Ply Pasarj: Canadian Brewer Cup Champion

Ply Pasarj is a Canadian coffee educator, roaster, competitor, and co-owner of Rogue Wave Coffee Roasters. Over the years, he has built a strong reputation in the specialty coffee world through both competition and coaching. Some of his major achievements include:

• 2025 Canadian Brewers Cup Champion
• 2021 World Brewers Cup — 5th Place
• 2021 Canadian Brewers Cup Champion
• 2019 Canadian AeroPress Champion

Beyond competing, Ply has also coached world-level competitors. In 2023, he coached Carlos Medina to victory at the World Brewers Cup, further establishing his influence within the global coffee community. Today, Ply continues to travel internationally as a competitor and presenter, sharing his approach to coffee flavor and brewing.  

How Do You Choose Between the ZP6 and K-Ultra?

One of the most common questions among coffee enthusiasts is simple: “Should I get the ZP6 or the K-Ultra?” Instead of answering with specs alone, Ply approached the question through flavor. During a live brewing demonstration, he brewed four different coffees using both the 1Zpresso ZP6 and K-Ultra, showing how grinder choice can influence clarity, acidity, sweetness, texture, and overall cup structure. Rather than treating grinders as “better” or “worse,” Ply focused on matching each grinder to the coffee’s character and the flavor he wanted to highlight.   

Why Many Champions Use 1Zpresso Grinders

Early in the demonstration, Ply mentioned that many world champions and competitors use 1Zpresso grinders.[1] According to Ply, 1Zpresso grinders are popular because of their grind consistency and the variety of burr options available. He explained that having different burr geometries allows brewers to better match the grinder to the coffee they are brewing and the flavor profile they want to highlight. Editor’s note: 1. Both Ply himself and 2023 World Brewers Cup Champion Carlos Medina used the 1Zpresso ZP6 during their championship-winning performances.  

The ZP6: Best for Clarity and Bright Acidity

When brewing his first coffee, a Panama natural Gesha, Ply chose the ZP6. He described the coffee as a clean natural, almost resembling a washed coffee in profile. Because of that, he wanted to further emphasize clarity and acidity. According to Ply, the ZP6 burr geometry is specifically designed for flavor clarity. In the cup, it tends to produce:

• Brighter, more vibrant acidity
• Greater flavor separation
• A lighter, cleaner mouthfeel

He later used the ZP6 again for a Kenya Supernatural process coffee. Although the coffee had intense fruit character from extended fermentation, Ply noted that its sweetness was already naturally high. Instead of pushing sweetness further, he chose the ZP6 to highlight the coffee’s crisp structure and lively Kenyan acidity.  

The K-Ultra: for More Sweetness and Complexity

For a Yellow Geisha from Colombia, Ply switched to the K-Ultra. He described the coffee as elegant and delicate, but wanted to bring out more sweetness, structure, and overall complexity in the cup. According to Ply, naturally processed coffees already tend to have pronounced sweetness and fruit character. When he wants even more sweetness, fruitiness, and a heavier texture, the K-Ultra is often his preferred choice. Later in the session, he again chose the K-Ultra for another Panama natural Gesha. Although the coffee was very clean and elegant, he felt it was “almost too clean” and “too delicate,” so he used the K-Ultra to add more complexity and structure.  

The ZP6 vs. K-Ultra | How Ply Matches Grinders to Different Coffees

Throughout the demonstration, Ply chose between the ZP6 and K-Ultra based on the character of each coffee and the flavor profile he wanted to emphasize.

Panama Natural Gesha | ZP6 for Clarity

Very clean, almost washed-like in profile Ply chose the ZP6 to improve flavor clarity, increase acidity, and create a cleaner cup.  

Colombia Yellow Geisha | K-Ultra for Sweetness and Complexity

Elegant and delicate in character Ply chose the K-Ultra to bring out more noticeable sweetness and overall flavor complexity in the cup.  

Kenya Supernatural | ZP6 for Clarity

Fruity and high in sweetness, while still maintaining a clean profile Ply used the ZP6 to enhance clarity and highlight the vibrant acidity typical of Kenyan coffees, since the sweetness was already sufficient.  

Panama Natural Gesha | K-Ultra for More Sweetness and Fruit Expression

Elegant and refined, but “almost too clean” Ply chose the K-Ultra to emphasize sweetness and fruit character, making the cup feel more layered and expressive.  

Ply’s Pour Over Recipe and Brewing Approaches

Throughout all four brews, Ply used the same simple recipe to keep the comparisons consistent and easy to understand.

Brewing Parameters

• Coffee: 20g
• Water: 320g
• Dripper: Origami

Brewing Step

• Bloom: 60g for 45 seconds
• 2nd pour: up to 200g total
• 3rd pour: up to 320g total

Total brew time: around 2:30 ** Ply emphasized that his pouring style is intentionally slow. By pouring gently with a smaller stream of water, he’s able to prolong brewing time without over-agitating the coffee bed. According to him, this creates better extraction control. He also pointed out that even when using the exact same recipe, changing the pouring style can dramatically change the resulting flavor profile.  

The ZP6 or K-Ultra If He Could Only Keep One?

At the end of the session, someone asked Ply: “If you could only bring one grinder, which would it be?” His answer was straightforward:

• If he only brewed filter coffee, he would choose the ZP6.
• If he needed one grinder for both pour over and espresso, he would choose the K-Ultra.

When pushed further and asked which grinder he would keep for life, Ply said he would probably choose the K-Ultra because of its versatility.