Kenya
Karindundu

Washed process Batian, SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11

The Karindundu factory is located in the lowland region of Mt. Kenya, 1 km from the town of Karatina in Kenya’s Nyeri district. There are a total of 513 active members (349 male, 164 female) contributing to annual production, each with an average of 300 trees and 0.5 acres. Farmers grow macadamia, banana, maize, and beans near their coffee. After harvesting their ripe cherries, farmers deliver them to Karindundu where they undergo a traditional washed process. Coffee is de-pulped, fermented overnight, washed, and then placed on raised beds where it dries to a stable level. Karindundu helps to support the contributing farmers by advising the use of farm manure, pruning, and applying fertilizer. They also maintain a demonstration plot where these methods can be seen and better understood.

Coffee in Kenya is typically traceable down to the factory, or mill level: Most farmers own between 1/8 to ¼ of a hectare, and often grow crops other than coffee as well, which means they rely on a central processing unit for sale and processing of their coffee. Producers deliver in cherry form to a factory, where the cooperative will sort, weigh, and issue payment for the delivery. The coffee is then blended with the rest of the day’s deliveries and goes on to be processed. Because of this system, which serves many hundreds to several thoughts of smallholder farmers per factory, there is limited traceability down to the individual producers whose coffee comprises the lots.

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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.

Learn more:
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.

Learn more:
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.

Learn more:
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.

Learn more:
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

Farm/Coop: Karindundu
Country: Kenya
Region: Nyeri
Altitude: 1770m above sea level
Varieties: Batian, SL28, SL34, and Ruiru 11
Process: washed
Harvested: January 2025
Country grade: AB (Kenya)
Importer: Cafe Imports
Roast style: Omni (filter + espresso)

Varieties

Batian variety

Batian is the latest variety to be developed in Kenya, it is named after the peak of Mount Kenya

Ruiru 11 variety

Released in 1985, Ruiru 11 is a disease resistant varietal developed in Kenya

SL28 variety

SL28 was developed in 1931 by Scott Laboratories to suit the growing conditions in Kenya. The varietal is known for its exceptional cup quality

SL34 variety

Developed by Scott Laboratories in Kenya, the SL34 varietal was designed to be high yielding with good cup quality.

The location

Coffee from Kenya

Alongside Ethiopia and Colombia, Kenya is one of the origins we get most excited about at the roastery. It exports some of the most vibrant, bright, and unique coffees in the world.

The Nyeri region of Kenya

Central region home to Mount Kenya, an extinct volcano that produces rich, red soil. Most commonly smallholder cooperatives. Coffee trees in this region produce two crops (the main harvest producing the higher quality lots)

Farm processes

Washed process

Machines are used to remove the flesh from the coffee cherry before being fermented in water, washed again, and finally sun dried. This process tends to result in more distinct, cleaner flavours.