A Have a look at the 2025 SCA Expo Product Award Winners

Yearly, the Specialty Espresso Affiliation (SCA) at their Annual Expo has judges strolling the ground, assessing cubicles, merchandise, and companies to find out which deserve recognition as the most effective in present. I took half on this course of in the course of the early 2000s once I served on an SCAA committee. Firms submit merchandise for consideration, and judges make a degree of visiting each and recording detailed evaluations.

This 12 months, the SCA introduced the 2025 Finest New Product Awards and the Espresso Design Awards. These awards goal to have fun innovation and excellence throughout the specialty espresso trade whereas additionally spotlighting merchandise that declare to drive new developments in espresso.

“We’re proud to acknowledge these excellent merchandise that replicate our trade’s ardour, creativity, and forward-thinking spirit,” stated Yannis Apostolopoulos, CEO of the Specialty Espresso Affiliation. “This 12 months’s winners are actually setting new requirements in specialty espresso and provoking your entire espresso neighborhood.”

A lot of the award winners this 12 months will not be in the principle focus of a web site like CoffeeGeek, however we’ll checklist all of them, beginning with those which have essentially the most shopper focus. I’m additionally aiming a little bit of a essential eye on the selections, which I believe might have been so much higher this 12 months.

Folks’s Alternative Award

In all probability my favorite award of the present, and one that every 12 months normally goes to a worthy product. This 12 months the winner was Time100 Inc. | Mago Maga Sensible Residence Espresso Bean Roaster, a pioneering dwelling espresso roasting with one-touch automated or guide skilled modes, 300g capability, auto-cooling, and a smooth, clear design.

I find it irresistible, and wish to attain out to this firm quickly to speak about us presumably reviewing the machine.

Client Espresso Preparation & Serving Tools Winner

This 12 months, OXO received for his or her OXO Fast Brewer, a concentrated cold and warm brew machine, which may make a brewed cup of both in lower than 5 minutes. OXO claims their machine makes the identical tasting espresso {that a} 24 hour steep does in conventional chilly brew strategies. It features a inbuilt chrome steel tamper, and a carafe that every one nest collectively for storage.

This in all probability wouldn’t be my prime decide, figuring out what’s being proven this 12 months at SCA (I’d in all probability give it to the Baratza Encore ESP Professional grinder). I’ve had some arms on with the machine, and whereas it’s fascinating, I don’t fairly know the way it scored better of present. 

Espresso Equipment Better of Present

This one went to ICOSA Brewhouse for his or her Avensi Wave Sensory Drinkware Assortment, together with the Cyclone Sensory Carafe, Aeresso Espresso in Glass and Ceramic, and the Alto Tasting Glass.

So this one may be very complicated to me due to two issues. First, I assumed ICOSA received this award for the a number of of the identical merchandise from SCA in 2021 – can they win it twice? They even have the 2021 badge on their web site to show it. And I gotta be sincere right here: these merchandise appear to borrow very closely from Kruve’s Propel and EQ glasses, which have been launched in 2018 and 2019. The Kruve Propel particularly pioneered the entire “swirl and agitate” factor and was a Kickstarter challenge in 2019; the Aeresso cup got here out final 12 months.

If I sound essential, it’s not as a result of Brewhouse makes fascinating merchandise (they do, even when they did borrow closely from Kruve). It’s primarily as a result of I don’t suppose the identical product ought to win this award twice; and I believe there have been quite a lot of different approach cool espresso equipment on the present that deserved consideration. 

Open Class (Open Class)

Squeaky, an organization I’d by no means heard of (however wish to know extra about now!), received for his or her HOM Chubby a coaching machine which, in response to them, revolutionizes aroma sampling with a hygienic, eco-friendly design, excellent for espresso outlets, coaching, and competitions.

It’s actually fascinating! And fairly “hand-crafted” trying, however I’m all for issues that assist with aroma coaching in understanding the nuances of espresso. Additionally they received final 12 months for his or her $160 “Espresso Ball Cooler” machine.

Different Award Winners

Different classes will not be actually inside the scope of what we cowl on CoffeeGeek, however are nonetheless very a lot price mentioning.

Industrial Espresso Preparation & Serving Tools

An actual recreation altering producer within the espresso roaster world, ROEST, received for his or her ROEST P3000, an automatic manufacturing roaster with a 1–3 kg capability, roasting in below 7 minutes with simply 5 minutes of labor/hour with a small footprint. It options automated roasting, between-batch protocols and superior sensor expertise.

I’ve been listening to so much about this firm and their merchandise, (together with the lovable and tiny ROEST S100) so kudos to them!

Specialty Espresso Beverage Additive

Hacco, Inc. for the KOJI BARISTA (Fermented Rice Beverage), a naturally fermented, plant-based rice beverage for baristas. Koji fermentation creates delicate sweetness and a creamy, frothable texture: dairy-free, sugar-free, and allergen-free. Excellent for espresso, enhancing taste and mouthfeel.

Specialty Non-Espresso Beverage Standalone

Harris Woolf Almonds, for his or her Almond Milk 2.0, which differentiates itself from different almond milks with its taste, mouthfeel, and frothiness. Nicely, that’s an enormous promise!

Espresso Design Awards

The SCA additionally acknowledges excellence in design and advertising and marketing inside the specialty espresso area. These are the winners in choose classes. I’ve left SCA’s personal descriptions intact.

The Award for Areas was introduced to Puelo Espresso Roasters, Santiago de Chile. A recognition of the work behind the trouble, concentrate on prospects and making expertise a part of new option to perceive the specialty espresso tradition,

The Award for Packaging was introduced to Ember Items, Olympia Washington. The first reference was a classic matchbox and enjoying on the corporate’s title, Ember Items. Believing that any good thought or dialog begins with an “Ember” earlier than it turns into a hearth.

The Award for Branding was introduced to Yettu. Yettu is a inexperienced espresso exporter specializing in high-quality Indian espresso, fastidiously sourced from the fertile lands of Tamil Nadu. Yettu embodies a journey from earth to cup, honoring historical farming traditions and sustainable practices.

It Might Be Higher

Having participated on this judging course of up to now, and seeing the way it’s been trudging alongside since, I believe the SCA ought to severely contemplate revamping this whole awards course of, modernizing it and having some fairly strict guidelines in place so the identical merchandise (simply packaged in another way or with an addition or two) can’t win greater than as soon as. 

I’d actually wish to see extra particular classes within the shopper and business gear house. Issues like improvements in espresso, in guide espresso, grinder classes, a wider vary of espresso equipment (maybe one for espresso centered, one different brew strategies, and so forth).