Kenji Takahashi
Founding Roaster & Green Buyer
Profiles light-roast single origins on a vintage cast-iron Fuji Royal 5kg roaster in Kyoto and leads annual harvest expeditions in East Africa.
EST. MMXVIII • KYOTO & PORTLAND ROASTERY JOURNAL
Crafted for the Roaster, the Ceramic Dripper, and the Slow Morning.
Kuro Roast documents the small-holder producers, ceramic artisans, and precision grinder engineers who elevate daily filter coffee into a quiet craft.
01 / ORIGINS
Transparent Micro-Lots
From high-elevation washed Ethiopian heirlooms in Guji to honey-processed Pink Bourbon in Huila, we trace every harvest lot back to the washing station.
02 / EXTRACTION
Precision Brew Gear
Every dripper, 98mm flat-burr grinder, and gooseneck kettle is tested with laser particle analysis, refractometers, and blind cupping panels.
03 / CERAMICS
Tactile Permanence
We collaborate with wood-fired ceramicists in Mashiko and Tokoname to craft thermal-retentive drippers and tasting vessels built to age gracefully.
The Cupping Table
Roasters & Editorial Contributors
Elena Rostova
Brew Gear Editor & Sensory Scientist
Q-Grader and extraction researcher benchmarking flat-burr geometries, water alkalinity buffers, and conical versus flat-bottom drippers.
Soren Lindqvist
Architecture & Cafe Culture Editor
Documents independent listening bars, wood-fired ceramics studios, and minimalist slow coffee spaces across Tokyo, Copenhagen, and Portland.