What is Kona Coffee and What’s So Special About It?

Kona coffee is famous for its fantastic flavor, featuring sweet notes of chocolate, caramel, and fruit. And it’s equivalently infamous for its high price, ranking among the most expensive coffee in the world. 

This article explores what defines a Kona coffee, what makes these beans so special, and whether they can possibly be worth their cost.

First, What is Kona Coffee?

Kona coffee is the name given to Arabica coffee grown in the Kona District of the Big Island of Hawaii. More specifically, Kona coffee grows on the slopes of the Hualalai and Mauna Loa volcanoes, benefitting from high elevations and rich volcanic soil. 

This Hawaiian coffee-growing region, called the Kona Coffee Belt, spans from 500 to 3200 feet above sea level. It has an ideal climate for coffee farming, with moderate rainfall, minimal temperature changes from day to night, sunny mornings, and cloudy afternoons.

Most coffee grown on the Big Island is the Typica variety of Arabica, one of the oldest coffee varieties. In the history of Kona coffee, this variety was brought to Hawaii in 1892 from Guatemala, but it is now so well-established on the island that it is known as Kona Typica.

What Is So Special About Kona Coffee?

A number of factors combine to make Hawaiian Kona coffee so special. The ideal geography of the western slopes of Kona, the tropical climate, and the nutrient-dense soils ensure that coffee seedlings thrive on Kona coffee farms. However, climate change is presenting new challenges for farmers (1).

Growing a quality coffee crop is only half the battle. During Hawaiian coffee harvest, Kona coffee beans are hand-picked and wet-processed to ensure quality and consistency. The coffees are then painstakingly sorted to meet the stringent grading standards of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA).

Learn more in this video tour of a Kona coffee plantation:

Kona Coffee Grading System

The Hawaiian Department of Agriculture grades every Kona coffee. The system maintains the authenticity of Kona coffee beans and protects consumers from Kona scams. The grade of green coffee beans is based on their shape, size, color, moisture content, and number of defects. 

Learn more in our detailed look at the grades of Kona coffee.

Are all Kona coffee beans specialty grade?

Not every Kona coffee is a specialty coffee, even if it is 100% Kona. The HDOA and the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) don’t use identical criteria when grading coffee. The SCA also mandates a cupping score over 80 on their 100-point scale (2).

What is “Extra Fancy” Kona Coffee?

“Extra Fancy” is the highest grade of Kona coffee, excluding Peaberry, which falls in a different category. To be awarded the Extra Fancy grade, the coffee bean must be large, have a uniform color, a moisture content between 9 and 12%, and have no more than eight defects per 300 g.

What is Private Reserve Kona Coffee?

Private Reserve is a category used by individual Kona coffee plantations or sellers, not overseen by the HDOA. It is 100% Kona coffee but typically contains a combination of different types and grades of beans, carefully chosen for the best flavor profile. 

Why Is Kona Coffee So Expensive?

Kona coffee is one of the most expensive types of coffee. The main reason for this is simple supply and demand. The Kona Coffee Belt is a small geographic area, so there is only a limited amount of coffee that is grown in the Kona region each year. And growing, picking, sorting, and certifying it is labor-intensive. But as many people consider Kona the best coffee in the world, the demand for coffee from Kona is high. Coffee enthusiasts buying Kona coffee are willing to pay top dollar to get their hands on these gourmet beans.

Another factor is that Kona coffee is grown, processed, and roasted entirely in the U.S.A. Workers are protected by U.S. Labor Laws and entitled to U.S. minimum wages – an ethic worth supporting with your dollars, in our opinion. This is a very different scenario from coffee harvested in other top growing regions, like Ethiopia or Guatemala.

Additionally, Hawaii’s remote location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean makes it more difficult for farmers to obtain supplies and export beans, increasing the cost of coffee production.

Unfortunately for consumers, Kona coffee prices will likely increase in the coming years. 2023 is forecast to produce one of the lowest yields in history, about 40% below average. This stems from more pests and diseases, climate change, cost increases, and the supply chain issues affecting nearly every industry, including the Kona coffee industry.

How Does Kona Coffee Taste?

Real Kona coffee taste varies by roast level, bean varietal, and brewing method. In general, Kona beans are known for their smooth, sweet, and delicate flavors – rich but not bold. They have a medium body and are low in acidity.

Lighter roasted Kona coffees highlight caramel and tropical fruit flavors, while darker roasted coffee leans on chocolate and berry notes.

What Makes Kona Coffee Taste So Good?

The great taste of Hawaii Kona coffee is a combined result of geography, farmer tenacity, and barista skills. 

The high elevation of the Kona Coffee Belt forces the coffee beans to ripen slowly. The longer maturation time means the coffee plants take in more nutrients from the volcanic soil, resulting in rich and complex flavors.

The coffee trees are then picked by hand, ensuring only the perfectly ripe coffee cherries make it to the processing station. Washed processing is used to yield a crisp, clean cup of coffee.

And let’s not forget the importance of the barista, which may be you! Make Kona coffee using a pour over brewer if you enjoy bright, complex flavors. If you prefer a fuller-bodied coffee with a more robust mouthfeel, try a French press.

Is Kona Coffee Better?

Pure Kona coffee is better than many alternatives because of the rigorous certification process. Coffee beans must be carefully selected to reach the coffee market with a Kona certification.

Better coffee is a matter of personal taste. But the best Kona coffees have crowd-pleasing flavors that will appeal to most coffee lovers. A good cup of Kona coffee has a delicious taste, complex aroma, and lingering finish. It’s a unique experience that you shouldn’t miss!

Kona Coffee to Avoid

Steer clear of “Kona Blends,” which are expensive but lack the characteristics of the coffee that make it worth the price. Current Hawaiian law requires blends to contain just 10% Kona beans to put Kona coffee on the label. In less regulated areas, Kona is sometimes used as a marketing term even if the percentage of Kona coffee is less than 10!

Final Thoughts

Kona coffee is grown in the North and South Kona Districts of Hawaii’s Big Island, an area blessed with the perfect combination of geography, geology, and climate to grow coffee of the highest quality. 

Kona beans are characterized by their sweet and delicate flavors, making them coveted by coffee lovers worldwide. If you have a chance to try some of this unique brew, don’t let it pass you by!