What Makes Kona Coffee So Good?

Optimal growing conditions and great care taken while harvesting and processing the coffee contribute to the high quality of Kona Coffee.

Kona coffee grows only in a small area on the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii, along the slopes of the two volcanos, Mauna Loa and Hualalai. This region is only about 1 - 2 miles wide and 30 miles long at an elevation between 500 -- 3,000 feet.

Kona coffee is grown in fertile, well-drained volcanic soil. The climate of this small area is ideal for optimum coffee growth -- sunny in the morning, with clouds in the afternoon that protect the coffee trees from excessive heat. There's plenty of moisture from rainy afternoons, and the evening temperatures are mild. This climate allows the coffee cherry to mature slowly, leading to a denser, higher quality coffee bean than coffee that matures more quickly.

Because of the steep slopes where the Kona Coffee trees grow, harvesting the coffee cherries (the fruit which contains the coffee beans) is much more labor intensive than in other coffee-growing areas of the world where machinery is used to mass harvest the coffee cherries. Kona Coffee cherries are hand-picked, taking care to pick only the reddest, ripest berries. Then special care is taken during the processing of the beans -- drying, milling, and roasting.

All of this -- the soil, special climate, and the care taken in processing -- are what contribute to the high quality of this gourmet coffee!

Map above of the Big Island of Hawaii from KonaCoffeeFarmers.org

"Kona Coffee is renowned for its rich flavor, exceptional aroma, smooth taste and delicate acidity."

~ Koa Coffee Plantation

Kona Coffee is more expensive than other types of coffee because of its limited supply and the high cost of growing, harvesting, and processing Kona Coffee in Hawaii.

A Kona Coffee farmer gives good answers to "Why is Kona Coffee So Expensive" using his own expenses as illustrations. I've re-capped a couple of the major reasons below.

In the first place, Hawaii is an expensive place to live in compared to many other coffee-growing countries. If you've ever visited or lived in Hawaii, you know that the cost of living is quite high. Buying or leasing land to grow coffee here is expensive.

Kona coffee cherries are hand-picked, which is more labor-intensive than machine-picking. But machines don't work well on the steep slopes where Kona coffee is grown. Also, given the long harvest season, the cherries don't all ripen at the same time -- they need to be hand-picked to choose only the ripe ones. And the Kona coffee cherry pickers are paid a fair living wage. In other coffee-growing countries, pickers may be paid a few cents a pound, while in the Kona district, pickers are paid at least 50 cents a pound.

Many small Kona coffee farmers don't sell in stores, but just through the internet, to keep costs down for themselves and for the consumer.

Image of Kona Coffee "cherries" by Christopher Michel, CC 2.0

Buy Kona Coffee Online and Save!

"This stuff is wonderfully smooth and its lack of a bitter aftertaste makes you think nothing of having that second cup...or third."

~ Forbes Magazine, naming Kona Coffee from Koa Coffee Plantation "Best Coffee".

Hand-picked kona coffee cherries
Coffee cherries are hand-picked so only the ripest ones are chosen. Kona coffee cherries have a long harvest season, and they ripen at different times, depending on elevation and rainfall. Pickers may go through crops 4 to 8 times during a harvest season to find more ripe coffee cherries.

Processing
Coffee cherries are processed to remove the outer layers to expose the Kona coffee beans.

Drying
Coffee beans are uniformly sun-dried (sometimes also with the help of mechanical dryers) until the moisture content is about 12%

Milling and Sorting
The thin parchment-like covering of the beans is removed, leaving the green been. Then these green beans are sorted according to size and density.

Roasting
Roasting the beans involves cooking them for 15 - 30 minutes until the desired roast level is achieved. Lighter roasts have a higher acidity than darker, longer roasts, and keep some of the bean's original flavors that reflect the climate where it was grown. Darker roasts usually bring about a smoother, sweeter taste. Kona coffee beans are naturally smooth and not overly acidic to begin with, so most Kona coffee is given a light or medium roast.

Image of Kona coffee beans by Jennifer CC 2.0

"Kona Coffee Blends" aren't blends of different types of Kona Coffee, but mostly a non-Kona coffee with up to only 10% of Kona coffee. You won't get the superior quality and taste of Kona Coffee from a blend.

A 100% Kona Coffee will say so on the bag.

These brewing tips were taken from Koa Coffee Plantation Kona Coffee Brewing Tips:

It's always best to grind only enough for each use, as coffee flavor and aroma break down rather quickly. Once your coffee is ground, you're ready to begin brewing.

Follow these instructions for a perfect cup of Kona Coffee:

* Measure one tablespoon per six-ounce cup. You may adjust this based on your taste preference.

* Use fresh, cold tap water, bottled water or, preferably, distilled water

* Make sure your coffeemaker and pot are as clean as possible - if you use an automatic drip machine, clean it with a weak vinegar & water solution, followed by a thorough fresh water rinse

* Follow brewing instructions for your coffeemaker

* Once your brew is finished, remove it from heat immediately. Coffee left sitting on a burner starts to degrade in 20 minutes. Instead, keep your brew fresh in a thermal container

* Never reheat coffee. This can destroy its flavor and leave you with a burnt and/or bitter taste

Image from Julius Schorzman, CC 2.0

There are many good companies that sell 100% Pure Kona Coffee. One of these companies is family owned and operated Koa Coffee Plantation which produces the Kona coffee that Forbes called Best in America!



Koa Coffee's online store offers a variety of different Kona Coffees and Gift Bags. You can choose whole bean or ground coffee, and you can choose your roast.

"Ah! How sweet coffee tastes!
Lovelier than a thousand kisses,
sweeter far than muscatel wine!
I must have my coffee."

~ from Johann Sebastian Bach's Kaffee-Kantate