About This Coffee
Cianda Estate grows coffee and tea in Kenya's traditional coffee-growing region of Kiambu. The farm is one of several famous farms in the region, which is slowly being threatened by urban development. Many of Kenya's original coffee estates have now been commissioned for housing or industrial estates. But Cianda keeps kicking!
The first coffee trees were planted on Cianda in 1928, and today more than 70 hectares of this 100-hectare farm are planted under SL28, SL35 and Ruiru11 coffee trees.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Processing at Cianda Estate is iconically Kenyan with stringent adherence to quality control. After harvest, cherry is selectively hand-sorted before being pulped on a disc pulper. Coffee is then fermented in cement tanks. Following fermentation, parchment is washed and then soaked in clean water before being run through grading channels. Parchment is then laid to sundry on raised beds.
AA Grade
Kenyan coffees are classified by size. AA beans are the largest size. AA grade coffees are those that are 17/18 screen size, meaning that they are larger than 7.2 millimeters.
Coffee in Kenya
Though coffee growing had a relatively late start in Kenya, the industry has gained and maintained a impressive reputation. Since the start of production, Kenyan coffee has been recognized for its high-quality, meticulous preparation and exquisite flavors. Our in-country sister company, Sucafina Kenya, works with farmers across the country to ensure these exceptional coffees gain the accolades they deserve.
Today, more than 600,000 smallholders farming fewer than 5 acres compose 99% of the coffee farming population of Kenya. Their farms cover more than 75% of total coffee growing land and produce nearly 70% of the country’s coffee. These farmers are organized into hundreds of Farmer Cooperative Societies (FCS), all of which operate at least one factory. The remainder of annual production is grown and processed by small, medium and large land estates. Most of the larger estates have their own washing stations.
Most Kenyan coffees are fully washed and dried on raised beds. The country still upholds its reputation for high quality and attention to detail at its many washing stations. The best factories employ stringent sorting practices at cherry intake, and many of them have had the same management staff in place for years.