Meet Janine de Laar, a passionate and experienced coffee professional who specialises in sensory skills and brewing. Janine lives in cosy Lübeck, close to Hamburg where she currently works as a coffee trader for ECOM Kaffee.
Janine was on the coffee competition path for a few years and then realised her true talent is coaching. She is super successful in her new role! With compassion, empathy and some serious sensory skills, Janine led several baristas to championship podiums. We are sure more will join! You will get to know about them in detail in the interview. Enjoy!
Janine, what is your first memory with coffee?
When I was about 4 or 5 years old, my grandmother loved to drink coffee in the morning. I liked the delicious smell of fresh coffee and desperately wanted to try it. So, one day, she handed me a very milky, light brown warm “coffee“, and I felt like a total grown-up. I was so proud to be drinking the same fancy drink as her!
What inspired you to pursue a career in the coffee industry, and how did you get started?
After school, I started working in restaurants and at events. I started as a waitress and slowly worked my way up to becoming an event manager. As you can imagine, that meant long hours, late nights, and sometimes working straight through the night. After eight years of this non-stop hustle, I was completely burned out. I had no clue what to do next, but one thing was clear — I desperately needed a break from my 60-80 hour work weeks.
So there I was, standing in front of a big, well-known coffee shop chain, and I thought, “Why not? Give me that green apron, I’ll write names on cups, and I’ll enjoy working just 40 hours a week.” And you know what? I ended up loving it! Especially during the crazy rush hours when I was behind the bar with my favourite coworkers. There was something magical about how, even when things were hectic and stressful, we could laugh, have fun, and never even need to talk. That feeling was still there, even if we were serving dreadful coffee.
Can you walk us through your coffee career?
I quickly realized that coffee had way more to offer than I thought! But to take my coffee game to the next level, I had to leave my hometown and move to Hamburg. That’s when I started working at a small roastery for the first time, and that’s where I discovered my true passion for coffee – the sensory side of it. How the same coffee can give you a completely different experience depending on how you brew it. BOOM, I was hooked! And that’s when I realized I loved sharing those experiences by teaching Barista and Sensory classes.
Then, out of the blue, I got an offer to work at a trading company, which meant cupping and roasting coffee every day, tasting all sorts of coffees. Paradise, right?! I learned so much about the different qualities of coffee and how it’s bought and sold.
Around that time, I also got into coffee competitions and decided to try my hand at the Brewers Cup. Long story short: I prepped for this competition four times and only made it to the stage once. The first one got cancelled just two weeks before because of COVID. The second time, I came 4th – not too bad! But then, the German chapter decided to change the format for two years. The first round became compulsory, and only six people could move on to the open service.
The first year, I underpoured (seriously, don’t do that…), and the second year, I served a cup that was so under-extracted it could’ve been called “coffee-flavoured water”. After that, I was pretty much done with competing. But luckily, I found a new role for myself in this crazy competition world 😉
How do you stay motivated and inspired to keep improving your coffee-making skills?
After I failed so hard at my last Brewers Cup competition, I was very frustrated and totally unmotivated. I was so mad at myself, and honestly, I started to doubt if I’d ever win one of these things. I began to wonder if I even belonged in the competition scene at all.
But then, I decided to start supporting some friends during their competition prep. The first one was Aylin Aslan, who was getting ready for the Barista Championship. Suddenly, I realized what my true superpower is — helping others. It was like a lightbulb went off, and it reignited my motivation to improve my own skills. Seeing so many competitors with fresh ideas pushed me to experiment more, and regularly evaluating these high-quality comp coffees with a scoresheet became the ultimate training for my sensory skills.
Has this experience made you switch from competing to coaching?
I’ve just realized—I’m actually a better coach than a competitor! The stress during competitions? Yeah, I can’t handle that very well. I always worry way too much. But when it comes to calming someone down when they’re nervous? I’m really good at that!
You have some amazing achievements in coaching. Can you tell us more about them?
Coaching has become one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of my work with coffee! For me, it’s all about the connection and atmosphere between me and the person I’m coaching. It’s not about handing out a bunch of advice—it’s about giving meaningful feedback to their ideas and helping them grow. I’d never write out a strict masterplan for someone to follow in order to win—it’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. It’s about creating something together!
Last year, June Simon won the German Brewers Cup with me as her coach. Working with her was a huge highlight for me, especially during a tough time when my health was really bad. Her win was such a sweet moment, and I felt so lucky to be part of her first big competition victory.
I also coached Morgan from von&vonnie in Portugal without even traveling there! He came 2nd in his first competition, and I’m hoping more wins will follow (no pressure, Morgan, if you’re reading this). He’s such a talented brewer, and his sense of humour is key to keeping things fun!
It can be really stressful. Photo by Anna Sokolova.
Coaching remotely was something I always knew was possible, and it’s opened up so many opportunities for me. Right now, I’m prepping Alireza Razzaghzadeh and his colleague Gökhan Selamet from Turkey for the World Brewers Cup. Alireza had some visa issues and couldn’t participate the last couple of years, but since Gökhan won this year’s championship, they’re both heading to Jakarta for the World stage! Together with their powerhouse colleague Kevser, they’re the perfect example of how essential teamwork can be. Even though I’ve never met them in person, we’ve built a really great, structured, and easy-going dynamic. They truly appreciate the work I do with them, and their warm-heartedness is just infectious! It’s like working with a team of coffee superheroes, all with big hearts.
Although filter coffee has a special place in my heart, I am training Paul Bonna from the Kaffeekommune in Germany for the national Barista Championship at the moment. Dropping ideas with him is a lot of fun! And he is such a good roaster and barista! So, yeah, there’s a lot happening right now!
How did it feel after your coachee Martin won the World Brewers Cup?
Oh, I’ll never forget finals day! The atmosphere backstage between Martin, Hardi, and me was something else… We were all so relaxed the entire morning, just happy that Martin made it to the finals. Hardi knew that Martin and I were working so well together, almost telepathically—no words needed. So, Hardi just took care of polishing the servers, letting us do our thing during practice. I think those servers have never been so shiny, haha.
And when I tasted Martin’s coffee that morning — WOW. It was the best brew he’d ever made, the coffee was just performing perfectly! We were laughing so much, soaking in every moment, and still couldn’t quite believe what was happening.
When they announced places 6-3, I was already crying, standing at the back of the crowd in disbelief. And then, when it was clear that Martin was the new champ, all these super fancy, well-known coffee champs and coaches around me were hugging me and lifting me up. Matt Winton was so kind to bring me to the front of the stage, and I was shaking from head to toe…
I was—and still am—so incredibly happy for Martin. All his hard work had paid off! To me, he’s the perfect ambassador for the whole championship game. I have a feeling this is one of those moments I’ll never forget for the rest of my life!
What is in your opinion the most important thing to have in mind when you start to compete in coffee championships?
Don’t forget to have fun and make sure you’re surrounded by awesome people who’ve got your back! You don’t need a super fancy coach when you’re starting in competitions. Just focus on finding your own groove first — you’ll learn tons, not just about coffee, but also about yourself. So all you have to do is sign up!
You had a break in your intense coffee career due to health issues. Would you like to share about it?
I first noticed something was off with my body in Portland. A few weeks later, I was diagnosed with MS – multiple sclerosis. It’s hard to explain how it feels when your body seems completely out of control. Even walking felt unstable, and I couldn’t manage stairs like I used to. The strange part was that you couldn’t see it on the outside, but my whole world was falling apart. I was shaky, dizzy, and even taking a 40-minute train ride to the office felt exhausting (and still does sometimes).
I had strange episodes in the past where I couldn’t feel my hand for weeks or my leg would feel like it was submerged in cold water. I always thought, “Oh, it’s just my back or neck, it’ll get better soon”, and never saw a doctor. That’s why I’m sharing this now — if you feel something’s wrong with your body, make the time to see a doctor. Your health is the most important thing!
Since October, I’ve been on medication, and my symptoms have been improving. I do a lot of sports, especially muscle strengthening, and I try to eat in a way that reduces inflammation. There’s always something you can do. Having friends who understand that I can’t go full speed like I used to is incredibly valuable. It’s okay to be vulnerable and ask for help—that’s been a big lesson for me too!
How did you have to change your “coffee routine” and work after getting diagnosed?
Sometimes I have dizzy days, so I have to be careful and drink less coffee. But that’s okay. Overall, I now enjoy every sip of a good brew even more!
If there would be one piece of knowledge about coffee you’d like everyone to know, what would that be?
Eat your food with awareness! And instead of planning one big sensory training session every few weeks, try fitting in smaller, more frequent ones.
Here’s a little trick that might help you train your sensory skills: Instead of dedicating hours to one big session, why not do a mini-training every day? For example, I’m at my sensory peak in the morning and just before lunch.
This morning, I brewed two coffees to compare different drippers. By evaluating both brews, I’m automatically training my palate every single morning. It’s a small, easy way to keep sharpening those senses without all the pressure of a long session!
What coffee challenges are you looking forward to? Any new projects or collaborations?
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s always about new projects. But this year I’m currently trying to integrate more stability and routines throughout the week that are good for me. Last year drained me, so I really need to recharge my energy. No crazy projects for now… we’ll see how long I can handle the calm!
Quick Fire Questions for Janine de Laar:
Filter coffee or espresso-based?
Easy one: Filter coffee!
Milk coffee or black coffee?
Black.
What brewing method do you use at home?
Handfilter.
The most underrated coffee drink?
Filter coffee.
The most underrated coffee brewer?
French Press
Hobby besides coffee?
Cycling, hiking and strength training.
Favourite barista tool?
My Comandante C60.
The number one coffee shop in Europe that every coffee geek should visit?
von&vonnie in Porto.
Favourite city outside your own for a coffee tour and why?
Vienna – the people are real foodies and they have some really good coffee shops!
