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(or everything you ever wanted Why Kona Coffee? Ask coffee lovers what region is synonymous with truly great coffee, and chances are they will say Kona. Kona coffee is world-renown for it's smooth and mellow yet full-bodied flavor…no bite or bitterness, just deep, rich and aromatic coffee. Kona's climate of sunny mornings, cloudy or rainy afternoons, rich volcanic soil, clean air and elevation combine to make a superior coffee bean.
What is Kona coffee? Kona coffee is coffee grown only within the district of Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. There are two parts to the Kona district; North and South Kona. The Kona district, or the "Kona coffee belt" as it is referred to, is an area that is roughly only one mile wide by 30 miles long. If coffee is grown in any other district of the Big Island of Hawaii, it is called "Hawaiian" coffee. If coffee is grown on any other Hawaiian Island, i.e., Maui, Kuaui, Molokai, etc. it too is called "Hawaiian" coffee. Additionally, even coffee grown within the Kona district is called "Hawaiian" coffee if it is falls below the grade of Prime. What are the grades of Kona coffee? In the type I bean the grades are: Extra-Fancy, Fancy, Kona #1 and Prime. In the type II bean the grades are Kona #1 Peaberry and Kona Peaberry Prime. These different grades of Kona coffee have little to do with the quality or taste of the coffee; they are primarily a measurement of the bean sizes. The beans are graded by passing them through sieves which have holes of certain sizes in them. Grading is also concerned with the moisture content, density of the bean, and how many defects are allowed per pound of beans. If you'd like to read about it in more detail please click here. The quality and taste of Kona coffee is really determined by how well it is grown and processed. There are certain things that must and must not be done during both growing and processing to ensure the best possible end result. We adhere strictly to these recognized "best practices" in both our growing and processing stages. It's a matter of personal pride and our own love of coffee that motivates us to produce the finest coffee that we can. What is Estate Grown and/or Estate Kona Coffee? Well, no matter what you see on the other Kona coffee sites, "Estate" is not a grade of Kona coffee. The Kona Coffee Council defines "Estate" as "…the product of one farm, unmixed with crops from other farms and processed through to roast under the control of the estate farm." Some farms skip the grading stage altogether and just lump all their coffee into one category which they sell as" Estate" and that's fine; but, within that "Estate" category are still the official grades of Kona coffee as listed above. As a consumer, it's important to know what you're buying. This difference between generic Kona coffee and Estate Kona coffee helps distinguish it from the Kona coffee sold by large processing and roasting companies. Processing companies buy coffee in "cherry" form (right off the tree) from many farms here. They combine crops from different farms, process it from pulping right through to roasting, then market it under their own label. Roasting companies buy their coffee in "parchment or green" form (already washed, fermented and dried) from many farms here. They combine the coffee from different farms, roast it and then market it under their own label. When you buy Estate Kona coffee, you know you're buying coffee that was grown, processed and roasted under the control of one farm. It's similar to buying wine from a large national company (like Gallo, for instance) versus buying wine produced by a small independent winery. We believe "being small" is an asset when it comes to wine and coffee production. Why is Extra Fancy more expensive than Fancy or Kona #1? The easiest analogy would be that of eggs; you pay more for jumbo eggs than small eggs even though they taste the same. To be sure, a dozen jumbo eggs will yield more liquid volume or weight than a dozen small eggs; but volume and weight are not necessarily the best factors to consider when purchasing gourmet coffee. Extra-Fancy Kona coffee costs more not only because you're getting a bigger and denser bean; but because you're also getting a rarer bean. The Extra-Fancy grade beans account for only about 20% of the entire crop. Approximately 5% will be Peaberry and the remaining 75% will be in Kona #1 and Fancy grades. What is Peaberry? Peaberry is classified as a type II bean and accounts for less than 5% of the entire crop. Peaberry is an aberration of nature and occurs when the coffee cherry yields only one bean instead of two. The Peaberry bean is shaped like a football; it is not flat on one side and round on the other like a regular coffee bean. Peaberry has a lower acid content than regular beans. Many people believe that its cylindrical shape causes it to roast differently than a regular bean, therefore giving it a different taste. We've not been able to verify this by our own taste tests; but we have customers who adore it and prefer it above all other Kona coffee. It is the absolute rarest of all the Kona coffee beans which accounts for it's high price. Again, which grade you choose is still a matter of personal choice. What is "Kona blend" coffee? Current agricultural law states that any coffee with at least 10% Kona coffee beans can be called "Kona blend". Coffee with 10% Kona beans and 90% other coffee beans does not taste anything like 100% Kona coffee. How could it? Here on the Big Island, you can find Kona blend starting as low $4.29 a pound. You get what you pay for, as the saying goes. An interesting note; very few of the hotels or restaurants in Kona, or the rest of the State for that matter, actually serve 100% Kona coffee. If you get Kona coffee at all it's almost always a blend. We disliked the Kona coffee we were served while visiting here years ago. After tasting our first cup of real 100% Estate grown Kona coffee we were amazed; it was wonderful and tasted nothing like we remembered. We stopped with the Colombian and switched to 100% Estate grown Kona…now we could never "go back". Why is Kona coffee more expensive than other coffees? The entire annual Kona coffee yield is incredibly tiny compared to all the other coffees available worldwide; which makes it rare and always in demand. Secondly, the cost of labor in America is outrageously high compared to that of any of the other coffee-producing regions. And, finally, the cultivation of coffee is extremely labor-intensive; and even more so here in Kona. All these factors add up to make Kona coffee more expensive. The coffee trees that thrive here in Kona are the same species (arabica) that are found in most other gourmet coffee growing areas of the world including Africa, Indonesia and South America. However, the methods and practices in the way coffee is grown and processed in those areas compared to Kona is completely different, and way too complex to get into here; suffice to say that there is no comparison between machine-picked, mass-produced coffee and 100% Kona coffee. The attention to detail and the dedication, care and pride that Kona coffee farmers take in producing their coffee is legendary. When you buy Kona coffee you really are purchasing the world's finest coffee. Home | Prices | Order Online | Coffee Club | About our Coffee | Java 101 Bwana Bob's Kona Coffee email: java@bwanabobskonacoffee.com
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