We’re proud to share that our Roaster, Ivan, placed 2nd at the Roasters Challenge on October 25th — competing among 12 of Finland’s top coffee roasters!

The Roasters Challenge is a prestigious competition for Finland’s best small roasteries, built around a simple yet fascinating question: if everyone received the same green coffee and the same amount of time — who would roast it best?

The competition was first organized in 2019 during Helsinki Coffee Week to answer exactly that question. Since then, the Roasters Challenge has become the annual event that brings together the country’s most skilled and passionate roasters.

In the 2025 edition, all competitors roasted the same natural Brazilian coffee from Fazenda Capoeira. The 12 coffees were first cupped and evaluated by the roasters themselves, and the top six advanced to a second round for final judging.

Final results:
🥇 1st place – Kahiwa Coffee Roasters (Lahti)
🥈 2nd place – Cafetoria (Helsinki / Lohja)
🥉 3rd place – Lehmus Roastery (Lappeenranta)

The rest of the competitors were: Good Life Coffee, Kaffa Roastery, Kirjalan paahtimo, Inka Paahtimo, Espoon paahtimo, Samples coffee, Haimoon, Pirkanmaan paahtimo and Makea coffee.

About Our Roaster

Iván Oré is the founder of Cafetoria, together with his wife Mia Nikander-Oré. Originally from Peru, Iván began his career as an electrical engineer in Lima before moving to Finland in 1999 to pursue a Master’s degree in Telecommunications at Aalto University (formerly Helsinki University of Technology). What was meant to be a two-year study plan turned into a lifelong journey.

While working at Nokia Networks, where he was recognized as one of the company’s Top Inventors, Iván and Mia founded Cafetoria in 2002 — inspired by an unexpected encounter with organic coffee producers in Peru. Iván is the creative force behind Cafetoria’s flavor philosophy. Even after more than two decades of roasting, he continues refining his craft to highlight the natural character of each coffee. His goal is to express Cafetoria’s identity in every cup — one that is rich and sweet, velvety in texture, and full of playful, lingering aftertastes. 

In 2023, Iván expanded his creative pursuits with the founding of Gelatoria, Cafetoria’s artisan gelato venture. Applying the same principles of balance, purity, and sensory expression, Iván has quickly become a relevant actor at the gelato scene — winning all four national gelato competition categories in just two years! 

Recognitions

2007 – Finnish Cup Tasting Champion, SCAE Finland
2017–2018 – Filter of the Year, 2nd Place, Helsinki Coffee Festival
2024 – Gelato of the Year, Ice Cream & Coffee Festival
2024 – Sorbet of the Year, Ice Cream & Coffee Festival
2025 – Vegan Ice Cream of the Year, Ice Cream & Coffee Festival
2025 – Ice Cream of the Year, Ice Cream & Coffee Festival
2025 – Roasters Challenge, 2nd Place, Helsinki Coffee Week