Ultimate skill: How to recreate the brewing method of 2026 WBrC's champion

Anyone who has come into contact with hand drip coffee has often heard of various techniques, or even tried and practiced them personally. Earlier, competitor Nas Jaafar from Malaysia successfully won the 2026 World Brewers Cup (WBrC) championship. In the finals, he put forward a rather innovative proposition—"the resistance of the coffee bed is the key factor determining coffee flow rate and flavor." What he focused on was the distribution of the coffee bed rather than the pouring speed or agitation frequency that were mainstream in the past. Therefore, Nas Jaafar placed his focusing point on controlling the coffee bed resistance during the brewing process in the finals.

By controlling resistance, we should first understand what resistance is, the factors affecting resistance, and how resistance affects the flavor of a cup of coffee. The resistance of the coffee bed can generally be understood as the speed at which water passes through the coffee bed; greater resistance leads to a slower flow rate, whereas smaller resistance leads to a faster flow rate. As for the factors affecting coffee bed resistance, grind size is a major key; the finer the grind size, the tighter the coffee bed, and naturally the greater the resistance, whereas the coarser the grind size, the looser the coffee bed, and the resistance will become smaller. In addition, the thickness and distribution of the coffee bed are also key points; using a larger amount of coffee powder or a deeper filter cup will directly result in a thicker coffee bed, naturally increasing the resistance. Conversely, a thinner coffee bed results in smaller resistance.

Why is coffee bed resistance so important in the brewing process? If the resistance of the coffee bed is too high, it will lead to an overly slow flow rate, or even cause clogging, immersion, and other situations, resulting in over-extraction outcomes such as burnt, bitter flavors and an astringent mouthfeel in that coffee. Conversely, if the resistance of the coffee bed is too low, it will cause the flow rate to be too fast, making that coffee lack flavor, taste watery, or even have a plain sour taste.

Nas Jaafar's concept of controlling resistance focuses the brewing emphasis on the way and process of water passing through the coffee bed. If the process of water passing through the coffee bed is uneven, it will trigger the channeling effect, causing the final product to have an uneven flavor and a poor mouthfeel. In the finals, Nas Jaafar controlled the resistance of water passing through the coffee bed to make the resistance as even as possible. In practical practice, flatten and distribute the coffee bed as evenly as possible, disperse the water pouring to avoid concentrating excessively on the center point or the outer ring, and reduce the agitation caused by the water flow; keep the above points in mind before trying.

If you want to try the champion brewing method at home, you must prepare an immersion filter cup such as the Hario Switch. Before brewing, remember to flatten the coffee bed as much as possible to avoid severe channeling effects, and also avoid excessive agitation during brewing. Below, the champion brewing method will be introduced and a demonstration video will be provided.

Specific Brewing Parameters and Procedure

• 15g ground coffee (STARSEEKER EDGE Mini rotation 1, mark 0)

• Hario Switch Dual-Layer Stainless Steel Version

• 200g water at 92°C

• 00:00-00:20 | Pour water up to 100g (switch valve open)

• Drip dry (measured at approximately 30 seconds) | 00:50-01:20 Pour water up to 200g (switch valve closed)

• 02:00 | Open the valve and wait for all the coffee liquid in the filter cup to drain into the server

The video used the double-layer stainless steel version of the Hario Switch, which offered better heat retention; please refer to the video below for the detailed brewing process. The demonstration used washed light-roast coffee beans, yielding a balanced sweetness and acidity with a smooth mouthfeel. Feel free to use your favorite coffee beans when trying it out.  

Conclusion

As the 2026 World Brewers Cup champion, Nas Jaafar presented an innovative brewing technique in the finals based on a unique concept, offering coffee enthusiasts a fresh approach to hand-drip coffee. Furthermore, the technique is quite accessible—whether you are a beginner who has just started exploring hand drip coffee or a dedicated coffee addict, you will easily be able to master it. Coffee lovers might as well grab their go-to beans and give Nas Jaafar's method a try to see how the flavor and mouthfeel compare to your usual brew.