Loumidis Coffee Review: A Popular Greek Coffee For Your Home

On a recent trip to Athens, we encountered the popular Loumidis coffee in a local store that we excitedly brought home to try, and this is our review.

We were excited about the opportunity to try Greek coffee, so when we were planning our weekend getaway, finding time to try this traditional brewing method was a high priority. The experience was an eye-opening experience in Greek coffee.

History of Loumidis Coffee

Starting a century ago in 1920, three brothers from the island of Evia, Greece had a dream of building a better future for themselves and their families. They realized that dream after developing their brand of Greek coffee: Loumidis Papagalos.

In 1987, Nestlé welcomed the Greek coffee company Loumidis Papagalos to its family, opening a new golden page in the history of Greek coffee.

Today, the Loumidis family is redefining the concept of ‘premium products’ with innovative ideas that preserve the traditional preparations of our foods, but with modern sustainability for today’s marketplace. 

Loumidis Coffee Packaging

Admittedly, our exposure to the Loumidis Coffee was limited to what we saw in the local store, but looking at their website, it looks like that might be the only size that they sell. Obviously, they are targeting the home user, as opposed to a larger commercial user.

You can buy both cartons and pallets of the coffee, but only in the same 16oz packaging. I would expect these are for the retail establishments, but if someone was looking to sell online, these packing options seem like a perfect solution.

Best Brewing Method For Loumidis Coffee

Because this is a traditional Greek coffee, I would expect a traditional brewing method would be the most appropriate. The copper pots over the fire, or a more modern plastic version, is what you find in the coffee bars of Athens, so this is probably the best solution for getting the more delicious version of a cup of coffee.

For us, coming from Italy and only using a Moka, this is the path we chose. As you can see from the pictures of the coffee, the grind used is VERY fine. This is at least as fine as an espresso grind. This poses problems for a Moka used because finely ground coffee and clog or plug up the moka and cause a mess.

The mess is exactly what happened the first time we tried brewing the coffee at home. The key is to not pack the coffee too tight (not at all, in fact) and as soon as the percolating starts, monitor the stovetop brewing closely. If you’re attentive, there won’t be a mess to clean up later.

The Loumidis Coffee Review: Taste

Coming right out of the bag, my first impression was the aroma of chocolate. This dark roasting scent filled my nose and made me excited to try it. My preference is usually a darker roast, and frequently that smell is similar to a dark roasted chocolate.

Once served, without any additional milk or sugar, the flavor was a little weak. I find a lighter roast has a sour aftertaste, and this coffee was no exception. It would probably hold up well with a little milk, but taking it black left a little to be desired for me.

Additionally, the fine grind of the coffee can leave a pretty good quantity of residue in the bottom of the cup. Common with a traditional greek coffee, there is a process for drinking coffee with ground in the bottom, but even still, the strong taste of coffee grounds was off-putting.

Conclusion: Is Loumidis Coffee Worth It?

So, I don’t think this coffee is for me. I don’t have a Greek coffee maker, in any form, and it doesn’t work too well with a moka. Based on the fine grind, I am guessing it would only work well with a commercial (or high-end home model) espresso machine.

As for the taste, the roast is a little light, and when I drink a lighter roasted bean I get a sour taste that I find off-putting. If it is made in a more traditional Greek way, there would also be more grounds at the bottom of your cup, so the combination of a sour roast and coffee ground flavors are not my style and I would probably reject it if offered.

Someone who likes a lighter roast, or frequently adds a lot of milk, would find it more enjoyable than I do and I think this is something they should give a try.

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