My Name is Kaapo Paavolainen, from the experimental French press, Being Blown away by the Siphon to the Finland Barista Champion, and this is my coffee story.
It all started when Kaapo was in high school. The Unofficial Specialty Coffee club, they tracked down and experimented different coffees on the break times, this was with the French Press, From here the pot had been stirred and the love with coffee, it’s the awareness of the flavors and senses that drove him to dig deeper into this mystical bean.
It was the Honduras Geisha brewed on the Siphon; that was a coffee to remember; this was delicate, fruity, and floral. He fell in love with this and tried to recreate this by picking up his own Siphon. That is one of the very first times he got blown away.
Kaapo Paavolainen
Every day he strives to get the flavor better. From before to later, the flavor is always there to chase.
Kaapo prepares everyday thinking,
“maybe today is the day when I find something new.”
He was starstruck and knew he needed to follow this path, ditch the traditional lawyer pathway, and jumped right into the cafes to learn. This ignited his dream. He became the proud owner of One Day Coffee Co., the little oasis from the break time coffee club brewing a french press to running the dream cafe that he called his own.
Kaapo loved to hear the responses of the people who were surprised by coffee, He just wanted to connect and share the experience with whoever would listen. For Kaapo, he buzzed from the reactions of the customers who said. “I did not know coffee could taste like this”
Success is personal and different for everyone. Explore daily, surprise customers, make people’s day, looking forward to the next challenge. He is a person who makes the most of every situation and is aware of the people around him so that he can not lose track of what is important.
Becoming the Finland Barista Champion taught Kaapo to continually try to push away thoughts such as “it could have been better,” “that one wasn’t good enough,” or “you can do better than that.”
“I find myself thinking that inspiration and creativity are just one side of a coin where, on the other side, there exists obsession and focus. However, if you flick that coin on a surface, you can make it a spin, and in that movement, you are looking at both sides at the same time. That spinning coin kind of condenses inspiration for me.”
Preparation continues for the World Barista Championship; it has been very hard for Kaapo because his team is in China. His coffee isn’t with him, and he needs to stay focused on following one of his dreams he discovered Coffee Competitions.
Within this World Pandemic, it has given Kaapo more time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, listening to a wide range of music, eating with family, and just lazing around with an excellent Sci-fi Book. Also, sharing the odd bottle of wine. Just understanding what’s essential and appreciating it.
One thing Kaapoo has done is Never give up. He has always pushed himself further by not accepting what is current, exploring, and experimenting. For Kaapo it’s ok to have a go, you will only learn from it. But next time you are around Helsinki, pop on in(a social distance of course) for a coffee.
….. Just be prepared though, Helsinki is expensive. Just do your own thing, and don’t let anyone else bring you down. Stay Positive
Article by Darren Meachem
