Variety · Kenya
SL34 is SL28's sibling from 1930s Kenya, of Typica lineage and suited to high rainfall: rich and full, with more chocolate and body and a little less acidity.
SL34 came out of the same 1930s Kenyan selection program as SL28, from Typica rather than Bourbon lineage.
Rain tolerance. Where SL28 was chosen to survive drought, SL34 performs in high-rainfall areas — which between them covers most of Kenya’s growing conditions.
Rich and full, with the blackcurrant character less pronounced than in SL28 and more chocolate and body in its place. Slightly less acidic and generally described as rounder.
Neither is better; they contribute different things.
Most Kenyan farms plant both, and most Kenyan lots contain both. The combination gives farms resilience against both drought and heavy rain, and it produces the balance the country is known for.
A bag specifying “SL28 and SL34” is telling you it is traditional Kenyan planting rather than the newer resistant varieties.
Like SL28, SL34 is highly susceptible to leaf rust and coffee berry disease, which is why Ruiru 11 and Batian were bred to replace them.
Filter, light roast. Its extra body forgives more than SL28 does, so it also works in a French press.
The equipment this actually requires — not a shopping list, the shortest route to doing it properly.
60° cone · spiral ribs · 1–4 cups
The most transparent cup you can brew for twenty dollars, and the least forgiving. Ceramic holds heat where plastic does not — and the open bottom means your pour, not the dripper, decides the coffee.
Best for: Someone who wants to taste what a single-origin coffee is actually doing.
64 mm (2.52 in) flat burr · filter only · single dose
64 mm (2.52 in) flat burrs, near-zero retention and a footprint the size of a mug, built for filter and honest about not doing espresso. For pour-over it is the clearest grind you can buy at this price.
Best for: V60, Chemex, AeroPress and batch brewing, where clarity is the whole point.
0.9 L · ±1 °C (±1.8 °F) hold · counterbalanced gooseneck
The best-pouring kettle sold, and the hold function matters more than the thermometer. Expensive for boiling water — but if you brew pour-over daily, it is the accessory that most improves the cup.
Best for: Daily pour-over, where flow rate is the variable you are trying to control.
