Scandinavian-style light roasts and uncompromising minimalism in Portland's Kerns and Woodstock neighborhoods.
Heart Coffee Roasters was established in October 2009 by Wille Yli-Luoma, a former professional snowboarder from Finland, and his wife Rebekah. The original flagship, known as the Eastside Cafe, sits at 2211 East Burnside Street in Portland's Kerns neighborhood. For years, the cafe's centerpiece was a functioning black Probat roaster that filled the room with the scent of lightly developed coffee, though roasting operations have since moved to a dedicated facility nearby. Today, the Burnside space remains a masterclass in Scandinavian minimalism, designed by the founders themselves. It features high ceilings, whitewashed walls, large windows that flood the room with grey Pacific Northwest light, and an intentionally unplugged atmosphere with no Wi-Fi to ensure guests focus entirely on the coffee and company.
The roasting philosophy at Heart is defined by an uncompromising dedication to light, Scandinavian-style roasts that highlight the intrinsic fruit and floral characteristics of the bean. Wille Yli-Luoma brought a rigorous, scientific approach to the process, utilizing refractometers to measure extraction and quality long before it became industry standard. Heart focuses almost exclusively on washed (wet-processed) single-origin coffees, intentionally avoiding natural-processed beans to prevent heavy, fermented notes from muddying the cup. While single-origin offerings rotate seasonally, their sole blend, the Stereo Seasonal Blend, serves as the default espresso profile, typically combining Colombian and Ethiopian components to produce a cup balanced with notes of stone fruit, cocoa, and clean acidity.
Beyond the Burnside flagship, the company expanded its footprint to southeast Portland with the Woodstock Cafe at 5181 SE Woodstock Blvd. Designed in collaboration with architect Joe Karman, the Woodstock location is larger, utilizing natural wood, simple Schoolhouse light fixtures, and a clean aesthetic that mirrors the original's restraint. At either location, drinks are prepared with surgical precision on high-end machinery, including Kees van der Westen Spirit and La Marzocco espresso machines. The menu is kept hyper-focused, offering bright espresso shots, meticulously dialed-in batch brews, and subtle signature options like a cardamom latte or rich drinking chocolate. Pastries and cookies from local bakers are available, but the focus never drifts from the purity of the beverage, cementing Heart as a vital benchmark of Portland's specialty coffee movement.
Try the Stereo Seasonal Blend as a straight espresso, or order a single-origin washed coffee on batch brew to experience their signature tea-like clarity. Note that there is no Wi-Fi here, so plan to disconnect.
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