Ponlasit Peepanich’s journey to becoming the 2026 Thailand AeroPress Champion began on the other side of the competition table.
In 2025, he travelled to Chiang Mai to support a teammate, observing, tasting, and learning without any intention of competing himself.
One key lesson stayed with him: great coffee is not forced into something new, but revealed through careful decisions.
For his winning recipe, Ponlasit chose a naturally processed coffee from Omkoi, Chiang Mai, working with APAX LAB water to highlight its fruit character, clarity, and balance.
We spoke with him about the journey behind his national title and what comes next.
1. Tell us about AeroPress and how long you’ve been practising. Is this your first competition? What inspired you to compete?
My AeroPress journey began in 2025 when I helped my teammate, Net, prepare for the Thailand AeroPress Championship in Chiang Mai. I wasn’t competing—I was simply there to support, taste and learn. At the time, I never imagined that I would one day become the Thailand Champion.
My first competition was the Phuket regional championship. I was still very new to competition coffee and did not achieve the result I wanted, but the experience motivated me to keep improving. At my next event in Bangkok, months of practice took me to the final table, where I finished as runner-up.
At the following Thailand Championship, however, I misunderstood the coffee and pushed it in the wrong direction. That experience taught me one of my most valuable lessons: great brewing is not about changing a coffee into something else, but revealing what already makes it special.
During 2026, I also organised local AeroPress competitions and served as a judge. Seeing the competition from the other side of the table changed the way I approached every detail.
Ahead of the championship, my coffee shop became a training camp where brewers gathered almost every day to practise, taste and exchange ideas. On the night before the event, around fifteen of us trained together until nearly 3 a.m.
Round by round, I trusted my preparation and became more confident. When I reached the final, I kept telling myself: “You can do this. Brew like a champion.”
Every lesson, mistake and hour of practice came together in that final cup. I became the 2026 Thailand AeroPress Champion, and now I have the honour of representing Thailand at the World AeroPress Championship in Mexico.
2. Water quality is crucial in brewing. How did it impact your approach to the competition?
Water played a much bigger role in my preparation than many people might expect.
I always begin by understanding the coffee itself—its origin, processing method, roast profile, and extraction behaviour. Once I understand the coffee, I begin adjusting the grind size, brewing technique, and finally, the water.
To me, water is not simply a tool for extraction. It is one of the most powerful ways to express a coffee’s true character.
Through countless blind tastings, I tested different mineral profiles to understand how they influenced acidity, sweetness, body, structure, and clarity.
Rather than searching for a perfect recipe, I focused on understanding the relationship between coffee, extraction, and water.
That mindset completely changed the way I prepared for competition.
3. Why did you choose APAX LAB?
I chose APAX LAB for three reasons.
First, APAX LAB has already established a strong reputation in international coffee competitions, giving me confidence in its reliability.
Second, the concentrates are easy to use and allow me to create repeatable water profiles throughout my training.
Finally, I had the opportunity to attend Simon’s Masterclass in Thailand. That experience gave me a much deeper understanding of water chemistry and how minerals influence extraction and flavour.
Instead of simply following recipes, I learned how to build water intentionally to suit each coffee.
4. How did APAX LAB Mineral Concentrates help you win the championship?
APAX LAB helped me build a cup that was more complex, more consistent, and more balanced.
I used separate brewing and dilution waters to shape different parts of the cup: one to emphasise bright, citrus-like acidity and clarity, and the other to support sweetness, balance and a smoother mouthfeel. Together, they helped me present the coffee with the structure and character I was aiming for.
5. What is your favourite APAX LAB water recipe?
My favourite APAX LAB recipe is:
This was the very first APAX LAB water recipe I ever used in an AeroPress competition.
It helped me achieve my first major breakthrough by finishing as the runner-up in the Central Thailand Championship. Because of that, this recipe will always hold a special place in my coffee journey.
6. What was your winning water recipe?
For the Thailand AeroPress Championship 2026, I used two different combinations of APAX LAB water profiles.
Brewing Water
Dilution Water
I developed this recipe through extensive testing to create the flavour profile I was looking for.
The brewing water was designed to highlight bright acidity and vibrant fruit characteristics, especially citrus and orange-like notes, while maintaining clarity throughout extraction.
The dilution water was designed to enhance sweetness, improve overall balance, and create a smoother mouthfeel without masking the coffee’s natural character.
Together, these two water profiles produced a cup with greater complexity, consistency, and a clean, well-structured flavour profile that matched my vision for the competition.
7. What coffee did you use with this recipe?
I used a Thai-origin coffee from Omkoi, Chiang Mai, produced by Khun Tuen and processed using the Natural Process.
My goal was to preserve the coffee’s beautiful fruit character while enhancing its sweetness, balance, and structure through careful extraction and thoughtful water design.
For me, it was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the quality and potential of Thai specialty coffee on the competition stage.
8. Is there anything else you’d like to share?
First of all, I would like to thank coffee itself. Every coffee I have brewed has taught me something new. Every competition, every success, and every failure has helped me become a better brewer.
I would also like to sincerely thank The Hunter Team and every member of the Hunter Coffee Specialty Club community. This championship is not mine alone. Behind every competition are countless hours of practice, cupping sessions, discussions, encouragement, and support from my team, my friends, and everyone who believed in me.
My coffee shop has become a place where people gather to learn, challenge one another, and grow together. That is the culture we have always wanted to build at Hunter.
I truly believe that coffee is about much more than brewing a great cup. It is about connecting people and inspiring each other to become better.
Winning the Thailand AeroPress Championship is one of the proudest moments of my life, but it is not the finish line. Now I have the honour of representing Thailand at the World AeroPress Championship in Mexico.
My next goal is to bring the World AeroPress Championship title back to Thailand.
No matter what the final result will be, I will do my very best to represent my country, The Hunter Team, the Hunter Coffee Specialty Club community, and Thai specialty coffee with pride.
Finally, I would like to thank APAX LAB for being part of this incredible journey.
Final Thoughts
Ponlasit’s path to the title was shaped by experience as much as by results. From supporting others to refining his own approach, each step added clarity to how he understands coffee and competition.
His winning cup reflects that mindset: a Thai coffee expressed with intention, balance, and restraint.
But the achievement also belongs to a wider community. Through shared practice and constant exchange, Hunter Coffee Specialty Club played a quiet but important role in his journey.
Congratulations to Ponlasit Peepanich, the 2026 Thailand AeroPress Champion!
