Thermoplan Black&White4 CTS is the 2024-2027 World Latte Art Championship Qualified Espresso Machine

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is proud to announce that the Thermoplan Black&White4 CTS is the Qualified Espresso Machine for the 2024-2027 World Latte Art Championship. This marks the first time that a fully-automatic espresso machine has been qualified for use in the World Coffee Championships.

The World Coffee Championships (WCC) are made possible thanks to the support and dedication of a wide array of organizations and individuals. Integral to that support are qualified sponsors, the manufacturers who provide the equipment and products that competitors use on stage. Along with supporting wider SCA programming, qualified sponsors sign multi-year agreements to support the strategic growth of the competitions and dedicate time and resources to ensure that every world championship competitor is using the same high-quality equipment.

A pre-requisite to holding a qualified sponsorship is passing the qualified testing program – a program which emerged from the work of World Barista Championship volunteers in 2004 to set the standards for espresso machines that could withstand the fast-paced environment of the competition stage. In 2011, the test became the standard for all WCCs. Since the creation of these standards, and as the specialty coffee industry has evolved, manufacturers have continued to push the envelope on equipment functionality and quality. 

“We are delighted to recognize the superb quality of the Thermoplan Black&White4 CTS and announce the very first fully-automatic qualified espresso machine at the World Coffee Championships,” said Yannis Apostolopoulos, SCA Chief Executive Officer. “This marks a significant step in the important work of including a wider range of equipment in the World Coffee Championships. We are honored to work with Thermoplan over the next four years to pursue our common goal of promoting coffee excellence worldwide.”

“We were very happy to hear that our Black&White4 CTS has made it and will be part of the WCCs as the first fully-automatic coffee machine,” said Sven Schilliger, Thermoplan Head of Sales. “We hope the Black&White4 CTS will inspire both seasoned baristas and aspiring candidates in future World Latte Art Championships! We are honored to be part of the team for the next four years and look forward to everything that lies ahead.”

We’re excited to see Thermoplan join us at the 2024 World Latte Art Championship at World of Coffee Copenhagen in Denmark next June, and on the stage at world championships over the coming years.