Bunna Time: How to Brew Ethiopian Coffee at Home

Welcome to Bunna Time — our coffee corner. Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and here we'll share everything that lives around the cup: jebena brewing, ceremony how-tos, macchiato technique, coffee-cocktail experiments and the snacks that belong beside them.

First things first: the ceremony itself.

The three rounds

A traditional buna ceremony isn't a quick caffeine stop — it's an invitation to sit. Green beans are roasted in a pan until they shine and smoke, ground fresh, and brewed in a jebena, the round-bellied clay pot. The coffee is poured three times:

• Abol — the first, strongest round.
• Tona — the second, gentler brew from the same grounds.
• Baraka — the third round, meaning “blessing.” Leaving before baraka is… noticed.

Brewing in a jebena, step by step

1. Roast green beans over medium heat, shaking constantly, until deep brown and fragrant (8–10 minutes). Let your kitchen fill with the smell — that's part of it.
2. Grind fine, like espresso.
3. Fill the jebena about three-quarters with water and bring to a boil over the stove.
4. Add 3–4 heaping spoons of grounds, swirl gently and return to the heat until it foams up through the neck.
5. Rest a minute so the grounds settle, then pour from high above the cups in one steady stream — the grounds stay behind in the pot's belly.

Serve with sugar, a sprig of rue if you have it — and good company, which is not optional.

No jebena? Start anyway

Ethiopian beans shine in a moka pot, French press or pour-over too. Brew it strong, share it in small cups, and take your time — that's the real recipe.

Everything you need lives in The Coffee Ritual — our beans, handmade jebenas and the full ceremony bundle. New coffee recipes land here regularly, and comments are open: tell us how your first jebena pour went.