My Ethiopia trip showed me a new way to enjoy coffee

I visited a family who roasts coffee beans over a fire. They brew it in a clay pot called a jebena. Have you tried coffee made this way?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_ryan1mo ago

My cousin in Harar insisted on making jebena coffee during my visit. After trying it, I have to disagree with @jamesh90 about the taste being better. The smoke flavor just tasted like burnt beans to me, and it was way too bitter. I've had cleaner, brighter cups from a simple french press in my own kitchen. That clay pot method is inconsistent and leaves silt at the bottom of the cup. The whole thing feels like a messy step back, not some coffee revelation.

jamesh901mo ago

Brewing in a jebena is the real deal. I had coffee made that way on a trip years ago. It tastes totally different from the stuff we get here, way more earthy and strong. That method over a fire gives it a smokey flavor you can't get from a machine. Most people don't know what they're missing with their fancy drip pots. Once you try it, normal coffee just tastes weak.

zara_garcia26d ago

Wait, it's just coffee. People get so worked up about the "right" way to brew it. If you like the taste, great. If you don't, that's fine too. It's not some life changing event, it's a hot drink.