Are you looking for the best Kenyan coffee brands to stock up on your collection? Here are my seven favorite brands you must try for yourself. Let’s find out.
Kenyan coffee is gradually taking the world by storm thanks to its full body, balanced complexity, and beautiful acidic profile. As a beginner to Kenyan coffee searching for the best brands, you normally see them graded as E, PB, AA, AB, C, TT, T, and MH/ML. Grades are given to define the size of the beans before they are roasted.
Amongst them, AA-graded coffee is by far the most sought-after type and one of the largest Kenyan coffee beans. It tends to have a light body, bright, and sweeter than MH/ML graded coffee, which is low-quality with a stronger sour note. For some people, Kenyan coffees are the most consistent African beans. When brewed with the filter method, it produces a clean and crisp profile that really shines. If you’re looking for the best Kenyan coffee brands, here are the top picks.
Below is a comparison table of the top three items from this article to help you choose which is best for you.
1. Screen 18
Speaking of the best Kenyan coffee brands, Screen 18 should be the first name to be called. The brand has been sourcing coffee all around the world for 70 years and has acquired a huge wealth of knowledge in that time.
It offers AA specialty-grade Kenyan coffee that lives up to the hype. This medium-dark roast is smooth and rich but lacks the acidity that gives many coffee drinkers an upset stomach.
2. Volcanica
As the name suggests, this brand sources its premium coffee beans from highland volcanic soils. Going Volcanica’s way means you are brewing some of the finest coffee grown at an altitude of 5,000 to 6,800 feet above sea level; this coffee is well noted for its peculiar taste profile. You will see a strong hint of the berry family, such as cranberries and raspberries, while the subtle hint of redwood lingers to the end.
Volcanica’s best-seller, Kenya AA Whole Bean Coffee, is beloved for its rich body, pleasant, vibrant acidity, and fragrant aroma with a light-medium roast profile. Alternatively, those consuming less caffeine should try the Kenyan AA Decaf version.
3. Henry’s House Of Coffee
Henry’s House Of Coffee has been hand-roasting coffee since 1965. The three-generation family brand has a humble beginning that originated in a small bakery in Lebanon. This is where Henry, the second successor of the Kalebjian family, had been helping his father roast and serve coffee to the local customers since the age of 12. Check out our list of the best Greek coffee brands.
Fast forward to the modern days, Henry’s House Of Coffee has become a heavyweight in the coffee industry, specializing in medium to dark roasts with a very smooth finish. The brand’s Kenyan coffee collection is available in both dark and light roasts. To unlock the full potential of its Kenyan Light Roast, I like to add some milk and cream to benefit from its velvety body that balances out the citrusy notes and acidic kick of the bitter juice. Meanwhile, its Kenyan Dark Roast also stands out as a rich, super smooth blend.
4. Cooper’s Cask
It’s a luxury for me to find really good barrel-aged coffees reminiscent of whisky. Such a unique flavor profile is not common. Therefore, Cooper’s Cask promises to be a big hit for those coffee fanatics with an adventurous palate for their cup of Joe.
Cooper’s Cask Kenyan coffee is single-origin. As stated in the profile, Cooper’s Cask Kenya AA Medium Dark Roast suggests a vibrant flavor of honey wheat, bitter-sweet chocolate, and molasses biscuit. Such a unique and impressive tasting profile comes from the carefully-sourced Bourbon varietal, which is known to deliver a great combination of tart and dark fruit notes.
- Kenya AA
- Medium Dark Roast
- Single Origin
- Whole Bean Coffee
- Full Bodied Gourmet Coffee
- 12 oz Bag
5. Gevalia
Kenyan Special Reserve is the long-standing signature brew brought to you by Gevalia, a Swedish coffee company dedicated to providing intense coffee with lively acidity with winey undertones. I love the way its floral notes, coupled with the cherry flavor, are subtle and beautiful. Therefore, it’s not something that gives you a pungent power kick or a deep chocolate taste.
However, the only downside is that it only comes pre-ground at the moment. For that reason, don’t forget to keep a close eye on the bag after you open it to ensure the coffee is stored correctly.
- Special Reserve Kenya
- Single Origin
- Mild Medium Roast
- Fine Ground Coffee
- 10 oz Bag
6. Chiru Coffee Connection
Despite being on the lesser-known side, Chiru Coffee Connection is an underdog. Founded in 2014, the young brand has nothing to envy the heavyweights. This is high-altitude grown coffee, which was nourished with cool temperatures, and enriched with loamy soils, optimum rainfall, and sunshine.
Its best-seller, Chiru Coffee Connection Fresh Roasted Kenya’s Finest AA Roasted Whole Bean, is made entirely of Arabica beans. Chiru describes its flavors as having light honey, citrus, and berry taste overtones and a wine-like aftertaste. You might also be interested in our round-up of the best Colombian coffee brands.
- Single Origin Kenya AA
- Fresh Roasted
- High Altitude Coffee
- Whole Bean Arabica Coffee
- 16 oz, Bag 1
- Fair-Trade
7. Fresh Roasted Coffee
Going strong since 2009, the brand’s core product is coffee, along with other extra offerings such as loose-leaf tea, tea bags, and tea pods. Simple, straightforward, and packed with a bright flavor profile, Fresh Roasted Coffee caps off this list with its AA-graded Kenya coffee steeped in the hints of peach blossom, orange zest, and black tea.
The Kenya AA coffee is marked as dark roast and extra bold, using carefully sourced beans near the slopes of Mt. Elgon. Each sip of the brew will transport you to an impressively high altitude, up to 1,500 meters above sea level every time. For that reason, your coffee is expected to be sweeter than the coffee you’d find in a grocery store. Meanwhile, the acidity level is balanced out by a hint of smokiness thanks to the dark roast profile.
