Coffee Tryst :: Hawaiian Kona Coffee
Hawaiian Kona Coffee: Getting Great Hawaiian Coffee with Kona Beans
Hawaiian Kona coffee is produced in only one place on earth, the Kona district located on the Big Island of Hawaii. The weather combination of sun and rain, alongside rich volcanic soil, equals great coffee beans.
Growing coffee plants on Kona started back in the nineteenth century with several families planting their own small farms. The number of farms is small at only about 600 farms total and estimates show that the farms each take up less than five acres. Even though they’re small, Kona coffee farms still make a lot of money, thanks to Kona beans being some of the most expensive coffee beans in the world.
From Farm to Cup
Blooming of the Kona coffee crop begins in February and March. April brings the green coffee berries and then these coffee berries turn a bright red around August. It’s around this time when the berries are ready to be picked and processed.
Many Kona farms use natural techniques to harvest and process their plants, making the beans even better. Thanks to strict quality controls on Kona plantations, a bushel of coffee berries weighing around nine pounds only produces a one pound bag of coffee.
Price
Kona beans aren’t plentiful and that rarity is reflected in the price. An average low grade bag of Hawaiian Kona coffee can go for around $20.00 a pound. The top quality Kona Coffee, Peaberry, sells for around $40.00 per pound. Peaberry beans make up less than 10% of the total Kona bean harvest, but are the most sought after of all.
Pure or Blended?
You probably have seen some form of Kona coffee on your grocery store shelves, but it's typically blended. 100% pure Kona coffee is much more difficult to find than the blends that are often made. Blends are common because of the expense associated with the Kona beans.
Beware that most blends only contain around 10% Kona beans. These blends taste good, but don’t give you the real Kona taste. There are some Hawaiian blends that include other beans from Hawaii.
These blends are much better than your average coffee bean mixed with Kona beans. So, when buying Hawaiian Kona coffee, look for the percentage of Kona beans on the coffee bag label to make sure you’re getting a good deal.
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