Top 15 Best Kona Coffee Reviews
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Kona bean is the most expensive coffee in the world. The taste of it is unforgettable that you may not want to try other products after trying Kona coffee. But you have to be careful when buying a bag of Kona beans.
Many scammers can use cheap and low-grade beans to mitigate the quality of Kona coffee. Then they sell it and earn money. Therefore, let’s become a smart consumer by reading my reviews for the 15 best Kona Coffee!
First of all, let’s get to know some necessary information about Kona Coffee.
What Is Kona Coffee?
On the slopes of Mount Hualalai, there is a district named Kona of Hawaii island. It is where Kona beans were born. This place is a small island with only 30 miles stretching along the coast but produces the best coffee in the world.
We can also call this place the “ Kona Coffee Belt.” Kona beans are grown from Guatemalan Typica, and they are famous for being the high-quality coffee of Arabica.
Why Does Kona Coffee Have Such Perfect Taste?
Many other places in the world also have fantastic coffee, but Kona coffee’s taste is special and unique. The exclusive climate of the Kona district makes it have such a pleasant taste.
At 1000-3500 above sea level and on the sheltered side of the volcano, it becomes an ideal place for growing perfect coffee. With morning sun, afternoon showers, well-drained and fertile soil, and perfect temperature; Hawaii has long been famous for making delicious coffee.
What is The Best Kona Coffee to Buy?
I hope this list of 10 best Kona coffees will be a useful tool for you in choosing the most suitable Kona coffee.
- Best Overall: Kona Coffee Beans By Imagine
“ 100% pure coffee from Kona district, exceptional flavor, top-quality product, no bitterness” - Best For Health: Farm-Fresh: 100% Kona Coffee
“No pesticide and herbicide, freshly roasted, government inspected and certified” - Best Blend Coffee: Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Vanilla Macadamia Nut
“Delicious, easy to brew, ideal for hot weather, vanilla, and nutty flavor” - Best Taste: Hawaiian Kona Coffee Extra Fancy
“Remarkable taste, safe for health, best quality, fresh coffee, 100% Kona beans” - Best Aroma: Kona Gold Coffee Whole Beans
“Nice aroma, significant taste, high-grade beans, 100% authentic Kona coffee” - Best For The Environment: Kauai Whole Bean Coffee
“ Little fertilizer and pesticide, good quality, eco-friendly, amazing flavor, 100% Kona beans” - Best Quality: Mountain Thunder 100% Kona Coffee
“ High-grade beans, 100% authentic, various flavors, top-quality, no bitterness” - Best for True Coffee Lovers: Kona Bloom Coffee Beans
“ Significant flavor, fresh coffee, made from passionate experts, 100% whole grain Kona beans” - Best Budget: Kona Coffee Medium Roast
“ Impressive taste, handpicked coffee beans, resealable bags provided, reasonable price, 100% Kona coffee” - Best For Single-Serve: Maud’s Kona Coffee Blend
“ Delicious, eco-friendly ingredients, top-quality, organic, Gluten-free, 100% Arabica coffee beans”
Kona Coffee Comparison Chart
By reading the table below, you will have a piece of brief information about the coffee specification. It helps you quickly compare the products together and make your own choice.
Top 15 Best Kona Coffee Reviews
It’s time to go bone up on every distinct Kona coffee brand. You should highly concentrate on this part as there is a lot of valuable information here.
1. Best Overall: Kona Coffee Beans By Imagine
Are you looking for the coffee with 100% whole Kona beans? If Yes, the Kona Coffee beans By Imagine is actually what you need.
Some brands may state that their coffee is Kona coffee, but they contain 10% Kona beans mixed with other inferior coffee beans. But this product provides you with 100% handpicked and sun-dried coffee beans from Kona district, Hawaii.
I am sure that no coffee lover can resist the hearty and sweet flavor of this medium-dark roast. There is no bitterness, and you can profoundly and intensely focus on the caffeine as long as feel its extraordinary flavor.
By purchasing this product, you can feel assured as they are made from 10% of the best beans in the Kona district. It also means that you can possess a top-quality product.
Moreover, the producer uses the air-roasting method to avoid burning and charring. The coffee beans are more equally roasted and give you a cup of coffee with better taste in comparison with other types.
Key features:
- 100% whole Kona coffee bean
- Remarkable flavor
- Graded “ Extra Fancy”
Pros
- 100% pure coffee from Kona district
- Providing special flavor
- Top-quality product
Cons
- You will need a grinder to brew the coffee beans
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 1 pound |
| Dimension | 10 x 3.5 x 2.5 inches |
| Flavor | Medium-dark roast |
| 100% Kona beans | Yes |
| Air-roasting | Yes |
| Graded “Extra Fancy” | Yes |
2. Best Blend Coffee: Kona Coffee Vanilla Macadamia Nut
There is something strange here, can you feel that? I am going to present to you a Kona blend, the product that I have warned you above. But I have my reason for choosing this product to review for you.
In some cases, blend coffee doesn’t mean that it is lousy coffee or low quality coffee. Some blend coffee is also significant with great flavor, and Hawaiin Isles Kona coffee is a great example.
With only 10% of Kona beans, but Hawaiin Isles Kona coffee is still outstanding because they add Hawaiian macadamia nut and vanilla. This perfect mixture makes the coffee more and more delicious.
Like the first product, this blend is also a medium roast. Although it doesn’t have 100% Kona, this Hawaiin Isles Kona coffee still have smooth-bodied and sweet-smelling. I suggest you should try it old or with ice and it will be a perfect drink for a hot sunny day.
Key features:
- Suitable for coffee lovers who can’t stand strong coffee
- The vanilla and nutty flavor
- Unique gourmet taste
Pros
- Delicious taste
- Able to be brewed with any methods
- An ideal drink for hot weather
Cons
- Not suitable for those who like strong coffee
- Not an ideal choice for those who don’t like vanilla or nutty flavor
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 10.1 ounces |
| Dimension | Not specified |
| Flavor | Medium roast |
| 100% Kona beans | Blend coffee( 10% Kona beans) |
| Air-roasting | No |
| Graded “ Extra Fancy” | No |
3. Hawaii Roasters 100% Kona Coffee
Now, let’s come to the Amazon best-seller product from the manufacture Hawaii Roasters. Through their name, you can feel assured that their beans are 100% Kona and the coffee must have gone through many inspections so that it can wear that label.
The coffee beans are hand-picked, sun-dried, and roasted by skillful roasters that have much experience in this field. They roast coffee evenly and equally in small batches to give the top-quality coffee over time.
About the flavor, Hawaii Roasters 100% Kona coffee is delicate and mild. Although it is a medium roast, it is not as strong as other dark roasts. These Kona beans are low in acid so that it is suitable for people who have an easily upset digestive system.
Key features:
- 100% Kona beans
- Having the delicate and mild flavor
- Made by skillful and experienced people
Pros
- Top-quality coffee with 100% whole Kona beans
- Having great flavor
- Suitable for those who have a sensitive digestive system
Cons
- Some people may not like the mild flavor of this product
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 1 pound |
| Dimension | Not specified |
| Flavor | Medium roast |
| 100% Kona beans | Yes |
| Air-roasting | No |
| Graded “ Extra Fancy” | No |
4. Royal Kona Private Reserve Medium Roast
Like other medium roast Kona coffee, this one is lower in acid compared with different light roasts. Royal Kona doesn’t have an intense flavor, and it is a perfect choice for those who like the neutral taste and pleasant smell.
With the whole bean’s form, you can have various choices of grinding and brewing methods. This product also has a sealable clasp that can make you satisfied as you can easily open it, and the beans are also kept freshness.
Key features:
- 100% pure Kona coffee
- Fresh coffee with the distinctive taste of Hawaii
- Smooth and full-bodied flavor
Pros
- Sealable clasp for better storing that can make you happy
- Providing you with balanced flavor and nice smell
- Various ways of brewing
Cons
- The taste is bitter
- The price is quite high
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 7 ounces |
| Dimension | 3.5 x 2 x 5.8 inches |
| Flavor | Medium roast |
| 100% Kona beans | Yes |
| Air-roasting | No |
| Graded “Extra Fancy” | No |
5. Best For Health: Farm-Fresh: 100% Kona Coffee
You can completely trust this brand as the Farm- Fresh 100% Kona coffee is inspected and certified by the government.
The beans of this product come from a single coffee land. With other products, the beans can be taken from many different areas. But with this product, you can be confident using as the coffee beans are from one authentic area.
One more thing that makes this product become reliable is that the beans are picked by hand and dried in the sun. Each step of the process is given careful attention to give you the best product.
Key features:
- Inspected and certified by the government
- Free pesticide
Pros
- Made from a family farm with no pesticide or herbicide
- Pure 100% Kona beans
- Roasted freshly
Cons
- Having a slightly bit taste
- The aftertaste of the coffee can be unpleasant to some people
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 1.05 pounds |
| Dimension | 7 x 3 x 11 inches |
| Flavor | Medium roast
|
| 100% Kona beans | Yes |
| Air-roasting | No |
| Graded “Extra Fancy” | No |
6. Best Taste: Hawaiian Kona Coffee Extra Fancy
By reading the name of the product, you can imagine what Hawaiian Kona Coffee Extra Fancy will bring to you. Right! That’s “extra fancy.” The remarkable taste and superb aroma will raise your desire to drink more coffee than expected.
There are also butter, nuts, cinnamon, and clove. With the natural processing method, no chemicals are using, and you can trust that it is genuinely the right product for your health.
The beans are medium roasted to give you the pure flavor of a great coffee. After being roasted, the coffee beans are packed and sealed right away to ensure freshness.
Key features:
- Incredible taste
- Authentic 100% Kona coffee beans from Hawaii
Pros
- Having remarkable taste that you can not deny
- Safe for your health
- Fresh coffee with best quality
Cons
- It has the burnt taste that someone may not like
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 1 pound |
| Dimension | 3.5 x 2.5 x 11 inches |
| Flavor | Medium roast |
| 100% Kona beans | Yes |
| Air-roasting | No |
| Graded “ Extra Fancy” | Yes |
7. Best Aroma: Kona Gold Coffee Whole Beans
You know that many brands claim that their coffee is 100% pure coffee beans. But there are only 5 or 10% of them are Kona beans. With Kona Gold Beans, you don’t need to worry as they have 100% Kona whole beans, which are cautiously grown in the Kona district- the perfect area for growing coffee.
The coffee beans are also hand-picked, sun-dried, and air-roasted. Each step of the process is carefully done and gives out a cup of coffee with great taste and aroma.
One more important note of this brand is that they won the first prize in the Kona Crown Competition at the 2016 Kona Coffee Cupping.
Key features:
- Winning the first prize at the coveted 2016 Kona Coffee Cupping Competition
- High – grade beans
Pros
- Authentic Kona coffee
- Special taste
- Nice aroma
Cons
- The caffeine content is quite high
- Pricey
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 1.01 pounds |
| Dimension | 10.5 x 3.5 x 2.5 inches |
| Flavor | Medium/ Dark roast |
| 100% Kona beans | Yes |
| Air-roasting | Yes |
| Graded “ Extra Fancy” | Yes |
8. Best For The Environment: Kauai Whole Bean Coffee
Kauai Coffe commits that they apply the farming practices that are supportable for the environment. And the company also takes pride in being one of the biggest coffee houses around the world.
They have an ecological program for gardens. They apply cover drop and composition for healthy soil. They also cut down on using fertilizer and herbicide. All necessary actions are taken to ensure the quality of the coffee.
Kauai coffee is entirely made from Arabica beans, which gives you a smooth, memorable taste and incredible aroma that you can not resist. Every cup of Kauai coffee will be an excellent experience for you!
Pros
- Little fertilizer and herbicide
- Coffee with very good quality
- Friendly to the environment
Cons
- The packing is quite bad
- This coffee is so weak for some people
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 10.1 ounces |
| Dimension | Not specified |
| Flavor | Medium/ Dark roast |
| 100% Kona beans | Yes |
| Air-roasting | No |
| Graded “Extra Fancy” | No |
9. Best Quality: Mountain Thunder 100% Kona Coffee
The essential component of Mountain Thunder Coffee plantation is quality. They create a goal of providing the product that has top-quality.
Based on that goal, they grow and roast the beans on the slopes of Hualalai – the place of the active volcano. The volcanic soil, light winds, mild weathers, heavy rain, and sunlight are the perfect condition for the best coffee beans.
They use the Satake optical color sorter to sort the yellow, black, and orange beans that leave a bitter taste. So you can enjoy the coffee with no bitterness, and you will feel delighted.
Key features:
- Top-quality coffee beans
- No bitter flavor
Pros
- High-grade coffee beans growing on the big island of Hawaii
- Having a large variety of flavors: Vienna/ French Roast/ Ground, Vienna/ French Roast Whole Bean
Cons
- Be careful that your grinder can be clogged when grinding the coffee beans
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 1 pound |
| Dimension | 3.5 x 2.8 x 10.5 inches |
| Flavor | French Roast/ Vienna Roast |
| 100% Kona beans | Yes |
| Air-roasting | No |
| Graded “Extra Fancy” | No |
10. Best For True Coffee Lovers: Kona Bloom Coffee Beans
The Kona Bloom Coffee Beans have the tones of bright floral and peaches. Purchasing this product, and you can enjoy the honey oil, butter, and cocoa flavor. You will feel extremely pleasant and enjoyable in your mouth.
The producers recommend that you should try this Kona bloom coffee beans with milk and using the dripping method. And the best idea is to enjoy Kona Bloom coffee with butter waffles.
The roasting date is always written on the packing so that you can know how fresh the coffee beans are. Big Island Coffee Roasters – the manufactures of this brand are passionate experts, and they know the methods of making the perfect coffee to drink. I am sure that every coffee lover will quickly fall in love with this product.
Key features:
- Made from passionate coffee experts
- Fresh coffee beans
Pros
- The coffee beans are harvested by hands from small farms
- Extraordinary flavor
- Extremely fresh coffee
Cons
- The price is not really reasonable
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 10.1 ounces |
| Dimension | Not specified |
| Flavor | Medium Roast |
| 100% Kona beans | Yes |
| Air-roasting | No |
| Graded “Extra Fancy” | Yes |
11. Best Budget: Kona Coffee Medium Roast
You will be easily impressed by the soft and creamy taste of caramel, chocolate. This company has 20 years of experience in the fields of making coffee( they just celebrated the 20th anniversary of growing Kona coffee last year)
In these 20 years, they persistently invest in farms, facilities, technologies…They always try their best to produce the best coffee with high standards and quality. You can feel their love, passion, hard work and investment in each cup of coffee
And the Kona Coffee Medium Roast won the 1st place in the Crown Division of the Cupping Contest. That’s the result of the careful process of making coffee. You will feel satisfied as they also design a sealable package for secure storage
Key features:
- High-quality coffee
- Vacuum Sealed Resealable Bags
- 1st place in the Crown Division of the Cupping Contest
Pros
- Impressive taste
- Handpicked coffee beans
- Resealable bags provided
Cons
- Not very smooth
- Tasting slightly bitter
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 14.1 ounces |
| Dimension | Not specified |
| Flavor | Light/ Medium/ Dark Roast; Peaberry |
| 100% Kona beans | Yes |
| Air-roasting | No |
| Graded “Extra Fancy” | Yes |
12. Best For Single-Serve: Maud’s Kona Coffee Blend
The factor that makes Maud’s Kona Coffee blend stands out from other products is that it is a single-serve coffee case
It provides you with delicious flavor at any time. It can be used with almost single-serve coffee makers and brewers. There are 100% Arabica coffee beans in this product, so its flavor is perfect.
Another great thing is that this coffee is home-roasted and produced in small batches to make sure its quality. Moreover, Maud’s Kona Coffee Blend is also friendly to the environment. The k-cup is recyclable and made of the fifth generation plastic. Therefore, you can feel assured that it is good for the environment.
Key features:
- 100% Arabica coffee beans
- Eco-friendly
- Great flavor
Pros
- Delicious taste
- Using materials that are friendly to the environment
- Top-quality ingredients
- Organic and Gluten-free
Cons
- You can be confused about how to brew the coffee correctly’
- There can be grinds in the cups of coffee
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 3.6 pounds |
| Dimension | Not specified |
| Flavor | Medium roast |
| 100% Kona beans | No |
| Air-roasting | No |
| Graded “Extra Fancy” | No |
13. Kona Joe Gourmet Blend Dark Roast Kona Coffee
The Kona Coffee of Kona Joe Coffee is grown on the slopes of Hualalai in Hawaii, so it has an exceptional and fresh flavor. This coffee is roasted in 19 minutes, and you can feel the taste of molasses and chocolates when drinking this.
The Kona Joe Coffee company grows coffee on the trellis, and many winemakers also use this method. And this company is the first to use this state-of-the-art method in growing coffee. And the result is that they produce superior tasting coffee with suitable sugar concentration and titratable acid.
The packaging of the product is ingenious. There are a resealable zip lock and a gas valve to ensure no extra air will affect the coffee’s freshness. To maintain the flavor of the product, you shouldn’t put it in your fridge. You’d instead find a cool dark place to store it.
Key features:
- Having an outstanding growing method
- Advanced and exclusive taste
Pros
- Marvelous flavor
- Fresh coffee guarantee
- Easy to store with sealable zip lock and air valve
- Taste of molasses and chocolates
Cons
- There is not much coffee in one package
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 8 ounces |
| Dimension | Not specified |
| Flavor | Dark Roast |
| 100% Kona beans | No |
| Air-roasting | No |
| Graded “ Extra Fancy” | No |
14. Good As Gold KONA Blend Coffee
Although this is a medium roast blend coffee, it still has the unique flavor of Kona coffee. And this Good As Gold Kona coffee is very convenient to use. Inside its package, there are 18 ready eco-friendly coffee pods.
Every time you use, you take one coffee pod. There is no need to calculate the amount of coffee. And containing coffee in every single pod also helps the coffee stay fresh longer.
This Kona coffee can work well in almost coffee pod brewers. But you should note that it is not compatible with Keurig machines.
Key features:
- Mouthwatering taste
- Convenient to use
Pros
- Eco-friendly coffee pods
- Able to fit almost coffee pod brewers
- Providing single coffee pods for every cups of serving
- The fresh and floral flavor
Cons
- Not able to work with Keurig machines
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 10.1 ounces |
| Dimension | 4 x 4 x 8 inches |
| Flavor | Medium Roast |
| 100% Kona beans | No |
| Air-roasting | No |
| Graded “ Extra Fancy” | No |
15. Lacas Coffee Company Kona Blend Coffee
The last product on this list is also a blended coffee. The Lacas Kona blend coffee is a mixture of Kona AA and other kinds of coffee from Central and South America. All these ingredients come together and make a mild and sweet coffee.
There are two styles to choose from: medium fine and whole bean. You can have freedom of choice. With high-quality ingredients, this blended coffee will give you the excellent taste you will never forget.
Key features:
- Outstanding flavor
- Kona AA coffee blend with coffee from central and south Africa
Pros
- Smooth and brilliant coffee
- Two choices of coffee’s styles
- Unforgettable flavor
- Mild taste
Cons
- No cons founded
Product Specifications:
| Weight | 12 ounces |
| Dimension | Not specified |
| Flavor | Light Roast |
| 100% Kona beans | No |
| Air-roasting | No |
| Graded “Extra Fancy” | No |
What To Consider Before Buying Kona Coffee?
You may be confused with some strange characteristics of Kona coffee after reading my reviews. Therefore, I will explain some factors you should know before choosing the best Kona coffee in this part.
Why is Kona Coffee So Expensive?
There are about 600 plantations in Kona districts and they are rather small. The majority of them are run by each family. And About 2 million pounds of coffee is estimated to produce each year. You can see that there is only a limit amount of Kona coffee available.
Moreover, most Kona coffee beans are picked by farmers, and the beans don’t ripe at the same time. But the farmers can only pick the ready ones. It takes a lot of time and effort in this job.
With only limited amounts of coffee bean produced annually but the farmers have to work very hard and carefully, the price of Kona coffee can’t be low.
What Does Kona Coffee Taste Like?
To understand the unique taste of this Kona coffee, you have to drink it yourself. You can imagine that it is quite sweet, creamy, flavorful, and smooth, then you can feel the nutty aftertaste.
Kona coffee is always low in acid so that you don’t need to worry if you have a hypersensitive stomach. If you try the premium peaberry Kona coffee ( the rare and exclusive one), you can enjoy the chocolate flavor.
Trying a cup of Kona coffee is like relaxing and especially when you drink Kona coffee in the morning, you will feel that you are full of energy.
Is Kona Coffee Robusta Or Arabica?
Kona coffee is Arabica coffee that people grow in higher loftiness. There are about 25 to 100 types of Arabica coffee, and they are different in shape, color, and size.
Arabica coffee produce more caffeine content than the Robusta and Kona coffee is the most fabulous and most expensive type of Arabica.
Grading System Of Kona Coffee
Type I Kona beans are classified as below:
- Kona Extra Fancy: the best Kona coffee with impressive, special taste
- Kona Fancy: rather excellent, made with the beans that are smaller in size
- Kona Number One: often mixed with higher grade beans to produce 100% Kona Coffee Blend
- Kona Select: 10% blend, 90% filler
- Kona Prime: sold at an affordable price with 10% blend, 90% filler
Type II:
- Peaberry Number 1
- Peaberry Prime
How To Guarantee The Quality Of Kona Coffee?
Kona district is a small area that grows coffee. However, not all the coffee beans harvested have the same quality. Each Kona bag is inspected and tested carefully and cautiously by HDA( Hawaii Department of Agriculture )
Before purchasing one product, you should carefully read on the packaging of the bag to find the mark of HDA. They base on the size, shape, composition and moisture content to evaluate the product
The product that graded “ Extra Fancy” is the most expensive one with the highest quality. Coffee enthusiasts claim that the beans that have the most upper-quality range from type 1 to 5. And the type 3 is rarely used.
FAQ
You can’t neglect the FAQ part because you may miss many essential data about the best Kona coffee!
The Bottom Line
There is no need to say that choosing a perfect Kona coffee to your concern is not easy at all. With a lot of useful information I reviewed above, I hope that you can pick up one product that best meets your demand.
And my choice is the Kona Bloom Coffee Beans as I trust the passionate experts of Big Island Coffee Roasters. Their methods of making the best coffee always make me satisfied and impressive.
Do you know other good Kona coffee brands? Do you know any tips to make the best cup of coffee? Don’t hesitate and let us know in the comment! Thanks for reading and best wishes!
