Kéan Coffee – Martin Diedrich

I enjoyed a really warm welcome at Kéan Coffee, which was started more than 7 years ago by the specialty coffee pioneer Martin Diedrich. During my visit I tasted several outstanding coffees.
Martin is so much connected with the well being of his guests; I could observe how much he cares about his clientele. The heartwarming service of Kéan pays off; their Newport Beach café is visited -on busy days- by at least 1,500 clients! The last photo shows Martin Diedrich next to the very first Diedrich roasting machine which was built by his father in the 1960s. Looking at the picture, note the smiling discharge mouth of the roaster and the veiled lady looking at us.
Martin’s brother, Steve Diedrich, used this prototype to develop the IR12 Diedrich roasters (and other models) which can be found around the world of specialty coffee.

Some tasting notes:

Tanzania Mpto: notes of dried fruit, a hint of dark chocolate and a wonderful luscious mouthfeel. The coffee was brewed really well using a commercial brewer at a coffee to water ratio of 1:18. (This proves again that the calibration of the brewing system can greatly contribute to the overall balance in the cup.)

Espresso Blend: this 3-component blend of Kéan Coffee has a fantastic sweetness with a fundament of dried fruit and hazelnuts and a mellow tamed acidity.

Martin employs two roast masters annex tasters: Ted Vautrinot (on my left side) and Shawn Anderson (shown by himself next to one of the roasters).
Anyone who wants to understand the finesse of a sustainable roasting retail business should check out Martin’s operation; the visit itself will refresh your frame of mind about the concept of marketing specialty coffee.
Kéan Coffee prefers to select beans that score 86 points and up; this objective requires Martin and his crew to cup through more than 700 samples annually!