KONA COFFE - where to buy?

[osandomir]

Can you please tell me where is the best place to buy Kona Coffe, on what island? Thanks.

[smslms]

Can you please tell me where is the best place to buy Kona Coffe, on what island? Thanks.

 

You can buy it all over the islands, just know that there are lots of different grades and blends, so read the label carefully. You know the old saying you get what you pay for, so if you see a lb for $7.00 and another for $20.00 generally you can figure that one is a lot better than the other. If you are in the Kona area there are a number of coffee plantations and shops on the highway south of Kona. If on Kauai there is a great coffee plantation on the highway on the way to Waimea.:)

[Budget Queen]

To add to the above, if you are driving in Kona, don't hesistate to stop in at the "coffee" plantations. They just about all will have samples to try. We found it was well worth the price, to be choosey and get your favorite, even though, we bought coffee that was $40/lb. :)

[GeneK]

Kona is great coffee! Costa Rica is also. I can get either here a the super markets for $5.99 for 11 oz. Much less than when I ordered same brands online from the plantations.

[marym933]

At the ABC stores it was $14.99 lb.

[FloatYourBoatSince2003]

You can buy it all over the islands, just know that there are lots of different grades and blends, so read the label carefully. You know the old saying you get what you pay for

 

I'm scared to ask this "dumb question" but I will anyway. I love good coffee, but am not a connoisseur, nor am I well-versed if I were required to "read the label". What sorts of Kona blends are considered of better quality?

[CruisingGoddess]

A tip I read in "Big Island Revealed", don't fall for "Kona blend" coffees. This means Kona coffee has been blended with non-Kona coffee (most likely non-Hawaiian coffee) to make it cheaper and isn't as good as pure Kona coffee.

[Giantfan13]

I agree. anything that says 'Blend' be it coffee, drinks, olive oil etc are not pure what you are looking for. They are blended with something else of the same nature.

If you want 100% Kona coffee, then that is waht you look for and you can buy that almost anywhere in hawaii, ABC stores, Walmart or the coffee plantations.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Dusty2]

If you want 100% Kona coffee, then that is waht you look for and you can buy that almost anywhere in hawaii, ABC stores, Walmart or the coffee plantations.

 

Cheers

 

Len

 

We went to a Kona coffee plantation and bought some. Then stopped by WalMart on the way back to the POA and bought the EXACT same coffee for almost 1/2 what we paid at the plantation. Tour the plantations and sample. Then buy at WalMart (or an ABC Store).

[CruisingGoddess]

Dusty2 & others - Can you share the brands you liked? I won't have time to sample at the plantations because we're doing other excursions so I'd like to know what brands to buy when I go to ABC or Wal-mart.

 

Thanks in advance!

[osandomir]

Thank you all for your tips. I understand that there is Kona coffee to buy at regular supermarket, Walmart or probably Costco as well. Is that right?

Thanks.

[cheznandy]

Hi everyone, we are just back from a wonderful 21 night cruise Tahiti/Hawaii:) ending in Honolulu. I had been sampling this wonderful Vanilla Macadamia nut coffee blend which was so nice, I bought it at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Farm near Hilo, also bought the Chocolate Macadamia nut blend yum:p It is the Royal Kona Coffee brand and although I cannot remember the price, it was on a par with the ABC stores. I had a brew when I got back to Australia and dreamt of Hawaii:)

We are already planning our return, our blog is here if anyone is interested in a read.....

http://cheznandy.travellerspoint.com/toc/ loved the macadamia nuts too, we are addicted to the garlic and onion and honey roasted mmmmm

 

Chez

xx

[smslms]

I'm scared to ask this "dumb question" but I will anyway. I love good coffee, but am not a connoisseur, nor am I well-versed if I were required to "read the label". What sorts of Kona blends are considered of better quality?

 

Hi. As others have suggested, you should look for pure Kona or Kauai grown coffees as opposed to blends. They are more expensive but are worth the price if you are a coffee drinker.:)

[Toto2Kansas]

We have seen Kona Coffee, both the blends and 100%, almost everywhere on every island. From the coffee plantations to the ABC stores, and even the Walmarts on the Island sell many different kinds. ;)

[Travel Cat]

I'm with Cruising Goddess, anyone have a brand name for the good 100% kona coffee at Walmart or ABC? Dusty2, do you know the brand that you bought at the coffee plantation then saw for 1/2 price at Walmart? Coffee is going to be my A #1 gift for friends.

[jaybird from SC]

Just be careful buying your coffee and read the labels...... some of the cheaper "offerings" say Kona Coffe BUT they are only 10% Kona Coffee

[Dusty2]

Just be careful buying your coffee and read the labels...... some of the cheaper "offerings" say Kona Coffe BUT they are only 10% Kona Coffee

 

That's a good warning! We saw 100% Kona coffee, 90/10; 80/20; even 10/90. Haven't been able to remember or track down what brand we bought at WalMart. But we went to their farm store in Kona too. (It's an age thing!)

 

The best Kona coffee (by agreement of most in our group) was probably Greenwell Farms, south of Kona in the coffee farms area. Others told us that Langenstein, Mountain Thunder, and Bay View are really good as well. Didn't see these in WalMart or ABC stores.

 

Don't get stuck on the "Kona" coffee only. Kauai has some really good stuff too.

[zelker]

And if you want the finest of the finest of Kona coffee, buy Peaberry (it's a kind of bean, not a brand name). It's generally the most expensive because the beans are rare but it's truly worth it for the flavor.

[beachchick]

That's a good warning! We saw 100% Kona coffee, 90/10; 80/20; even 10/90. Haven't been able to remember or track down what brand we bought at WalMart. But we went to their farm store in Kona too. (It's an age thing!)

 

The best Kona coffee (by agreement of most in our group) was probably Greenwell Farms, south of Kona in the coffee farms area. Others told us that Langenstein, Mountain Thunder, and Bay View are really good as well. Didn't see these in WalMart or ABC stores.

 

Don't get stuck on the "Kona" coffee only. Kauai has some really good stuff too.

 

As well, the "best" isn't necessarily the same year to year. Coffee beans, much like wine grapes, have a vintage (if you will). Growing conditions, harvest, and roasting are not identical. One year, we liked Greenwell Farms best; another, we prefered Bay View and Mountain Thunder. On top of that, we might like one farm's medium-dark roast best, but another farm's dark decaf roast best.

 

And if you want the finest of the finest of Kona coffee, buy Peaberry (it's a kind of bean, not a brand name). It's generally the most expensive because the beans are rare but it's truly worth it for the flavor.

 

We've honestly not found that peaberry is necessarily the best. Sometimes, it's distinctly better; other times, no noticeable difference; still other times, peaberry isn't "all that" for us. IMO, there's no reason to spring for the extra unless someone truly notices a difference. Otherwise, they're just spending money for the peaberry "name."

 

As an FYI for anyone who doesn't know: Peaberry is the name given to coffee beans that do not grow as two "flat" halves inside the coffee cherry. When only one bean is (I think this is the correct term) fertilized, only that bean grows and it retains the round shape of the coffee cherry. They're called "pea"berry because they're shaped like a (you guessed it) pea. Their shape means that they (supposedly) roast more evenly than standard "flat" beans. I've heard that they're considered more concentrated in oils too, but couldn't tell you if that's correct. I think that the main difference in some ways is that they are separated from the standard beans and only the best are kept--thus, the coffee is going to be of a high standard, regardless. OTOH, it's just as easy to ruin a peaberry through harvest, preparation, roasting, or even making the coffee as it is to ruin a less expensive (relative when talking about the best Kona) standard bean.

 

Anyway, here's my advice (works for coffee and for wine, oh heck--it works for everything): Get what you prefer and don't pay attention to what's in fashion or what someone else says you "should" like. If you're happy with an inexpensive, no-name 10% Kona coffee, then buy that and enjoy every drop of coffee you make from it! I highly recommend that you do some tasting at the farms. It's fun; it's a pretty drive all through the area (don't miss Painted Church); and no designated driver needed!

 

We have never found an inexpensive Kona that suits our tastes, so we only buy a couple of pounds of what we really like. A final note: Don't ignore high quality 100% Kauai-grown coffee. It's almost always much less expensive than the equivalent Kona bean and can be absolutely outstanding in every way. And I'm sorry, but I have a hard time believing that the coffee plantations such as Greenwell, Langenstein, or Mountain Thunder have their beans available for $5.99/11 oz. I would like to know exactly which plantations are offering such a deal though. OTOH, if you find some, regardless of name, for $5.99, and you buy it and love it, then that's wonderful.

 

beachchick

 

p.s., Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't "Peaberry" the name of a coffee company somewhere too?

[cruisermaryann]

We bought 100% Kona Coffee at Royal Kona Coffee Mill (83-5427 Mamalahoa Highway Captain Cook, HI) on the Big Island near Kona.

[gram4haley]

We toured the Greenwell Farm where they hand pick the beans on their 35 acres (they purchase beans from other farms too). Then we went to Kauai and toured the Kauai Coffee Plantation where they machine pick 3500 acres. Both coffees are excellent. I appreciate Greenwell because of their attention to detail. I appreciate Kauai because the quality is exceptional for a fraction of the Kona cost. Both are great choices.

[zelker]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't "Peaberry" the name of a coffee company somewhere too?

 

You're not wrong - it's a small company in my backyard (well, not literally, of course, but it is from here in Colorado). Unfortunately Starbucks has crushed most of the Peaberry stores out of business. Too bad.

 

As for buying Peaberry beans, I will agree. DH just happens to have a Kona Peaberry that he loves and that he can get freshly roasted in a little shop in Maui so that's his preference. I was just throwing it out there since people were talking about 100% Kona beans vs. blends, etc. BTW, we've never tried any of the Kauai beans but we've tried some of the Maui and Molokai beans. Not the best we've ever had but certainly not the worst. And you're right about good years and not so good years, and who the beans are dried and roasted obviously.

[pbandpn]

We went to a Kona coffee plantation and bought some. Then stopped by WalMart on the way back to the POA and bought the EXACT same coffee for almost 1/2 what we paid at the plantation. Tour the plantations and sample. Then buy at WalMart (or an ABC Store).

 

What was the Kona coffee plantation (brand) that you went to that you can get their coffee at Walmart/ABC? Thanks in advance :D

[shamr0ck]

The Kona Sweet from Hula Daddy is the best coffee i've ever had. Including Kopi Luwak. :D

[NYAustinGal]

Kona Joe Plantation!!!!! I can not recommend it enough. It is on a bluff overlooking the ocean and the view is spectacular. It was south of where the boat docks, but not as far south as the Capt. Cook Monument.

 

They have 100% Kona coffee grown right there ... and it is awesome!

 

We also made a wrong turn the day before when exiting Volcano Nat'l Park and went south instead of north (back toward the ship) and came across a roadside stand for a local grower selling Kona grown Peaberry coffee that was also excellent.