The Home Barista Championship is a new coffee competition for people who brew at home. Presented by The Home Barista Show and brought to you by Meraki and Brewing Gadgets, it will place 12 home baristas in front of judges at Flat12 Cafe in Dubai on 24 October 2026.
Applications and ticket sales open on International Coffee Day. Over AED 45,000 in cash and prizes will be available to competitors, audience members and social media followers.
What is The Home Barista Show?
The Home Barista Show is a hands-on event for people who make coffee at home. Guests use equipment, taste coffee, watch demonstrations and learn directly from home brewers and working coffee professionals.
I started it because most coffee events cater to the trade. Members of the public can attend, but they are rarely the main audience. As a result, these events overlook many people who take coffee seriously. They weigh doses, adjust grinders, compare water and buy equipment that would have looked commercial a decade ago. They may never work behind a café bar, yet they practise every day.
The first Home Barista Show took place at Café Rider in Dubai in 2025. Archers Coffee Roastery in Sharjah hosted the second event. Then the event moved overseas, to Cape Town and a sold-out Johannesburg show. The fifth show, the first event in Europe, took place at Espressolab’s Istanbul roastery.
Each of these events sold out. And I asked myself, what should come next?
A coffee competition for home baristas
Professional coffee competitions test preparation, consistency, technical control and the ability to work under pressure. Home brewers develop many of the same skills, usually without a formal place to demonstrate them.
The Home Barista Championship gives them one.
Competitors will use the same equipment and prepare coffee for judges in front of a live audience. Judges will test their skill, but we built the format for home brewers. Competitors do not need professional café or competition experience.
There will be pressure. A grind adjustment feels rather different when judges and 100 people are waiting for the result. The event should still be enjoyable to enter and watch.
Why the championship will use Meraki
Meraki launched its first home espresso machine in 2024. Today, it is Brewing Gadgets’ best-selling home espresso machine.
Which, when you look at the specs, and the price for those specs, it’s not a surprise. Meraki combines an espresso grinder, dual boilers, a rotary pump, two scales and touchscreen controls in one beautiful machine. It can grind by weight, brew to a target weight and monitor milk temperature. Independent PID control keeps the brewing and steam boilers at their set temperatures.
The machine also guides the user without making every decision for them. Competitors must still choose their grind setting, prepare the portafilter, assess the extraction and steam the milk.
The latest generation, Meraki Gen 2 adds 45 grinder settings, a redesigned shower screen and compatibility with standard 58mm E61-style portafilters. It currently costs AED 7,875 through Brewing Gadgets, almost exactly the value of the championship’s first prize.
Brewing Gadgets and UAE coffee
Brewing Gadgets has supplied coffee equipment in the UAE since 2011. Its customers include cafés, roasteries, hotels and home brewers.
The company also provides technical support, café consulting and spare parts. Those services have made it a familiar name within UAE specialty coffee, particularly among businesses that need local support after buying a machine.
Brewing Gadgets supported the first Home Barista Show and is Meraki’s exclusive UAE distributor. Only home baristas who purchased their Meraki from Brewing Gadgets can apply.
How to compete in the Home Barista Championship
Applications close on 13 October 2026. Twelve competitors will be selected and announced on 16 October.
Applicants must use a Meraki at home and must have purchased it from Brewing Gadgets. Selected competitors will pay AED 350, including VAT, to confirm their place.
The cash prizes are:
- First place: AED 8,000
- Second place: AED 4,000
- Third place: AED 2,000
Apply to compete in the Home Barista Championship.
How to attend the championship
The audience is limited to 100 people. Tickets cost AED 350 per person, including VAT, and Meraki ownership is not required.
Three audience members will each win a Meraki Home Espresso Machine through the live draw.
How to enter the Meraki Instagram giveaway
We will give away one additional Meraki Home Espresso Machine on Instagram. Entrants must buy an event ticket, follow Brewing Gadgets, Meraki and The Home Barista Show, tag three friends on the giveaway post and share it to their Instagram story.
The cash prizes and four Meraki machines take the total prize value above AED 45,000.
The Home Barista Championship takes place at Flat12 Cafe, Dubai, on Saturday, 24 October 2026, from 2pm to 7pm. We have space for 12 competitors and 100 audience members.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Home Barista Championship?
The Home Barista Championship is a judged coffee competition for people who brew at home. Twelve competitors will use Meraki espresso machines in front of a live audience. The Home Barista Show presents the event with Meraki and Brewing Gadgets.
Who can apply to compete?
Home baristas who purchased a Meraki Home Espresso Machine from Brewing Gadgets can apply. Applicants must use the machine at home and be available for the Dubai event on 24 October 2026. The organisers will select 12 applicants.
Do I need professional barista experience?
You do not need professional café or competition experience. We created the championship for home brewers, although competitors should be comfortable preparing espresso and milk drinks on their Meraki machine.
When and where is the Home Barista Championship?
The competition will take place at Flat12 Cafe in Dubai on Saturday, 24 October 2026, from 2pm to 7pm. Competitor applications close on 13 October. The organisers will announce the final 12 on 16 October.
How much does it cost to compete or attend?
Competitor and audience tickets cost AED 350 per person, including VAT. Selected competitors must buy a ticket to confirm their place. Audience members can purchase tickets directly, subject to the 100-person capacity
What does each winner receive?
The champion receives AED 8,000, with AED 4,000 for second place and AED 2,000 for third. Three audience members will each win a Meraki Home Espresso Machine through the live draw. We will give away a fourth Meraki through Instagram.
Do I need to own a Meraki to attend or enter the giveaway?
You do not need to own a Meraki to attend. Audience ticket holders can enter the live draw and Instagram giveaway.Audience ticket holders can enter the live draw and the Instagram giveaway. The Instagram entry also requires following Brewing Gadgets, Meraki and The Home Barista Show, tagging three friends and sharing the giveaway post to a story.
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