Connected - Conversations with people in the coffee industry: Recent Episodes
Zack Stamey, Roastful
CAFEC USA: cafes_usa
Ashley: awcafec
Drank it!: drankitpodcast
Melodrip: melodripco
Roastful: roastfulcoffee
Follow Drank it! @drankitpodcast, Follow Zack @roastfulcoffee www.roastful.com Follow Ray @melodripco www.melodrip.co
In this episode, coffee producers and Pepe and Jose Jijon dive into the uncomfortable truths behind modern experimental coffee processing. From heavily manipulated fermentations to the economic pressures pushing producers toward riskier methods, Pepe and Jose share their perspective on how innovation, sustainability, and market demand often collide. Follow Pepe Jijon: @fincasoledadintag Follow Jose Jijon: @coffee_with_jose , @fincas_del_putushio Follow Zack @roastfulcoffee www.roastful.com Follow Ray @melodripco www.melodrip.co
Follow Drank it! @drankitpodcast, Follow Zack @roastfulcoffee www.roastful.com Follow Ray @melodripco www.melodrip.co
Follow Zack @roastfulcoffee
www.roastful.com
Follow Ray @melodripco
www.melodrip.co
SEY Coffee: www.seycoffee.com
Hyunah Coffee Club: www.hyunah.coffee
Follow Drank it! @drankitpodcast, Follow Zack @roastfulcoffee www.roastful.com Follow Ray @melodripco www.melodrip.co
A wide-ranging, candid conversation with 2026 U.S. Brewers Cup champion, Esther Kim from Kumquat, covering everything from frustrating café experiences to the cutting edge of coffee brewing. The discussion dives deep into how water chemistry, grind size, and pour structure shape extraction—plus a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to win at the highest level. Along the way: industry hot takes, gear debates, and a few unforgettable customer stories.
Follow Drank it! @drankitpodcast, Follow Zack @roastfulcoffee www.roastful.com Follow Ray @melodripco www.melodrip.co
Zack Stamey and Ray Murakawa sit down with Jiyoon of Bean & Bean Coffee to talk about taking over a multi-location family café business, modernizing it for today’s specialty scene, and launching Picolot as a “rapid release” canvas for tiny, ultra-interesting lots. Along the way they unpack Bean & Bean’s sloth rebrand (and its farm-ecosystem meaning), how Jiyoon thinks about pricing + margins for luxury coffees, what it’s like balancing multiple customer “coffee languages”, and why she’s leaning hard into education + standards—from community cuppings to a barista evaluation program.
They also get into the evolved Q / CVA, origin travel with her mom (mother–daughter Q-grader duo), and the realities of roasting very light coffees on a Stronghold S7X. The rapid-fire closes with strong takes: Seoul as a top coffee city and doing a legit pour-over routine on an airplane.
Follow Drank it! @drankitpodcast, Follow Zack @roastfulcoffee www.roastful.com Follow Ray @melodripco www.melodrip.co
In this episode, we sit down with Harry (aka Kimoi Coffee Harry) of Moonwake Coffee to dive deep into modern specialty coffee—from hyper-dialed pour-over brewing and grinder burr theory to green buying, roast development, and water chemistry. Harry shares his journey from passionate home enthusiast to shaping Moonwake’s brewing program and green sourcing, including how ultra-high-end gear ended up at a farmers market. The conversation explores what “ultralight” coffee really means today, why water might matter more than your grinder, and how community and calibration drive better coffee more than chasing the next piece of gear.
Links mentioned* Moonwake Coffee Roasters * Oshi for April
Follow Drank it! @drankitpodcast, Follow Zack @roastfulcoffee www.roastful.com Follow Ray @melodripco www.melodrip.co
Fused Visions creator Mehrdad joins Zack Stamey (Roastful) and Ray Murakawa (Melodrip) for a wide-ranging, unscripted conversation about coffee innovation, product design, and why collaboration matters more than hype. They dig into what makers get wrong (and right), the copycat problem, and how tools like slow-feeding and “dose by volume” can make espresso more consistent with less waste. Plus: rapid-fire takes on burr size, V60s, co-ferments, and whether cafés really need Rolls-Royce espresso machines.
SHOW NOTES:
Fused Visions (Instagram)
Fused Visions Shop
Meticulous Espresso Machine
Introvert Makes (Andrew)
Kaffeemacher (Switzerland / DACH)
I’m Not A Barista – MOMENTEM Grinder (Kickstarter)
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
02:56 The Philosophy of Product Creation in Coffee
05:56 The Importance of Collaboration in the Coffee Industry
07:08 Understanding Roasting and Grinding Challenges
08:16 Celebrating Roasters and Their Craft
11:07 Fused Visions: Community and Collaboration in Coffee
14:20 The Need for Innovation in the Coffee Industry
17:23 Innovative Perspectives in Coffee Design
21:29 Community and Collaboration in Coffee Innovation
26:18 Product Development and User Feedback
31:24 Challenges of Copycats in the Coffee Industry
44:56 Vision for the Future of Fused Visions
48:49 The Evolution of Coffee Preparation Techniques
49:47 Rapid Fire Questions: Coffee Preferences
52:11 Top Roasters: Local and Global Insights
53:26 Closing Thoughts on Coffee Trends
55:56 Affordable Coffee Gear: Quality Without Breaking the Bank
01:03:23 Filter vs. Espresso: The Ultimate Showdown
Follow Drank it! @drankitpodcast, Follow Zack @roastfulcoffee www.roastful.com Follow Ray @melodripco www.melodrip.co
Zack and Ray sit down with AJ Kim of Kumquat Coffee to talk about the green side of home roasting. They dig into how Kumquat, Loquat, and Fondry grew into an ecosystem for serious home brewers and roasters, and why AJ started a curated green-coffee shop for small batches. Along the way, AJ shares what he’s learned visiting producers around the world and why understanding farms, pricing, and climate risk should change how we buy and roast coffee at home.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Home Roasting and Kumquat Coffee
02:52 AJ Kim's Journey and Kumquat's Evolution
05:43 The Green Coffee Store Launch
08:44 Kumquat's Community and Events
11:58 Future Projects and Expansion Plans
15:08 The Philosophy Behind Kumquat's Offerings
17:56 Reflections on the Coffee Industry and Personal Journey
24:58 Direct Sourcing and Coffee Adventures
29:56 The Impact of Global Warming on Coffee Production
34:44 Building Connections: The Role of Green Coffee Sourcing
39:56 Home Roasting: Bridging the Gap Between Producers and Consumers
55:02 The Future of Coffee: Quality, Sustainability, and Consumer Awareness
Follow Drank it! @drankitpodcast, Follow Zack @roastfulcoffee www.roastful.com Follow Ray @melodripco www.melodrip.co
Zack and Ray kick things off breaking down the global matcha shortage and debating whether Tokyo is the best coffee city in the world. Then they sit down with Masa of Weekenders Coffee (Kyoto) to talk about Japan’s evolving café culture, light-roast philosophy, and Weekenders’ new 20th-anniversary collaboration box.
In this episode:
- Is Tokyo the best coffee city in the world?
- What makes Japanese cafés feel so intentional
- Matcha shortage 2024–2025: causes, bootlegs, price spikes, and why production can’t just “scale”
- Why many Japan cafés are closed in the mornings
- Weekenders origin story (2005) → roasting light since 2011; navigating “third wave” beyond just roast degree
- Weekenders 20th-Anniversary collab: 30 roasters × 15g mini packs (pre-orders open)
Links:
- WEEKENDERS 20th Anniversary Box
- Matcha Shortage Article - New York Times
- WEEKENDERS COFFEE Instagram
Follow Drank it! @drankitpodcast, Follow Zack @roastfulcoffee www.roastful.com Follow Ray @melodripco www.melodrip.co
Home roasting is exploding—and it’s no longer just for pros. Ray and Zack dive into the rise of the home-roasting movement with guest Robert Asami, a hobbyist roaster from the Bay Area. They unpack ultra-light roasts, the new tech driving the scene (Roest, Nucleus Link, Kaffelogic), and the growing culture of experimentation, education, and gear obsession.
Links:
- Roest
- Nucleus Link Roaster
- Kaffelogic
- Stronghold roaster
- Kumquat - Green coffee
- CoRo - Bay Area CoRoasters
- Bae Area Coffee Club
- Espresso Aficionados discord
- Instagram: @robertasami
- Robert Asami Blog
Follow Drank it! @drankitpodcast, Follow Zack @roastfulcoffee www.roastful.com Follow Ray @melodripco www.melodrip.co
Lance from Sey Coffee joins us to talk: co-ferments, “rock-star” producers, trends, the real work of sourcing, doing the reps (cupping daily), why clean 87–90pt washed lots are miracles, pricing/value (cost-per-cup), curation and seasonality, and how roasters can truly stand out in 2025.
Links
- Sey Coffee
Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction;
00:15 - Get It Off Your Chest: Missing feature from scales;
05:47 - Introducing the Guest: Lance from Sey Coffee;
06:29 - The Evolution of Coffee Trends;
10:49 - Understanding Quality in Coffee;
16:31 - The Importance of Continuous Learning;
20:28 - Navigating Business Strategies in Coffee;
27:03 - Quality and Accessibility in Coffee;
29:55 - The Depth of Coffee Knowledge;
33:15 - Finding Unique Coffee Sources;
34:37 - Curating Seasonal Offerings;
36:12 - Passion for Green Coffee;
43:05 - The Economics of Coffee Pricing;
51:29 - The Journey of Coffee Tasting;
51:54 - Learning from Experience in Coffee Roasting;
53:41 - The Evolution of Coffee Quality;
55:23 - Developing New Coffee Varieties;
58:46 - Navigating Quality and Volume in Coffee Production;
01:00:39 - The Future of Coffee Roasting;
01:03:59 - The Untapped Market for Specialty Coffee;
01:06:53 - The Need for Quality in Coffee Shops;
01:09:57 - The Importance of Commitment in the Coffee Industry;
Follow Drank it! @drankitpodcast, Follow Zack @roastfulcoffee www.roastful.com Follow Ray @melodripco www.melodrip.co
- Perfect Daily Grind article: “Is Brewing by the Cup Still Worth It?”
- Spro-overs / Coffee Shots - YouTube Video by Lance Hedrick
Follow Drank it! @drankitpodcast, Follow Zack @roastfulcoffee www.roastful.com Follow Ray @melodripco www.melodrip.co