05/09/2026
When Ricardo caught up with Luisa Fernanda at World of Coffee in Brussels, he got a rare look inside the mind of a master roaster.
As the winner of Colombia’s Best Roaster Competition in 2018, Luisa was one of the few women in a heavily male-dominated field and winning that title helped inspire a whole new wave of female roasters to step up to the drum.
In their conversation, she opens up about the immense importance of honoring every link in the coffee chain, explaining how meticulous farming, harvesting and drying methods lay the foundation, while precise barista extraction makes or breaks the final cup.
She digs into the crucial role of daily cupping sessions for sensory precision and reveals which super dense, dry bean gave her the absolute biggest run for her money at the roaster. We also talked about our shared dedication to true craftsmanship at Coffee Gems, we align with that same pure, artisan philosophy by roasting entirely by eye, ear and human intuition without relying on computers or screen presets.
It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to capture this interview with Luisa☺️
