Tanzania Coffee Beans (Guide and Reviews)

Have you ever tried Tanzania coffee? If not, you’re missing out.

From the sweet, balanced flavors of the coffee of Kilimanjaro to the bright, fruity beans of the Highlands, these beans are an underrated single-origin coffee you need to add to your rotation.

Keep reading for your complete guide on Tanzania coffee.

A complete Guide to Tanzanian Coffee 

The United Republic of Tanzania—or just Tanzania for short—is one of the world’s top coffee-producing countries. With Kenya to its North, Rwanda to its West, and Malawi to its South, Tanzania makes up 885 miles of Africa’s eastern coast along the Indian Ocean. And from the rich, volcanic soil of the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro to the fertile Southern Highlands, coffee production has played a huge part in Tanzania’s history.

The Influence of Coffee on Tanzania

Historically, whole bean coffee found their way to Tanzania via Réunion.

Small family farms produce 95% of the country’s coffee crop. But with the arrival of coffee wilt disease, these small coffee farms have struggled to remain productive (1).

Because agriculture makes up a quarter of Tanzania’s annual gross domestic product, coffee wilt has drastically impacted Tanzania’s coffee production. As of 2013, the country only exported 48,000 tons of African coffee (2).

But exacerbating the effects of climate change are historically low prices for Tanzanian coffees. Organizations like Communal Shamba Coffee and the Tanzania Coffee Research Institute work to find ways to make this industry more sustainable. Established by Tanzanian farmers for coffee farmers, Communal Shamba coffee collaborates specifically with coffee farmers in the Southern Highlands.

Together, they work with smallholder coffee farmers in the Southern Highlands to ensure an international market of coffee roasters and purchasers for their green coffee beans (3).

Growing Regions 

If you enjoy shade-grown coffees for their sweeter, more complex cup, then Tanzanian coffee beans are some of the best in the world.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro is located at the northern border of Tanzania, near Kenya, and is the tallest peak on the African continent.

Standing 19,340 feet above sea level, Mount Kilimanjaro is a stratovolcano made of lava and rock. Its tallest point, Kivo, is a snow-capped peak and is one of three cones that make up the tallest free-standing mountain in the world (4).

Coffee cultivated here grows in the shade of banana trees and absorb the rich nutrients in the slopes’ volcanic soil. As a result, these coffee beans are sweet, well-balanced, and pleasantly acidic.

The Southern Highlands

The Southern Highlands—which includes the regions of Songwe, Mbeya, and Ruvuma—is home to shade-grown and coffee crops grown in pure-standing rows. Because of the difference in soil composition, the beans produced in these regions are medium-bodied, fruity, and floral.

The Climate

In the Southern Highlands, temperatures range between 50-68 degrees F, and the rainy season falls between October and April each year.

By contrast, except for Mount Kilimanjaro, the temperature in other parts of Tanzania does not usually fall below 68 degrees F. Also, the region extending East from Lake Victoria to the coastline has two rainy seasons per year—one between October and December and the other between March and May.

Arabica beans—which make up 70% of Tanzania’s coffee crops—mostly grow in the Southern Highlands because of the cooler temperatures and single rainfall period. Generally speaking, Arabica coffee bean varieties are more susceptible to changes in climate and require a narrower range of precipitation and temperature.

However, because Robusta beans are hardier, they’re primarily grown in the Kagera region near Lake Victoria. These beans only constitute 30% of Tanzania’s coffee crop.

Tanzania Coffee Harvesting and Processing

According to the Tanzania Coffee Board, farmers harvest coffee between July and December in the northern and southern coffee regions. However, in the western region, near Lake Victoria, coffee cherries are harvested from May through October (5).

Processing Method

Once the coffee cherries are harvested, most of them are wet-processed. In this method, water is used to remove the skin and mucilage, while the parchment and silverskin around the coffee seed remain. The only exception to this rule is the Robusta coffee beans, which make up only 30% of Tanzania’s exported coffee crop, and these are naturally processed to develop flavor.

Whether the beans have been wet or naturally processed, they’re put onto drying beds to dry out completely. Once the beans are completely dried, they can be exported or roasted.

General Cup Profile and Flavor Palette

Like Kenyan and Ethiopian coffees, Tanzanian beans are bold, medium-bodied, fruity, and floral, with a mild sweetness.

Because all the skin and mucilage are removed before roasting, the coffee bean has no added flavors. Essentially, you’re tasting the quality of the bean (6).

In other processing methods—such as natural and honey—the mucilage is left on the bean as it dries. Over time, the sugars ferment and introduce flavors into the bean.

But in the washed method, the only factors impacting the flavor of the final cup are the soil composition, the Arabica variety, and the elevation at which it’s grown.

The Roast Level

Lastly, the roast level of the bean you buy impacts the cup, too.

On the lighter side, the beans will be fruitier, brighter, and more nuanced in flavor because they’ve been exposed to heat for less time. But from medium roast onward, the cup will be more complex with sweeter notes, thanks to the Maillard reaction.

The 3 Best Tanzanian Coffee Beans of 2023

Now that you’ve learned about how and where Tanzanian coffee beans are grown, keep reading for Home Grounds’ picks of the top Tanzanian beans.

image	product	details
Best Overall Best Overall	Coffee Bros Tanzania Peaberry	Arusha region Medium roast Rich chocolate, grapefruit, lime, bold and smooth	CHECK PRICE
Runner-up Runner-up	Mistobox Dillanos Coffee Roasters, Tanzania	Mbinga region Dark roast Smoky, sweet, full-bodied	CHECK PRICE
Runner-up Runner-up	Mistobox Barefoot Coffee Roasters, Tanzania Igale	Songwe, Mbozi District Medium-light roast Chocolate, caramel, honey, stone fruit, cacao nibs, bright	CHECK PRICE

1. Coffee Bros Tanzanian Peaberry – Best Overall

Specifications

• Coffee Region: Arusha

• Roast Level: Medium
• Tasting Notes: Rich chocolate, grapefruit, lime, bold and smooth

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With a sweeter and lighter flavor, Peaberry coffee beans are coffee seeds that grow alone in a single coffee cherry. Moreover, the seeds are smaller and lack the flat side you’d typically find in coffee beans, making them roast slightly differently.

This Tanzanian Peaberry coffee from Coffee Bros is chocolaty with bright, lime acidity. Made from a blend of Kent and Bourbon Arabica varieties, these wet-processed Peaberries are the product of 4 to 5 wash stations throughout the Arusha region in the Tanzanian Southern Highlands.

2. Mistobox Dillanos Coffee Roasters, Tanzania – Runner-up

Specifications

• Coffee Region: Mbinga

• Roast Level: Dark
• Tasting Notes: Smoky, sweet, full-bodied

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Sourced from the volcanic soil of the slopes of Kilimanjaro, this dark roast Tanzanian coffee is a Bourbon that’s been carefully roasted to bring out the sweet and smoky flavors of these coffee beans. They’re wet processed, and their smoky, bold flavors work well as an espresso.

3. Mistobox Barefoot Coffee Roasters, Tanzania Igale – Runner-up

Specifications

• Coffee Region: Songwe, Mbozi District

• Roast Level: Medium light
• Tasting Notes: Chocolate, caramel, honey, stone fruit, cacao nibs, bright

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Cultivated at an elevation of between 5,577 and 5,900 feet above sea level, this medium-light roast is smooth and well-balanced. With stone fruit/peachy and caramel notes, this fully washed Bourbon derivative is best enjoyed on its own or as a light espresso base for a classic cappuccino.

The Verdict

Tanzania coffee is an underrated single origin in the specialty coffee world. Tanzanian beans have been underrated for years, now. But it’s time to change that! These fruity, bold, bright, and sweet beans deserve a place in your coffee rotation.