About Ambition Roast

Ambition Roast was created by Aziz Kara, a long time home coffee roasting enthusiast.

"Tumble out of bed and I stumble to the kitchen / Pour myself a cup of ambition."

The name comes from a line that's stayed with me for years—Dolly Parton's "9 to 5." There's something magical about that morning cup of coffee. It's not just caffeine—it's promise, possibility, a moment before the day begins.

For home roasters, that connection runs even deeper. Roasting is a ritual, a moment of zen where you're creating the thing that will fuel your ambitions for the week ahead. Everyone has their own setup and becomes a bit of a nerd about profiles and temperatures. Not many people in your friend circle roast their own beans, so there's always a quirky story to share.

The smell of coffee roasting is one of the most intoxicating smells ever, and my earliest memory of it was from a trip through Cairo, Egypt. I stayed at a hostel perched atop a roastery, and every morning, the smell would drift up—sweet, thick, warming. Even now, when I finish an espresso (rare, as I'm more of a drip coffee person), I catch that same scent and I'm right back there, sunshine on the open-air terrace, breakfast and endless possibility.

After years of tracking my roasts in spreadsheets and phone timers, I decided to build a better way. Ambition Roast started as a personal project to solve my own problem—keeping roast profiles organized, logging tasting notes, learning from each batch. The goal is simple: give home roasters the tools they need to improve their craft, one roast at a time.

Whether you're just starting out or you've been roasting for years, Ambition Roast is here to help you track, learn, and grow. Here's to pouring yourself a cup of ambition.