About Buna Lab

The name

Buna is the Amharic word for coffee. In Ethiopia, where arabica was first cultivated, the ceremony built around the drink carries the same name. The second half of ours is what we do to it: weigh, measure, test, write down the result.

What this is

Buna Lab is an independent guide to coffee: machines, grinders, beans, brewing, origins and the people behind them. It is written by a small editorial team, not generated, and every piece of equipment we recommend has been used.

How we test

Equipment stays on the bench for at least two weeks before it is written about. Grinders are measured for retention across twenty consecutive doses. Machines are tested with the same two reference coffees so that differences come from the machine rather than the beans.

How we make money

Some links on this site are affiliate links: if you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Those links never determine what we recommend, and we do not accept payment for coverage or for a favourable verdict.

Corrections

If something here is wrong, we want to know. Corrections are made on the page itself, with the update date changed, rather than quietly.