The Orange Cake, The AeroPress, and The Search for Purpose

For Caio Paiva Lucena, coffee started much closer to home. Growing up on the coast of Santos, São Paulo, Brazil, coffee was simply part of everyday life. Shared during breakfast, after meals, and in moments spent with family. One memory still stands out: Friday afternoons at his grandmother’s house, where a cup of coffee was always accompanied by her homemade orange cake.

Today, the 30-year-old works as a manager at a non-specialty coffee shop and is known to many coffee enthusiasts as the Brazil AeroPress Champion. But when Caio talks about coffee, he rarely begins with titles or achievements. Instead, he talks about people, relationships, and the experiences that shaped him along the way.

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In this interview, Hudes Magazine spoke with Caio about growing up in Brazil’s coffee culture, finding his place in the industry, navigating moments of doubt, and discovering purpose through coffee. What emerged was not just the story of a champion, but the story of someone still learning, growing, and finding meaning in every cup he serves.

How would you describe yourself outside of coffee?

I'm very excited person, well communicative always available to help everyone if possible and I'm person who like to take life ang things lightly and is always trying to see the good side of everything 

What kind of environment did you grow up in?

I came from somewhere with big love from my parents, I grew up if wanna something or do something, 'make it happen for yourself'

It's about you and what you want to do.

Before competitions and specialty coffee, what did coffee mean in your daily life?

Family routine, like breakfast or lunch night, moments to stay with parents, people you like.

When did you first realize coffee could become something important in your life?

When my parents, my ex fiance said: I'm proud of you and when I won the Nacional Aeropress Championship. 

Brazil is one of the biggest coffee producers in the world, but how does coffee actually live in everyday Brazilian culture from your perspective?

For me, Brazilians are in our routine, breakfast, after lunch, before dinner, or at dinner. But I see a new generation. They are stopping to drink coffee as espresso and filters. And drink more Iced latte 

What’s something about Brazilian coffee culture that foreigners often misunderstand?

I think 70% or more Brazilians drink commodities, and few of them don't know about specialty coffee.     

Growing up in Brazil, what kind of coffee memories stayed with you emotionally?

My grandmother makes coffee with an amazing orange cake on friday afternoon.

Do you think Brazilians experience coffee differently compared to people from other countries?

100%. I'm have been  in New Zealand in 2018 and in the UK in 2022 and I can tell you that in the UK people drink tea or beer and we drink coffee for example. And of course I think we are closer to farms, producers than other countries.

Brazil produces coffee for the world — but do you think Brazilian coffee professionals receive enough recognition globally?

No, I don't think so. Is a big problem. I think traveling around the world is very expensive for us to be present in some big events. We have more coffee notes like chocolate, nuts. We have amazing geisha floral, or more than geisha floral. I would like to get more big events, worlds here to show up a new Brazil they haven't seen.

How has specialty coffee changed younger generations in Brazil?

Specialty coffee has significantly changed younger generations in Brazil by transforming coffee from a simple daily habit into a lifestyle, social experience, instagrammer life style and the coffee shop also following those moments where we are now but also we have more attention in sustainability and quality  

What social or economic realities do baristas in Brazil face today that people rarely talk about?

To answer these questions I needed to ask my friend Mari Mesquita, Barista, competitor, judge. She knows more about the Barista universe in Brazil because she travels around Brazil being a judge and managing courses. She said: 

Even in a coffee-producing country with so many interested professionals, not all baristas are able to visit farms, build relationships with producers, or experience coffee at its origin due to the vast geographic distances and the high financial cost of traveling there; Lack of a structured career path for hospitality and coffee professionals; psychological strain caused by constant pressure, long working hours, and the intense pace of the industry;  difficulty in achieving professional recognition and proper appreciation for the experience gained within the sector.

In your opinion, what makes Brazil’s coffee scene beautiful beyond the farms and competitions?

The energy, trade with customers about coffee and life, how coffee can make connections, make good friends than you would ever expect.

What pushed you to enter the AeroPress competition in the first place?

I'm a very competitive person, after 5 years in the industry watching all the competition on the internet; Barista; Brewers, Coffee Good Spirit, I realize I need to do something new.

Was there a moment during the competition where you felt emotionally overwhelmed?

I never felt overwhelmed, because for me, I make coffee like in a bar or in my house. Even when I was training it was like a normal day, I earned a coffee so I need to bring the best I can in the cup.

What did winning actually change in your life, internally, not just professionally?

I think make me feel validated like "okay, after courses, videos, 5 years in the bar, drinking coffees, met people, coffee shops I got it"  

Competitions often look glamorous online. What parts of the experience are actually difficult or exhausting?

Yes, it looks like. When I won the national I had difficulty managing my time, professional, social, personal. Divide myself with events where people want to know me, work, family. It wasn't easy but amazing.

Do you think AeroPress competitions feel more personal and democratic compared to other coffee competitions?

Of course!Get the coffee in a few days, or 1 months before the big day. Aeropress is like putting everything you know about coffee in just 5 minutes.

What were you truly searching for through competition, recognition, growth, belonging, or something else?

I do a little bit of everything, I was looking to understand who I'm in this industry, what my duty here is and yeah I am still discovering...  

Your profile feels very personal and grounded. Was that intentional?

Not really, I post about myself like what I listen to, about coffee, because I want to show people my moments. 

How important are family and friendship in your coffee journey?

I can't mensure, really they are very important. I am so grateful to have some people in my life, and everyone made part of these.

Has someone in my life and seen all my journey and I am grateful about that person and I would like to say THANK SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!

What are the invisible struggles behind your work that people online never see?

How we study and so dedicate to coffee industry and hard to showup to everyone  

Have you ever felt lost, tired, or disconnected from coffee?

Actually a few months ago, I couldn't describe how lost and disconnected I was, which made me doubt whether what I was doing was right, correct or if I belonged here. 

What keeps you continuing even during difficult moments?

As a Brazilian I do not give up so easily, I love coffee, coffee shops, love to serve people and see his happy face when drinking something good, the feeling to make days better.

Has coffee taught you something important about life or yourself?

Respect the process, don't need to rush, everything in your time.

What kind of pressure comes after people start recognizing your name?

Be more serious about what you want to be, what you want and your work has a price now.

What do you hope the world understands more deeply about Brazil through coffee?

We are more than chocolate, nuts flavor notes

Do you think coffee can tell honest stories about people and social realities?

After I won Aeropress in Brazil I got opportunity to met a lot farms and producers and I can tell you 100% coffee is true honest work in Brazil, many humble producers and most of them can't understand how his coffee is amazing. But we have amazing roasters, coffee shops that can show to the world how incredible it is , exausti, hard, study and how many generations have passed until we arrived at the present.

What kind of future do you dream for young coffee professionals in Brazil?

Be present in all events possible, be competitors, be a producers

If you could serve one cup of coffee that represents your life story, what would it taste like — and why?

I will serve one a citrus orange, medium acidity, intense body like a melon, high sweetness and after taste longer. Acidity has some moments that we need to live as you like or not, an intense body is like enjoying the moment you are now, high sweetness is like we never expected how amazing it can be one moment and after taste longer is like I have more to live in this industry that we call coffee. 

Finally, after everything you’ve experienced so far, what still makes coffee feel meaningful to you today?

Make me so grateful to be alive, make me get moments that I'll never forget, if it were coffee, maybe I'll never be proud of myself, to travel around my country and give me a purpose.