Coffee at Home in Kenya: Grind, Ratio and Method
Kenya grows coffee that the rest of the world pays a premium for, and most of us drink instant. If you want to change that, the useful starting point is not a machine — it is a ratio. Sixty grams of coffee per litre of water, which is about one tablespoon per 150 ml cup. Get that right with any brewer and you are ahead.
The ratio, and how to hit it without a scale
| Cups | Water | Ground coffee | Rough spoon measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 150 ml | 9 g | 1 heaped tbsp |
| 2 | 300 ml | 18 g | 2 heaped tbsp |
| 4 | 600 ml | 36 g | 4 heaped tbsp |
| 1 litre (jug or press) | 1,000 ml | 60 g | 6–7 heaped tbsp |
Weak coffee is almost always under-dosed rather than under-brewed. If your coffee tastes thin and watery, add more grounds before you change anything else.
Grind size is the other half
Grind controls how fast water pulls flavour out. Wrong grind and no ratio saves you.
| Method | Grind | Brew time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| French press | Coarse, like coarse salt | 4 minutes | Fine grind makes it muddy and bitter |
| Pour over / filter | Medium, like sand | 3–4 minutes | Most forgiving method to learn on |
| Drip machine | Medium | Machine-controlled | Clean it or it tastes stale |
| Moka pot | Fine, not espresso-fine | ~5 minutes | Take it off the heat as it starts to gurgle |
| Espresso machine | Very fine | 25–30 seconds | Needs a decent grinder to work at all |
| Cowboy / boiled | Coarse | 4 minutes off heat | Let grounds settle, pour carefully |
Grind fresh if you can. Ground coffee loses aroma within a couple of weeks of opening; whole beans hold for months. A hand grinder is inexpensive, needs no power — which matters during an outage — and is the single biggest jump in cup quality most people can make.
Water: the ingredient people ignore
- Just off the boil is right — around 92–96 °C. Water straight from a rolling boil scorches the grounds and adds bitterness. Boil, then wait about thirty seconds.
- Filter it if your supply is hard. Heavily mineralised water dulls flavour and scales your equipment. Hard water is common on borehole supply.
- Never re-boil water repeatedly for coffee — it tastes flat.
Understanding Kenyan coffee on the bag
If you are buying local beans, a few terms are worth knowing:
- AA, AB, PB are bean sizes, not quality grades in the way people assume. AA is the largest screen size and commands a premium; AB is slightly smaller and often just as good in the cup. PB (peaberry) is a single rounded bean rather than two halves. Do not assume AB is inferior — it is frequently better value.
- Washed processing is the Kenyan standard and gives the bright, fruity, blackcurrant-like acidity Kenyan coffee is known for.
- Region — Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang'a, Kiambu, Embu and others each have a character. Trying two side by side teaches you more than reading about them.
- Roast date, not expiry date. This is the number that matters. Coffee is best from about a week to a month after roasting.
- Light and medium roasts show off Kenyan acidity; dark roasts flatten exactly the qualities you paid for.
A simple French press routine
- Boil water, then let it sit thirty seconds.
- Add coarse grounds — 60 g per litre.
- Pour in enough water to wet all the grounds, wait thirty seconds. They will swell and foam if the coffee is fresh; if nothing happens, the coffee is old.
- Pour the rest, put the lid on without plunging.
- Wait four minutes.
- Plunge slowly and evenly.
- Pour it all out immediately. Coffee left sitting on the grounds keeps extracting and turns bitter within minutes.
That last step is the one most people skip, and it is why the second cup from a press tastes worse than the first. Decant into a flask or jug instead.
Storing beans
- Airtight, opaque, room temperature. Air, light, heat and moisture are the four enemies, in that order.
- Not in the fridge. It cycles moisture in and out of the beans.
- Freezer only for long-term storage of unopened bags, and never refreeze.
- Buy what you will drink in a month. A large bag that goes stale is not a saving.
- Keep it away from spices. Coffee absorbs surrounding smells readily.
Fixing a bad cup
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Bitter, harsh | Grind too fine, brewed too long, or water too hot | Coarser grind, shorter brew, let water cool briefly |
| Thin, sour, watery | Under-dosed or grind too coarse | More coffee first, then a finer grind |
| Muddy in the cup | Grind too fine for a press | Coarser grind, plunge slowly |
| Flat, no aroma | Stale coffee, or pre-ground too long ago | Check the roast date; grind fresh |
| Tastes stale even when fresh | Dirty equipment | Coffee oils go rancid — wash everything properly |
Frequently asked questions
How much coffee per cup?
About 9 g — one heaped tablespoon — per 150 ml cup, or 60 g per litre.
What grind do I need for a French press?
Coarse, like coarse salt. Fine grind makes press coffee muddy and bitter.
What does AA mean on Kenyan coffee?
It is a bean size, the largest screen grade — not automatically better in the cup. AB is slightly smaller and often better value.
How hot should the water be?
Just off the boil, around 92–96 °C. Boil, then wait about thirty seconds.
Should coffee be stored in the fridge?
No. Keep it airtight, opaque and at room temperature. The fridge cycles moisture into the beans.
Why is my coffee bitter?
Usually grind too fine, brewed too long, or water straight off a rolling boil. Also check you are not leaving press coffee sitting on the grounds.
Is a grinder worth it?
It is the biggest single improvement most people can make. A hand grinder is inexpensive and works during a power cut.
Brew better
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