world competitions was an incredible feeling.

What made you want to compete in coffee competitions in the first place?

I started competing in coffee competitions because I love presenting and explaining coffee brewing to my guests and customers. My first competition was a trial with Aeropress, and Alireza’s participation in the national brewing competition gave me the courage to join. I chose to start with cezve because it’s a drink of great historical and cultural significance in our country. Through my research and by analyzing various competitions, I aimed to bring an innovative perspective and update this traditional brewing method on a global scale.

As a roaster and competitor, I integrated each new product released for the world competition into the cezve method, modernizing it. In 2022, I placed second in the regional Aeropress competition I participated in. Then, in the 2023 Türkiye Cezve/Ibrik Championship, I used a Paragon ball for the first time while filtering my cezve coffee for my signature drink, and I won the championship. In the 2024 Türkiye Coffee Roasting Championship, I placed second.

How did you feel about competing this year? Were there any particular challenges you had to overcome in your preparation?

As the 2023 Türkiye Cezve/İbrik Champion, I competed this year [2024] due to visa issues that prevented me from participating in the previous year. Not being able to compete last year, despite having done all the preparation, was a significant mental setback for me. I was eager to showcase my advancements in the traditional brewing method. However, competing this year has been immensely rewarding and has contributed greatly to my development.

Achieving second place in the roasting competition and subsequently preparing for the barista competition alongside my colleague’s presentation allowed us to delve deeper into our research and approach the cezve method from a new perspective. This experience enabled us to tackle two major issues with Paragon Balls and make groundbreaking improvements.

You used a special technique for your coffee preparation, utilising the Paragon Espresso. Can you please describe this technique?

To bring innovation to our field, I employed the Paragon Espresso Balls in my coffee preparation. This technique is crucial given the competition’s time constraints. The Paragon Balls allow coffee to be tasted both hot (at 1:40 minutes) and warm (at 3:50 minutes) after brewing. They halt extraction and rapidly settle coffee particles, resulting in a cleaner, more controlled taste experience. Additionally, the Paragon Balls help address challenges in cezve coffee, such as the need for fine grinding and effective filtration.

By incorporating the ball into the dripper, I reduced extraction and filtration time to just 1:30 minutes, which minimizes bitterness and improves flavor clarity. This method allows for a syrupy, fuller-bodied coffee with reduced bitterness and fewer coffee particles, enhancing both the hot and warm tasting experience.

 Cezve/Ibrik is often underrated as a coffee preparation method. In your experience, what are the main benefits of brewing coffee in this way, and how can it be made more popular?

The cezve/ibrik method preserves all the aromas and oils of coffee beans, offering rich and complex flavors. This method creates a thick foam on the coffee and provides good control over the brewing time, resulting in a creamier and more flavorful experience. Additionally, it can be customized with different beans and brewing techniques.

Considered a traditional and cultural ritual, this method is applied with simple equipment. To make it more popular, educational workshops can be organized, and it can be promoted through cultural events and social media content. Modern touches and the promotion of high-quality equipment can also make this method more appealing.

Is there anything special about your coffee, or barista approach, you’re passionate about sharing? Especially details that you may not have time to share in your routine?

As a coffee roaster, I am passionate about experimenting with new techniques and applying them in various brewing methods during my free time. One of the most exciting aspects of my work is how I can integrate many parameters of roasting into my brewing style. For instance, using the Paragon Espresso Ball in brewing has been a breakthrough for me, and I believe it has the potential to revolutionize the cezve method and perhaps even bring it back into the spotlight.

Our experiments with these innovations are often showcased on competition stages, which serve as a platform to demonstrate and share our latest discoveries.

Is there anything else that you wish to share with the Nucleus Coffee Tools community?

The equipment you’ve developed has the potential to shape the future of the coffee industry. The products you’ve created for brewing and baristas now have the opportunity to evolve into the cezve method. This allows us to advance even further in the field. I am truly delighted to always be a part of such an excellent community. If you ever visit Turkey, I would be thrilled to brew coffee with you.

To watch Kevser’s competition routine with the Paragon Espresso balls, click here.