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Chapter #37Malin Helgman
Malin Helgman works at the intersection of coffee, technology and sustainability. As Head of Product & Product Marketing, she has worked on Löfbergs' engagement with Era of We, a platform designed to create greater connection between coffee professionals, producers and the people who drink coffee. In this Coffee Insurrection interview, Helgman talks about her early coffee memories, the Geisha coffee that changed how she understood flavor, her love of V60 brewing and her belief that specialty coffee still has enormous room to grow. She also shares her thoughts on sustainability, traceability and the future of the coffee industry.
Malin HelgmanThe Interview · 13 Questions
Key Insights from Malin Helgman
- Malin Helgman is Head of Product & Product Marketing at Löfbergs — one of the largest Nordic coffee roasters.
- She's a self-described "coffee lover who dreams about becoming a coffee geek" — currently 100% focused on Löfbergs' engagement on the Era of We platform (where Löfbergs is the first roaster onboard).
- Her roots are from Värmland, Sweden — she started drinking coffee at age 4 during visits to her grandparents, joining their 11am and 3pm coffee tradition.
- Her Geisha experience was life-changing — and thanks to Era of We, she now drinks coffee from estates where she knows the farmer personally.
- Her favourite brewing method is V60 pour-over — "the taste of a cup of coffee brewed in a V60 is fantastic. It is so clean."
- Her best coffee ever: Sudan Rume from Ama Estate in Brazil — the taste was unique from any previous cup.
- She favours Kenya for the blackcurrant notes — they remind her of her grandmother's blackcurrant juice from her childhood.
- Her favourite thing about work: "Working with something meaningful" — helping people increase their coffee experience while making the industry more sustainable.
- Her 10-year dream: become a true coffee geek.
- Her advice: Sign up on eraofwe.com to learn more about coffee, connect with farmers, and ask questions to experts.
Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.
I am Malin Helgman, a coffee lover who dreams of becoming a coffee geek.. For the last two months, I have been 100% focused on Löfbergs’ engagement with the Era of We platform. We are the first roaster onboard, and I am managing our part of the platform together with my fantastic team.
My roots are from Värmland, and I have been living in several cities in Sweden. Which I love, because I have friends to take a cup of coffee together with, in almost every city I visit.
When and Why Did Specialty Coffee Become Important to Malin Helgman?
Coffee started to become important to me when I was a little kid, visiting my grandparents. Everyday, at 11 am and 3 pm, they had a cup of coffee. Since I thought this was very cozy, I started to join their tradition when I was 4 years old during my visits. I received a cup of coffee with a lot of milk and sugar, while they were having a traditionally black cup of coffee.
Which Coffee Changed Malin Helgman’s Understanding of Flavor?
Some years ago, I had a cup of Geisha coffee: this was the day I started to understand more about coffee and how different processes and varieties affects the taste of the cup you are drinking. But during the last year, I think I have started to experience this even further. To drink a cup of coffee from an estate where you know the farmer, is a totally new experience for me. And thanks to Era of We, everyone has the possibility to experience the same as I do every day now more.
What does Malin Helgman enjoy most about working in coffee?
For me it is important to work with something meaningful, and to make the coffee industry more sustainable, what would be more meaningful than that? Coffee is so important for so many people and businesses, and to be able to help people increase their coffee experience meanwhile we improve the whole coffee industry, is what I love with my job.
What Is Malin Helgman’s Favorite Brewing Method?
I love the hand brewing methods and the taste of a cup of coffee brewed in a V60 is fantastic. It is so clean.
What is the best coffee Malin Helgman has ever tasted?
I think it is Sudam Rume from Ama Estate in Brazil, the taste is so unique from the previous cup of coffee I have tasted.
Which coffee origin does Malin Helgman favor most?
The notes of blackcurrant in a coffee from Kenya is really something I appreciate because when I taste it, I always start to think about my grandmother and the blackcurrant juice she made for me when I was a child. But in general, I am not a fan of a specific origin, I rather like the possibility to taste different coffees every day.
Which Coffee Roastery Does Malin Helgman Recommend?
Blue Bottle in California is an interesting roastery.
What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?
There are a lot of exciting things to learn about coffee, and you will never be able to know everything, but in the coffee industry there is a lot of people with enormous knowledge who welcome you to learn even more.
How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?
The only positive thing with covid is that we have been challenged to do things in totally new ways, and we have been forced to be more digital. We have started to do business in new ways but also learned to create relationships in new ways. Thanks to this, it is normal for me to build relationships and do business with new people online.
How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?
I think more and more people will start to understand that coffee have 2-3 times more tastes than wine, and if we could take the specialty coffee through the same journey in the coming years as wine, I think it would be fantastic.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In my dreams, I see myself as a true coffee geek.
Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?
If you want to learn more about coffee, sign up on www.eraofwe.com . You will get access to a lot of information about coffee, you will be able to create relationships with the farmers who have grown your coffee and you could ask questions to coffee experts.
Best Cup
"I think it is Sudam Rume from Ama Estate in Brazil, the taste is so unique from the previous cup of coffee I have tasted."
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Author
Tanya Nanetti is a specialty coffee journalist, writer, and coffee educator dedicated to documenting the people, places, and stories behind the global specialty coffee movement.She writes about specialty coffee shops, roasters, coffee origins, brewing techniques, sensory experiences, and the professionals shaping the future of coffee culture.As a certified coffee trainer and contributor to international coffee publications, including Barista Magazine and Standart Magazine, Tanya combines journalistic research with hands-on coffee knowledge to explore the evolution of third wave coffee worldwide.Through interviews, guides, and coffee stories, she helps connect coffee professionals and enthusiasts with the communities, craftsmanship, and innovation behind every cup.
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