The Golden Bean competition, the “world’s largest coffee roasting competition,” according to their website, is coming to Houston from September 17-21, 2024.
Started by Café Culture Magazine founder Sean Edwards, the competition has thrived in Australia for over two decades and is celebrating its 11th year in the US. In a pivot from past events held in the US, this year’s competition will be called “Golden Bean The Americas,” and entrants across North and South America will be eligible to participate and submit coffees.
Organizers expect to receive over 1,000 submissions from 100+ roasters. Still, even for those who don’t compete, Golden Bean is a chance to network and celebrate the growth and complexity of coffee roasting.
Why It Matters: Entrants can submit coffee to be judged in any of the 11 categories:
- Espresso
- Milk Based
- Pour Over / Filter
- Alternative Milk
- Decaffeinated
- Elite Coffee (all coffee entered in the competition must be under $60 per 1kg except for this category)
- Chain / Franchise / Retail Espresso
- Chain / Franchise / Retail Milk
- Chain / Franchise / Retail Filter
- Super Automatic Espresso
- Single Serve (K-Cup)
Roasters wishing to enter any of the categories listed above can go to the Golden Bean website and check out the parameters judges will use to evaluate coffees. (Full disclosure: Fresh Cup is a sponsor of Golden Bean.)
Entrants can win either gold, silver, or bronze in each category above. Three overall winners will also be chosen: an overall champion based on the scores in the espresso, milk-based, and pour over/filter categories and two winners across the chain/franchise categories (one small and one large chain or franchise).
The competition is the event’s highlight, but organizers plan to host seminars and talks and use the event to highlight the accomplishments of folks working hard behind the coffee roaster.
What’s More: A notable change in the Golden Bean format is the scope of the competition. According to the Golden Bean website, regional competitions will now take place encompassing three areas:
- Australasia (including entrants from Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, and Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam)
- The Americas (including entrants from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central and South America)
- East Asia (including entrants from China, Hong Kong, Macao, Chinese Taiwan, Japan, and Korea)
“Any contestants who win at least one silver or gold medal in their regional Golden Bean competition will be eligible to compete in the Golden Bean World Series held 17th-20th February 2025 in Antigua, Guatemala,” the website states.
The Full Extraction: In addition to the Golden Bean competition, attendees can participate in a live roasting competition called the Roastronix Cup. Folks will get their choice of green beans and roast the coffee live on Roastronix’s Stronghold roasting machine. The coffees will be brewed as filter coffee and judged on the Saturday of the event.
Do you want the chance to win a trophy made by coffee tamping legend Reg Barber? Sure you do — check out the Golden Bean website for more registration information, and make sure to look over the rules carefully: with so many different categories and new changes, there’s a lot to take in, but, as a press release states, there are not many competitions where you get to “taste over 1000 different global coffees that are at their peak taste profile.”
Photo credit: Amanda McKinley @amandasmckinley
