Have you ever brewed coffee at 80 degrees Celsius? In 2024, Danny Toro (they/them) did, standing on a Portugal stage at the International AeroPress Championship, their AeroPress steaming as the crowd leaned in. “I couldn’t believe it,” they said, recalling the moment their daringly low temperature unlocked the sweetest, most floral cup they ever tasted—not scorching hot, but “just ready to go and ready to drink.” Born in the Netherlands and now thriving in the U.S., Danny’s journey from biology student to coffee consultant began seven years ago in a Texas café, where coffee became their way to connect the world.
Danny Toro, photo by Niki Weegens (@nikiweegens)
Danny’s love for coffee bloomed when they stepped into that Texas shop, trading textbooks for pour-overs. The baristas who mentored them as a beginner showed them the power of community, inspiring them to open doors for others. Now based in Brooklyn, New York, they’re a freelance barista coffee consultant who shares their expertise through training, shifts at local cafés, and consulting for coffee businesses, always with a mission to help others grow in the industry that welcomed them.
In Brooklyn, Danny moves through a coffee lover’s paradise, where shops like Drift Away Coffee, Three Leg Cat, Dayglow, Loveless, and Obscure Coffee create a vibrant “coffee crawl.” They’re especially drawn to Obscure Coffee, led by Norberto, whose Puerto Rican coffee and inventive drinks—like a tamarind espresso—ignite their creativity. They are a regular at Three Leg Cat, joins coffee meetups at Coffee Klatsch, and shines in latte art throwdowns, weaving connections that make Brooklyn’s coffee scene feel like home.
Danny’s passion for community echoes in their work with Brewing Guides, a project by I’M NOT A BARISTA born during the pandemic to unite coffee lovers worldwide. Though no longer in production, Brewing Guides was about sharing knowledge and sparking connections—values Danny lives every day. Their mentor, Chelsea Walker, a multi-time finalist in the US Brewers Cup, showed their how guidance can transform a career, and now Danny dreams of Brooklyn hosting its own AeroPress competition.
“I want to help the next champion,”
they say, their voice full of purpose, planning classes and bar takeovers.
Their 2024 U.S. AeroPress Championship win was a milestone, earning them a spot at the International AeroPress Championship in Portugal. Danny calls the event a celebration:
“It felts like I was invited to a party just to brew coffee.”
Danny-Toro-Coffee-Journey, photo by Taylor Brown (@taylorrbrown)
Against Portugal’s coastal backdrop, they sorted beans in a garden with fellow brewers, cheering each other on and lingering to share stories. The five-minute stage felt like serving a regular at their café, but their bold choice to brew at 80°C stole the show. “It was the best one,” they say of the sweet, floral cup, a discovery that proved coffee doesn’t need scorching heat to shine.
Danny’s global roots—growing up in the Netherlands, living in Korea, and settling in the U.S. in 2008—shape their unique approach. They savor Korean flavors like kimchi and bulgogi, and laughs about biking through Amsterdam, dodging locals’ glares as a tourist. They dream of visiting Mexico’s vibrant coffee fields to taste their bold flavors and Japan’s meticulous cafés to learn their precise brewing techniques. To sharpen their palate, they use green teas like jasmine and sencha, a tip from workshops with Being Tea’s Sue, which they share with baristas seeking precision in tasting.
For Danny, coffee is about kindness and support—a contagion of care. They live this through their biggest lesson:
“We’re here to help you, whether it’s with competition recipes or figuring out your coffee career.”
Amazed by champions who guided them, they’re now that mentor, answering DMs from aspiring baristas and sharing tips like their green tea palate cleanser. Their story shows that coffee isn’t just a drink—it’s a way to connect, uplift, and brew joy, from Portugal’s shores to Brooklyn’s bustling cafés.
What’s Your Coffee Story?
