How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Kenyan Coffee

How do you like your cup of coffee? This is not a “coffee cup test” or any test for that matter.

We love tasting and experimenting with coffee but always have our go-to brew methods and recipes that never fail us – our perfect cup. We’re sharing our brew methods as a reference if you are a coffee novice, and to spur sharing of recipes for those of you who are seasoned coffee drinkers. (Fun fact: Majority of Kenyans do not grow up drinking coffee, we drink tea. In a sense, coffee is an acquired taste that we pick up in adulthood. We’re constantly learning. More on that in another post.)

Below are our favorite step-by-step brewing techniques and recommendations to unlock the full flavor potential of Kenyan coffee.

First, a note on choosing Kenyan coffees by roast level

Kenyan coffee is renowned for its vibrant flavor and unique profile. The terroir, or growing conditions, of Kenyan coffee impart the coffee’s famed citrus, fruity, bright, and mouth-watering acidic taste notes. Specialty coffee roasters typically reserve these beans for light to medium roasts. They do so to avoid masking the delicate fruity notes by roasting the beans darker. You may have noticed lots of African coffee beans roasted light, especially natural-processed beans. A good roaster will choose notes to complement the characteristic notes of the coffee. We think light to medium is a decent start. Ultimately, your personal taste matters most so trying different regional coffees can help you find the best beans for you.

Brewing your Kenyan coffee

To truly enjoy the complexities of Kenyan coffee, proper brewing is essential. Whether you prefer a French press, pour-over, or AeroPress, this guide will help you craft a delicious cup of Kenyan coffee.

Gather Your Equipment

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

• Fresh, roasted Kenyan coffee beans roasted to your level of choice
• A quality grinder (burr grinders are ideal)
• Your preferred brewing device (e.g., French press, pour-over, AeroPress)
• A kettle with temperature control
• A digital scale and timer for precision

Step 1: Grinding Your Beans

The key to a great brew starts with the grind. For a French press, aim for a coarse grind; for a pour-over and AeroPress, a medium-fine grind works well. Grinding your beans just before brewing ensures maximum freshness and flavor retention. For the Baratza Encore, we use a setting of 26 for French press and 13 for medium-grind for medium-roasted beans. For light roast, we use a setting of 11 on the grinder.

We recommend checking your manufacturer-recommended settings for each brew method to start. You can adjust the setting based on the quality of your resulting coffee cup.

Step 2: Measuring and Heating

Measure your coffee accurately—a good rule of thumb is using a 1:16 ratio of coffee to water. Heat your water to between 200 – 205°F (about 93 – 96°C), which is optimal for extracting the best flavors without scalding the beans for French press and pour over. AeroPress actually calls for slightly lower temperatures. We use 185 – 195°F as we find the resulting coffee to be less acidic with the sweet, fruity tones highlighted better than at higher temperatures.

Step 3: Brewing Methods

Pour-Over:
Place your filter in the dripper and rinse with hot water to remove any papery taste. Add your ground coffee, then slowly pour water, 2x the amount of coffee, to allow the coffee to “bloom” for 30 seconds. Continue pouring the rest of the coffee in a circular motion until you’ve reached your desired amount.

Our preference is to ensure a steady drip of coffee into the collecting carafe. This ends up being about 3 pours of the remaining water, after bloom.

French Press:
We have to admit, French press is the easiest of the three methods. It requires the least effort but can produce the largest volume of brewed coffee in one brew, relatively.

Add the coarsely ground coffee to your press, then pour in the hot water. Stir gently and let it steep for about 4 minutes. Slowly press the plunger down then serve immediately for the best flavor.

AeroPress:
First, begin assembly of the AeroPress. Place the plunger into the chamber up to the 4 cm mark. Then place the brewer down, plunger side down. Place two filter papers in the cap and rinse with the hot water. Pour the grinds into the chamber. Set a timer on then pour hot water into the chamber to the top. At the 1-minute mark, stir the coffee then screw the cap on tightly.

At the 2-minute mark, flip the brewer over your mug/carafe and slowly press the plunger down until every last drop is filtered out.

Step 4: Tips for Enhancing Your Brew

• Experiment with different ratios to find the taste that suits you best.
  • You can start at the mid-range of the variables (roast level, coffee grind size, water temperature, separately) then adjust until you find your perfect brew.
• Keep your equipment clean to avoid old coffee residues interfering with flavor.
• Consider preheating your cup to maintain the coffee’s temperature longer.
• Water quality is another variable (it gets too complicated to fit into this post).

Conclusion

Brewing the perfect* cup of Kenyan coffee is both an art and a science. With the right coffee beans, equipment, and a bit of practice, you can unlock a world of flavor that highlights the natural brilliance of Kenyan coffee.

What did we miss? How do you brew your perfect cup? How do you experiment with and enhance your brew?

NB: *Perfect cup refers to perfect from our point-of-view. If you are looking for a new Kenyan coffee to try, explore our Peaberry coffee.