The Brew Guide
Jebena — Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
The jebena is the clay pot at the centre of Ethiopian coffee culture. Buna is not made in a hurry. It is made in three rounds — Abol, Tona, Bereka — from the same beans, with time set aside for each. This is how coffee is meant to be brewed.
Ceremony comes first. The jebena is one piece of a larger ritual that includes roasting the green beans over coal, grinding them by hand, burning incense, and pouring tea-glass sized cups for everyone present. The instructions below are the technical part — they sit inside that wider rhythm. If you are new to it, the first pour is the start of the conversation, not the destination.
What you need
- ▪Jebena (clay pot with neck and base)
- ▪Coal or open flame heat source
- ▪Fine grinder (mortar + pestle is traditional; burr grinder works)
- ▪30g coarse-roasted whole bean coffee (Yirgacheffe Batch 001 recommended)
- ▪500ml cold water
- ▪Mukecha or coffee grinder
- ▪Small handleless cups (sini) — 1 per guest
- ▪Optional: incense (etan), popcorn (fendisha), sugar
The method
- 01
Roast the beans
On a pan over coal or medium-low flame, roast 30g of green beans until they crack and the oils surface — about 7–10 minutes. Stir constantly. The aroma fills the room; this is the start of the ceremony. If you're starting from already-roasted beans, skip to step 2.
- 02
Grind coarse, almost fine
Grind the roasted beans to a coarse-medium consistency — closer to French press than espresso. Traditional grinding is done in a mukecha (wooden mortar) and pestle. A modern burr grinder works just as well. The grind is forgiving here; the brew time is long.
- 03
Fill the jebena, bring to boil
Add 500ml of cold water to the jebena. Place over heat until it just reaches a boil. The water must be cold to start — never pour grounds into already-hot water. Coffee is added to cold water, then heated together.
- 04
Add coffee, simmer, settle
Once the water boils, remove the jebena from heat, stir in the coffee grounds, and return it to the heat for another 1–2 minutes. Remove and let the jebena rest upright for 3–5 minutes so the grounds settle into the base of the pot.
- 05
Pour in one continuous stream
Hold the jebena by the neck, tilt at a steep angle, and pour into all the cups in one continuous motion — the angle keeps the grounds inside the pot. This is the first round: Abol. Add water back to the jebena, return to heat briefly, and serve the second round (Tona), then the third (Bereka). Each round is lighter than the last; all three are intentional.
A few notes
- —Bereka is the round of blessing. Don't skip it.
- —Serve with popcorn (fendisha) or small sweets if you have them.
- —Burn frankincense (etan) before pouring — the smoke is part of the brew.
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