Giulia Ruscelli
The final of Espresso Italiano Champion 2025 was held at Host Milano at La San Marco booth, and was won by Italian Giulia Ruscelli, using a Mokador blend, in a close competition that pitted her against Japan, Korea, and the Philippines.
“I’m very happy with my competition, and after the Italian final in June, I decided to believe in my abilities a little more. I want to thank everyone who accompanied me on this journey, starting with my family, my bosses, my colleagues, and especially, on the technical side, my coaches Daniele and Marco from Mokador, who accompanied me on my technical growth journey“.
Lee Hyung Wook
The final of Espresso Italiano Champion 2024 was won by South Korean Lee Hyung Wook. The competition took place at the Hotel Gallia in Milan, with La San Marco as technical sponsor, and coincided with IEI Connect 2024, a day dedicated to focusing on and exploring the coffee market.
“I am also deeply honored to have won the global competition held in Milan, and I look forward to understanding and learning more about Italian Espresso“.
Song Hye-Jin
The final of Espresso Italiano Champion 2023 was held at Host Milano, supported by Rancilio and Eureka, and South Korean Song Hye-Jin became the first female professional to win the international title.
“It’s an immense honor for me to be the first woman to become the Espresso Italiano Champion international winner, and this will certainly help me further promote and raise awareness of Italian Espresso culture in my home country, South Korea“.
Nico Bregolin
The final of Espresso Italiano Champion 2022 was held in Piazza Duomo in Milan, at Saporè, with Dalla Corte as technical sponsor. Nico Bregolin won, competing against nine other professionals from around the world.
“My bar is the place I’ve always dreamed of opening. A few years ago, I truly fell in love with coffee, and now I just want to continue growing in this beautiful and ever-evolving sector“.
Stefano Cevenini
The final of Espresso Italiano Champion 2019 was held at Host Milano and was won by Italian Stefano Cevenini. Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Russia, China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Thailand participated in the competition.
“The perfect espresso must be so powerful that it distances you from the real world, triggering a mental and sensory journey“.
Chang Chung-Lun
The final of Espresso Italiano Champion 2018, hosted by Mumac Academy, was won by Taiwanese barista Chang Chung-Lun, who triumphed over thirteen other baristas.
The fifth edition of the championship saw more than 350 baristas from eight countries compete in the selection process: Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and Thailand, in a total of 39 preliminary rounds.
Fabio Dotti
The final of Espresso Italiano Champion 2017, won by Italian Fabio Dotti, was held at Host Milan, hosted by Wega Macchine per Caffè, after a full year of competitions in eight countries around the world – Italy, Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Bulgaria, and Germany – with the participation of more than 400 baristas.
“Espresso Italiano Champion is a competition that is very relevant to the daily role of a barista. The beauty of this competition is that it puts you to the test with its complexity: you have to be impeccable in managing emotions and equipment to deliver the perfect espresso and prepare textbook cappuccinos“.
Park Dae Hoon
The final of Espresso Italiano Champion 2016 was held at Triestespresso, at stations set up by technical partners Wega, Astoria, VBM, and Fiorenzato, and was won by South Korean Park Dae Hoon. The selection process, involving over 30 competitions held around the world, led to the semifinals of the Espresso Italiano Champion 2016: 15 competitors from Italy and five from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, and Thailand.
“I’m extremely excited; it’s truly a special moment, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I finished my competition very quickly because I wanted to demonstrate my approach, which always strives to combine speed and quality“.
Giannis Magkanas
The final of Espresso Italiano Champion 2015 final was held at Host Milano at the Wega, Astoria, and Vibiemme booth. Giannis Magkanas, from Greece, won after a tough final round that saw 19 professionals from six different countries compete.
“In Greece, Italian espresso is very common. Greeks love Italian coffee because it is complex and balanced“.
Filippo Mezzaro
The final of Espresso Italiano Champion 2014 took place at the Royal Automobile Club in London, after a series of preliminary competitions involving more than 150 baristas from Italy and abroad. The winner was Italian Filippo Mezzaro.
“It was a challenging competition between high-level baristas. For me, coffee is first and foremost a passion, but when managed with proper training, customers notice this approach because they experience higher quality“.