Before San Francisco and before stepping onto the world stage in Korea, there was Los Angeles.

The AeroPress competition in L.A. was one of the qualifying events leading up to the U.S. Championship. For me, it felt like an important stop along the journey — not just because it was a competition, but because it was happening in a place that means a lot to me.

Los Angeles is home and one of the most exciting cities in the world for specialty coffee. Cafés like Endorffeine, Kumquat, and Loquat have helped shape a culture that constantly pushes the craft forward. Being back in that environment reminded me how much inspiration comes from the community around coffee.

Our team made the trip together, and the energy around the competition was strong.Unfortunately, I lost in the first round. That’s the reality of competitions. Sometimes you move forward, sometimes you don’t. But every event teaches you something about your process, your mindset, and how you approach the next opportunity.

Instead of slowing us down, the experience gave our team even more motivation.

We left Los Angeles with a renewed focus and a clear goal: keep refining the process and show up stronger at the next event. A few weeks later, that focus carried us into San Francisco.

— Jeff