The next Home Barista Show will take place at Espressolab Roastery in Istanbul on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
It will be the fifth Home Barista Show (HBS) and the first held in Türkiye. Holding the show inside a place built around coffee, culture and people getting together makes even more excited than I usually am about these.
Why I started the Home Barista Show
I started the Home Barista Show because most coffee events overlook people who brew at home.
There are plenty of coffee trade shows, festivals and competitions. Most cater to professionals, brands and café operators. At the same time, more people are brewing at home, buying better grinders and machines, changing their water and recipes, and trying to understand why one coffee tastes great while the next one tastes flat.
A lot of that learning happens alone. I know because that’s how I started. In many ways, it’s still how I learn.
The Home Barista Show gives home brewers a place to meet. Beginners come. So do experienced hobbyists and people with serious equipment collections. They use the gear, make coffee, ask questions and learn from each other.
The first show in Dubai sold out. Sharjah helped me work out that the event needed more participation. Cape Town became the biggest edition, with more than 140 people attending. Johannesburg sold out too. By then, it was clear the show could move between countries and work in each one.
Istanbul is next.
From Ottoman coffeehouses to specialty coffee
Few cities share as deep a connection with coffee history as Istanbul.
Coffee became part of Ottoman life during the 16th century, under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. One account says an Ottoman governor first developed a taste for it while serving in Yemen, then brought it back to the palace.
Istanbul’s first coffeehouse opened in 1554.
Those early coffeehouses changed coffee’s place in daily life. People went there to talk, listen to stories, play games, hear music and exchange ideas. Coffee became part of daily life and hospitality. It found its way into marriage customs and the way people welcomed one another.
In Turkey, that culture is still present. People prepare Turkish coffee in a cezve, serve it in small cups and share it with guests. In 2013, UNESCO added Turkish coffee culture and tradition to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Istanbul’s coffee culture has kept growing. Turkish coffee still holds its place, while the city’s specialty coffee shops have introduced more origins, lighter roasting, espresso bars, filter brewing and a different approach to coffee education.
Espressolab comes from that newer chapter.
How Espressolab grew from one small café
Espressolab opened its first store at Istanbul Bilgi University in 2014. The space was only 190 square feet. The company’s plans went far beyond it.
The aim was to bring specialty coffee to more people, roast coffee fresh and create spaces where coffee drinkers could meet.
Today the company has more than 400 stores across Türkiye and in markets including Germany, Portugal, Egypt, Qatar, Morocco, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
The scale is impressive. But I love the way Espressolab has built something around the cup. It designs its locations so people can stay, learn and come back.
Espressolab Roastery is the fullest expression of that idea.
Inside Espressolab Roastery
Espressolab opened the Roastery in Istanbul’s Merter district in September 2022, after converting Türkiye’s first cardboard factory into a 6,000-square-metre coffee destination.
It’s Europe’s largest coffee experience centre.
There’s a working roasting and packaging operation, a large café, a bakery, a cocktail bar, workshop stations, a conference hall, co-working areas and a small greenhouse. Visitors can follow more of the journey from green coffee to the finished cup.
It’s a huge space. It could easily have felt cold. Espressolab has used it as a place where people actually meet and do things.
The things
Espressolab Roastery runs monthly coffee workshops, ceramics sessions, canvas painting, candle-making classes, yoga, Pilates and theatre. The Roastery Stage hosts artists on Sundays. The venue has also held concerts, film screenings and the Espressolab Barista Latte Art Championship.
Coffee sits at the centre of the place, though it doesn’t dictate everything that happens there. And that makes the roastery feel like a natural venue for the Home Barista Show.
I’m excited to add HBS to a calendar that has already included coffee events, craft workshops, movement classes and live performances. I’m also looking forward to meeting Istanbul’s home brewers and seeing what they bring with them.
Home Barista Show Istanbul event details
Date: Sunday, August 9, 2026
Time: 2:45 PM to 6:20 PM
Venue: Espressolab Roastery
The afternoon will begin with a tour of Espressolab Roastery before moving into a guided tasting of five coffees from around the world. Guests will then join a practical brewing workshop, choose a coffee to work with and brew it themselves with help from Espressolab’s baristas.
The show will close with a live brewing competition and awards.
It will be relaxed and hands-on. Giving home brewers time with great coffee, good equipment and people who are happy to share what they know.
Tickets are limited to 12 seats and will be released soon. Watch this space.
I want to meet every home brewer community in the world
Taking the Home Barista Show from Dubai to Sharjah, Cape Town and Johannesburg has shown me home brewers everywhere want something simple. A place to meet, try equipment, ask honest questions and spend time with people who care about coffee as much as they do.
Each city has made it feel different, but the heart of it has stayed the same. I’m excited to see how Istanbul will go.
Where should we go after that? Tell me in the comments.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Home Barista Show Istanbul?
The Home Barista Show Istanbul will take place on Sunday, August 9, 2026. The start time will be confirmed.
Where will the Home Barista Show Istanbul take place?
The event will be held at Espressolab Roastery in the Güngören district of Istanbul, Türkiye.
What is the address of Espressolab Roastery?
Espressolab Roastery is at Tozkoparan, General Ali Rıza Gürcan Cd. Çırpıcı Çıkmazı Sok. No: 2, 34173 Güngören, Istanbul, Türkiye.
What is the Home Barista Show?
The Home Barista Show is a hands-on coffee event created for people who make coffee at home. It gives attendees the chance to use equipment, make coffee, ask questions and learn from other brewers.
Who can attend the Home Barista Show?
The show is open to home brewers at every level, from complete beginners to experienced hobbyists and equipment enthusiasts.
Is this the first Home Barista Show in Türkiye?
Yes. The Istanbul event will be the first Home Barista Show held in Türkiye and the fifth edition of the show overall.
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