A Complete Guide To Kona Coffee

While there are eleven coffee regions across the State of Hawaii, one small area on the Big Island has made its name all over the world for being the source of an iconic and internationally-recognized coffee. But what makes Kona coffee from the Kona District, Hawaii’s Coffee Belt, so popular, delicious, and exclusive?
HAWAII’S COFFEE BELT
Coffee trees require particular climates and conditions to land in Kona is rich with minerals from the volcanic soil and weather that shifts from sunny to rainy from throughout the day.
100% KONA COFFEE
For a coffee to be considered 100% Kona Coffee, it must be grown in Kona, Hawaii, and not a blend of several coffees. If you want the best tasting Kona coffee there is, make sure to get 100% pure Kona Coffee, and not a blend.
THE BEGINNINGS OF KONA COFFEE
Ruggles initially planned to get the coffee industry to take off on Oahu island. However, it was the volcanic sands, mixed elevations, and ideal weather that made Kona a perfect place to cultivate coffee. There were about three million coffee trees planted in the region by the end of the 19th century.
At present, the Big Island has about 790 coffee farms, with most of them family-run. These farms often use the same methods that their family owners have employed for generations. New technologies may have emerged in other regions of the world where coffee is grown. But tradition is strong in Kona, so expect to see farmers harvesting, drying or roasting coffee the old-fashioned way when you visit a coffee farm or plantation.
HARVESTING KONA COFFEE

The harvested cherries are dried out and processed to produce the Kona coffee beans. About 10 lbs. of cherries are needed to make around 1-2 lbs. of finished Kona coffee.
DRYING AND PROCESSING KONA COFFEE
A common way of processing fresh coffee cherries is by first separating the inner bean from the cherry’s fruit with the use of a pulper, then soaking the beans overnight. The beans are then laid on a drying rack until their moisture level is between 10 and 13%, which usually takes about two weeks. The finished coffee beans are sorted by grade according to their size, shape, and quality, and are ready to be roasted.
ROASTING KONA COFFEE
Roasting takes about 12 to 30 minutes, and these moments are crucial to the quality of the final product. The soluble oils formed during the roasting process determines the beans’ overall flavor profile. The roasting time also determines whether the coffee is a light or dark roast. Light roasts are beans that have been taken out from the drum after the first crack, while dark roasts are the beans that have been left inside the drum until they began to smoke.
WHY IS KONA COFFEE EXPENSIVE?
SMALL GROWING AREA
HIGHER PRODUCTION COSTS
SMALLER, SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION METHODS
THE TASTE OF KONA COFFEE

GRINDING KONA COFFEE
KEEPING KONA COFFEE FRESH
All coffee beans start losing their freshness as soon as they’re roasted, but to enhance the freshness of Kona coffee beans, store them in airtight containers, grind them immediately before brewing.
What are you waiting for? Order 100% Kona Coffee for yourself from Dr. Paulo’s Kona Coffee and Macadamia Nut Farms, and have them delivered from the Big Island right to your door. You can call us at 808-333-1959 or 800-873-6693, or send us an email at [email protected] or [email protected].