The name is fun (it means no worries!), the producers’ background is deep, and the coffee is eclectic! It’s a Kenyan varietal—SL28— grown and processed in Ecuador.
The farms Maputo and Hakuna Matata are owned by Henry Gaibor and his wife, Verena. They operate a micromill and control their own wet-milling and drying.
The couple has a very interesting, somewhat dramatic backstory, also having to do with medicine: They met in Bujumbura, Burundi, in 1996 when they were both volunteering for Doctors Without Borders: Henry is a veteran war-trauma surgeon from Ecuador, and Verena is a war nurse from Switzerland, and they met in the field during a humanitarian crisis in Burundi. In 1998, the two of them returned to Henry’s home country of Ecuador, where they managed a clinic in Quito for 13 years before deciding to devote their time, energy, and resources to another passion—coffee. Henry is extremely methodical and just as dedicated to his coffee production as he used to be about his medical profession, and Verena’s management skills clearly show her training and efficiency as a nurse under extreme pressure.
Together, they are doing everything right when it comes to picking, processing, and drying coffees, and Cafe Imports senior green-coffee buyer Piero Cristiani says the Gaibors are producing “some of the best coffees I have ever tasted.” The Gaibors grow several different varieties, which are clearly divided and marked on their properties: They grow Typica, Bourbon, SL-28, Sidra, Kaffa, and Caturra.
Henry and Verena produce their coffee in La Perla, Nanegal, which is in the province of Pichincha, relatively close to the border of Colombia. The area where the farms are located has a specific microclimate: Even though it’s relatively low altitude for Ecuador around 1350 meters, humidity is high and a visitor often sees mist hovering over the coffee fields in the afternoons. It becomes much cooler at night, as well, and the unique combination of characteristics gives their coffees a very special quality.
Video of Finca Maputo, Ecuador from Cafe Imports on Vimeo.
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Ethical, traceable sourcing
This page has all the sourcing information (variety, process, region, story, importer, and more) that our importers share with us, and give us permission to use.
The transparency helps us talk confidently about the quality and background of our product, and it helps you know exactly what you’re buying.
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Coffee page transparency legend
Our coffee philosophy
Our business approach
Fresh harvest coffee
We only source and roast coffee from each country’s latest harvest season (so the green coffee is never older than 1 year from the time of picking, processing and packing). This ensures the sensory qualities are always at their peak and unaffected by excessive ageing.
Roasted for espresso and filter (best enjoyed black)
Roast style: omni. Omni roasts are designed to brew and taste great both as espresso and filter. Our omni single origins generally sit on Agtron values in the ~70-60 value range. So, technically, they are somewhere in the lighter side of the medium spectrum.
Designed for espresso and filter brewing. Best enjoyed black.
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Our Loring Kestrel S35 roaster
Our roasting style and approach
Best brewed within days 15-49 post-roast
The ‘fresh is best’ saying doesn’t apply to coffee (contrary to popular belief). Waiting before opening and brewing your bag of whole coffee beans helps develop peak flavour and acidity.
But heads up: if you buy pre-ground coffee, brew it as soon as possible.
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Our recommended brewing window
Try our custom brewing recipes
Our recipes and ratios are tailored to our coffee sourcing and roasting styles, bringing the best flavour and feel out of each coffee.
For pour over, immersion, and other filter brewing styles, check our brew guides.
For our espresso single origins, we recommend a coffee:yield ratio of 1:3:
- Dose: 20g ground coffee
- Yield: 60g espresso
- Total brew time: ~24-28 seconds
This is just a starting point! We encourage you to experiment, taste, and adjust to find the recipe that you enjoy the most.
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Our espresso brew guide (single origin)
Brewing ratio calculator
Packaging and sustainability
- Bags: ABA-certified home compostable (AS 5810-2010)
- Labels: recyclable
- Valves (only on +250g bags): general waste
- Box and tape (online orders): recyclable
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Our packaging