KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 3 -- When Tan Shing Win made coffee outdoors, he noticed something that kept bothering him: the same beans and brewing recipe could produce a different cup depending on the environment.

It was an everyday observation, but one that eventually helped shape his presentation at the 2026 World Barista Championship (WBC) in Panama, where he finished second - the best result ever achieved by a Malaysian competitor.

Moisture became the focus of his routine, reflecting a question that had followed him through years of making coffee in different settings.

"Sometimes, even when using the exact same brewing recipe, the results could be quite different depending on the environment," Shing Win says. "This made me wonder how factor...