In an unassuming row of old houses in Huashan Creative Park, Taipei, you’ll find Wu Zelin’s latest venture; the brand-new flagship store of Simple Kaffa. And if you look hard enough, you’ll also find one of the Eversys c’2 Cameos there too. 

Wu Zelin is a name most are familiar with in the coffee industry, he’s one of the most decorated and well-respected barista champions of our time. But it was a chance meeting 20 years ago that started Wu’s path toward coffee. 

In an Orsir coffee shop in Taichung city, “bean seeker” Xu Baoilin brought coffee beans from Yirgacheffe and Sidamo in Ethiopia – and so started Wu’s love affair with the delights that coffee and all its intricate flavours could bring. “That was the first time I tasted what’s now known as specialty coffee – with flavours like blueberry and strawberry!”. This then inspired Wu to pursue his passion for coffee; first he turned a tricycle into a mobile coffee vending bike – and took his wife with him to sell coffee on the streets. “That was the first time I changed from being just a coffee lover to a coffee seller. All the overwhelmingly positive feedback I got made up my mind that I should open a permanent coffee shop in the future.”

But it wasn’t just selling coffee that Wu was passionate about, he discovered the buzz of competitions once he’d witnessed the World Barista Championship in Denmark in 2009. Wu’s competition career snowballed, from entering the 1st Fushan Cup International Barista Championship of China, he then became the 2013 Barista Champion of Taiwan in 2013. 

“I found that many very good baristas are so open to sharing their skills and experience with other people. So, by that stage, if you’re willing to talk to others, you'll improve very quickly. I decided, that once I was back in Taiwan, I’d enter more competitions and soak up all that the coffee industry and it’s people had to offer.”

So, his endeavours continued, and in 2016 a key turning point came about in Wu’s life. After 7 years of hard work, Wu was finally crowned the Grand Champion in the World Barista Championship.

The first Simple Kaffa was founded in 2011, and Wu was excited to get selling. “I was in a great hurry to open the business, and my idea of the business of coffee was very limited then. I just wanted to open a coffee shop, selling good coffee that I liked. That was all.” The popularity of the shop rocketed, and Wu’s win in 2016 only added to that. Instead of expanding his property empire, Wu decided that growing his in-house expertise was the best move, and set about hiring a set of baristas who weren’t only just experts at making coffee, they were truly passionate about it. 

“One of the core values I set out to convey at Simple Kaffa is that simplicity is the epitome of sophistication. Drinking coffee looks a simple matter, but if consumers are to delight in good coffee and enjoy a good experience, there needs to be a high level of sophistication behind the scenes, going beyond what people normally see.”

And so in March 2019, the second edition of the Simple Kaffa store was opened; Simple Kaffa 2.0. Set over two storeys, the first floor boasts an interesting concept that Wu was keen to implement; ‘transparent’ services, that being the bar counter is circular – customers are able to watch how each cup of coffee is made by the professional baristas.

Wu Zelin explains: “The first floor is designed to offer delicious coffee that is to the taste of the general public. The second floor is a space for experimental and innovative types of coffee, to allow customers to explore further options for enjoying coffee.” Additionally, many creative drinks are also made from local produce in Taiwan, such as “South Island Smoked Ice Coffee”, which includes jelly fig, osmanthus syrup and winter melon punch among its ingredients.

It may seem strange to some that a ‘specialty coffee’ shop is using the Eversys super-automatic c’2 Cameo, but Wu Zelin is convinced automation is the future. “Automatic coffee making is set to become a key trend in the coffee world of tomorrow. We should quickly learn how to select and utilise automatic coffee machines better rather than resist the fully automatic process of coffee making. This will be a better way to combine the advantages of baristas and automatic machines in the future.”

“I like the Cameo machine for two key features, that are of key importance to our business at Simple Kaffa. One is its parameter adjustment setting, in which it uses the technique of flow rate measurement, but not just simply counting the number of seconds. The other is its upgraded e’Foam system, which uses a tiny amount of water to generate steam that produces the milk foam. I think the result is excellent, with the foam lasting a very long time.” When Simple Kaffa holds its events in the future, the Cameo machine will definitely be put through its paces.

Everyone knows that some of the advantages of super-automatic machine are its speed and stability. “However, the condition for stability is that the user of a coffee machine understands what coffee is really about.”

And as for the future of coffee, creativity and specialty? Wu thinks: “The development of speciality coffee has arrived at a crossroads, with many different directions branching off. I think a lot of independent coffee shops need to be more technical. On the other hand, the so-called arrogance of the “professionals” needs to be urgently swept away as there is always a gulf between speciality coffee and the common consumer.” Wu Zelin's viewpoint coincides with the prediction previously made by Champion Barista and Eversys Brand Ambassador Matt Perger: either be a barista who is more professional in terms of technique or be a communicator whose greater skill is serving people.

“Drinking coffee” and “making coffee” are Wu Zelin's whole life. It's what makes him tick, with him thinking of them as coming full circle: here drinking coffee inspires him and provides him with new ideas about how to make coffee. Eversys machines have provided a consistent base for Wu to experiment from and grow his ideas. It takes a long time, a lot of skill, patience and drive to become an expert in this field – something that both Wu and Eversys are very familiar in. Simple Kaffa has proved that a truly wonderful relationship can come out of what you’d deem two opposites: A World Barista Champion and a super-automatic coffee machine company. There’s room in the future for both automation and specialty coffee, and if they work together as Wu has achieved with Simple Kaffa and Eversys, then the future and business of coffee is going to be very exciting indeed.