This project asks participating roasters about `` CROWD ROASTER .'' The 4th time is " Shin Sano ".
He experienced the power of coffee while visiting an Asian slum as a backpacker and embarked on a coffee journey. After interacting with producers in Costa Rica, which we still have a relationship with today, and training on the west coast of the United States, we opened a roastery in Minami Alps City, Yamanashi Prefecture. We value the thoughts of the producers and aim to produce ``beautiful, round, spherical coffee'' (each roast) while facing the green beans, which are completely different each time.
We asked Mr. Sano about the appeal and expectations of CROWD ROASTER , as well as the extraction recipe that users often ask about.
He experienced the power of coffee while visiting an Asian slum as a backpacker and embarked on a coffee journey. After interacting with producers in Costa Rica, which we still have a relationship with today, and training on the west coast of the United States, we opened a roastery in Minami Alps City, Yamanashi Prefecture. We value the thoughts of the producers and aim to produce ``beautiful, round, spherical coffee'' (each roast) while facing the green beans, which are completely different each time.
We asked Mr. Sano about the appeal and expectations of CROWD ROASTER , as well as the extraction recipe that users often ask about.
I want to convey the fun and charm of roasting
─ What was your impression when you learned about CROWD ROASTER ?
Sano : When I first heard it, I honestly thought it was interesting. In Japan, there is a lot of focus on baristas, but I thought it was new to focus on roasters and allow customers to choose the roaster and choose the coffee.
— Why did you join CROWD ROASTER ?
Sano : There are a lot of young people at my company who say, ``I want to be a barista,'' but there aren't any who say, ``I want to be a roaster.'' When I think about it, baristas can communicate directly with customers, but roasters are rarely seen by customers, so I think they don't know the fun and charm of roasting.
Personally, when it comes to roasting, I tend to use difficult terminology, so I have a hard time communicating it well. I learned about CROWD ROASTER when I wanted to share more about the appeal of being a roaster, and I thought, ``This is it!''
If the number of next-generation roasters increases and the Japanese coffee scene improves, I think the amount of coffee purchased from producers around the world and the quality of the coffee supply chain will rise.
Sano : When I first heard it, I honestly thought it was interesting. In Japan, there is a lot of focus on baristas, but I thought it was new to focus on roasters and allow customers to choose the roaster and choose the coffee.
— Why did you join CROWD ROASTER ?
Sano : There are a lot of young people at my company who say, ``I want to be a barista,'' but there aren't any who say, ``I want to be a roaster.'' When I think about it, baristas can communicate directly with customers, but roasters are rarely seen by customers, so I think they don't know the fun and charm of roasting.
Personally, when it comes to roasting, I tend to use difficult terminology, so I have a hard time communicating it well. I learned about CROWD ROASTER when I wanted to share more about the appeal of being a roaster, and I thought, ``This is it!''
If the number of next-generation roasters increases and the Japanese coffee scene improves, I think the amount of coffee purchased from producers around the world and the quality of the coffee supply chain will rise.
I would be happy to hear your thoughts and feedback
-What is it about CROWD ROASTER that appeals to you?
Sano : After participating, I realized that the appeal was that customers could choose beans based on a certain level of understanding of the roaster's intentions. Of course, you can explain at the store that the roaster roasted the beans for this purpose, but since you can list in advance (via icons on the app, etc.) that you want this kind of bean to have this kind of flavor with this kind of purpose, I think it will be easy for customers to choose.
It's also nice to be able to get feedback and impressions from people who have actually purchased the product on the app. Every time I receive a comment notification, I get a little nervous and think, ``What if I get dissatisfied or have a complaint?'' (laughs)
Also, rather than just buying, the customer feels the excitement of not being able to roast the product until the desired amount is reached, and the teasing feeling of ``I hope the number of participants will increase soon...'' I also feel that there is.
—What do you expect from CROWD ROASTER in the future?
Mr. Sano : We have people buy the winning beans from the Cup of Excellence (CoE) at CROWD ROASTER , then distribute them among registered roasters, roast them together, and compare the drinks... It would be interesting to hold a competition for registered roasters sponsored by CROWD ROASTER .
We also have a system where the customer selects the roaster and purchases the beans, going back even further to a system where the producer nominates the roaster and the customer selects the roaster. Not only as a roasting service, but I think it can also be the next step in the domestic coffee scene.
-You are actively interacting with users.
Sano : Among the comments from customers, there are many questions about extraction. You can also listen to the recipes they actually brew.
I think that if the roaster's aim could be conveyed to the customer in addition to the roasting intent, the extraction point would be even more clear.
I've been thinking about how reproducibly you can make coffee at home for some time now, and I've published something called the ``15/70 Method'' on Instagram . I use an extraction device called Chemex, but you can use any dripper, so I hope you can use that to brew and drink it.
- Thank you, Sano -san.
MAKOTO
Address: 680-3 Aoyagi-cho, Fujikawa-cho, Minamikoma-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture
What is CROWD ROASTER ?
Roasters with high-quality coffee beans from around the world and top-notch technology.
If you could freely choose the combination, wouldn't it be possible to create a cup like never before?
CROWD ROSTER is an app that proposes a new way to enjoy coffee, helping coffee lovers realize their dreams.
You can request your favorite roaster to roast the beans you have selected on the app. If you don't have enough beans to roast, invite others to join you. When users gather together, they can enjoy special coffee beans that can only be obtained here.
Click here for details on CROWD ROSTER
