What is Kona Coffee?

Kona Coffee is exclusively grown on Kona’s coffee belt in Big Island, Hawaii, which is only about 30 miles long and 2-3 miles wide. Only coffee grown in this small region can be considered 100% Kona coffee. Because production is limited by land, the yearly harvest is very scarce. Therefore, Kona coffee is one of the rarest in the world, comprising of only1% of the world’s coffee.

The coffee belt is located on Hualalai Mountain and Mauna Loa. The area experiences frequent rainfall, and mild temperature with sunny mornings and cloudy afternoons, which creates a varied microclimate perfect for growing coffee. Its slightly acidic volcanic soil is also well-drained, which helps create healthy coffee plants from sitting in water. 

Coffee production is often outsourced to Africa and Latin America, where wage standards are low. In contrast, Hawaiian coffee farmers earn significantly more, receiving about 40-60% of the coffee production profit compared to 5-15% elsewhere. This higher labor cost, along with harvesting and shipping from a volcanic region, makes Kona coffee more expensive. Kona Coffee is a good reminder that we should properly support coffee farmers, who are the most crucial part of each coffee we enjoy.

Typically, a coffee fruit contains two beans, but a peaberry occurs when only one bean forms, resulting in a larger, rounder seed. This denser bean requires a different roasting process, roasting more evenly and carrying more heat. About 5% of harvested beans are peaberries, which tend to be more acidic, brighter in flavor, and lighter in body.