In this Hall of Fame edition, we’re celebrating Nemo Pop, our current APAX LAB intern and the newly crowned Australian AeroPress Champion. Nemo’s journey with the AeroPress started years ago, and his innovative approach to water and minerals helped him stand out in this year’s competition. We spoke with Nemo about his background, his winning recipe, and what it means to represent Australia on the world stage.
Tell us about AeroPress—how long have you been practicing? Was it your first time doing this competition? And what made you want to participate?
My very first brewer was an AeroPress, and I’ve been playing with it ever since. I’ve always loved the idea of it — even though it’s not the most practical brewer, it might be the most versatile. I competed for the first time in the AeroPress Championship last year in France, just for fun, and I loved the experience. So when I arrived in Australia, it was obvious that I was going to compete again.
Water quality is crucial in coffee brewing—how did it impact your approach to the competition?
This year, I tried to focus more on fine-tuning my water. As an APAX LAB intern, it’s almost mandatory! That meant approaching the competition differently: fixing most of the brewing variables very quickly (like grind size, ratio, and immersion time) and then focusing on finding the perfect set of minerals that would make my cup shine.
Why did you choose APAX LAB to prepare your water for the competition?
Although my opinion may seem biased, I find APAX products incredibly easy to use and to understand. You don’t need to source solid magnesium chloride and dissolve it yourself. Instead, you can brew your coffee, try the different profiles directly in your cup, and then build your water recipe from there.
How did the mineral concentrates help you win the competition?
My cup at the Australian AeroPress Championship was very sweet and clear, with a velvety texture. That result was only achievable thanks to a high concentration of meticulously chosen minerals.
What’s your favourite APAX LAB profile?
My favourite APAX profile has to be Lylac — I’m a huge fan of clean, delicate, and floral cups.
But if I’m allowed to choose a soon-to-be-released product, I’d say the upcoming collaboration with Motors Coffee will be by far my new favourite, followed closely by the washed profile for Tanat.
What was your winning water recipe with APAX LAB?
My winning water recipe for the AAC was a crazy 170ppm water:
- 500mL of water, demineralised by reverse osmosis and waved with the Waved Tech machine.
- 1.7g KONFLUX | 0.8g Tanat profile | 0.4g April profile
And what was the coffee you used it with?
The coffee was actually a blend of two Colombian coffees from Juan David Builes: one washed component roasted by Fieldworks, and one anaerobic natural component roasted by Proud Mary.
While most competitors went with the natural component for a funkier cup, I chose to present a super clean and floral cup, isolating the washed lot only.
Anything else you’d like to share?
This year’s AeroPress Championship has been an incredible experience for me, and I’m extremely excited to represent Australia in Seoul this December!
From his first AeroPress brews to winning the Australian AeroPress Championship, Nemo Pop has proven how thinking outside the box, leveraging new technologies, and precision in water can make all the difference. We’re proud to have Nemo as part of the APAX LAB team, and we can’t wait to see him represent Australia on the world stage in Seoul.
