Malika has won the Maldives AeroPress Championship 2026, securing a place at the World AeroPress Championship in Mexico City this December.

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Held on 3 October at Family Room Coffee in Hulhumalé, the competition saw Zuha finish second and Hisham take third place.

Malika, a home brewer, becomes the third winner of the national championship and the first since 2018. Rahma Mahmood, known as Rahoo, won the previous two editions in 2017 and 2018.

The 2026 edition marked the return of the Maldives AeroPress Championship after an eight-year hiatus. The event brought together baristas, home brewers and coffee enthusiasts competing in a knockout format centred on one of coffee’s simplest brewing methods.

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All competitors used the same official coffee, roasted by Family Room Coffee, while developing their own recipes and brewing methods. Each competitor was given five minutes to prepare and present a cup, with winners advancing through three rounds.

The judging panel was led by Ahmed Afrah, alongside Junayd, Yoosuf and Shujau. Coffees were judged blind, with the panel selecting their preferred cup in each round without knowing the identity of the brewer. The competition followed the AeroPress Championship format of preference-based voting rather than numerical scoring.

Ahead of the event, brewing workshops were held at Family Room Coffee, Meraki Coffee and Noddy’s Coffee in Addu. The sessions focused on AeroPress techniques, recipe development and competition preparation.

Malika will now represent the Maldives at the World AeroPress Championship on 6 December at Frontón Bucareli in Mexico City, joining national champions from around the world for the annual global final.

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