Coffee Brewing

Brewing Tips for Aloha Kona Coffee

At Aloha Kona Coffee we roast each bag fresh to order so you will always start off with the freshest coffee possible! It is important to store, grind, and make coffee properly to ensure the best taste! 

• Ground coffee deteriorates faster than whole bean, so it's recommended you buy whole bean and grind only what you plan to use immediately.
• If you don't consume coffee within a few weeks it is good to store it in the freezer, in an airtight jar.
• Always start with a clean, washed pot. Water quality also effects flavor. We suggest using filtered water. 
• The finer the grind, the more time it takes the water to flow through the grounds. We suggest using a "coarse" grind.
• Coffee does burn, and it is best to keep your coffee maker under 200 degrees. 
• Drink coffee fresh and do not reheat.

Coffee Bean Grades

Grades of Kona Coffee Beans

Hawaii is the only coffee growing area in the world that requires continuous and rigorous testing to certify its coffee. Kona Coffee is held up to the highest standards and graded by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDA) and is based upon a grading system which takes into numerous factors, such as:

• Coffee bean's size
• Coffee shape
• Moisture content
• Defects 

There are five primary grades of Kona coffee:

• Extra Fancy
• Fancy
• Number 1
• Peaberry
• Prime

While all of these terms can be confusing, but the truth is there is very little that separate these categories or grades. It is mostly the size of the bean that designates its grade. There is a big cost difference between grades too because Peaberry beans for example, constitute only about 5% of a harvest, and since they are rare they cost a premium. If a farm grows good coffee, any grade will be good!

Aloha Kona Coffee Coffee is Estate grown and can attest to the quality of its coffee. It is well cared for coffee and you can tell that in the quality because the beans are large and well shaped. The defective beans are sorted out in the fermentation process and the moisture content is always analyzed so the beans or "parchment" is stored at its optimum moisture content. 

Aloha Kona Coffee does not sell separate grades. Therefore, you will not have to pay more for a certain grade because all the beans are combined. You can see the premium grades in Aloha Kona Coffee are in every bean. Be sure to take note of the large quality beans each every bag!

Growing Kona Coffee

Growing and Processing Kona Coffee

Kona coffee begins flowering in the first few months of the year, but depending on rainfall flowering can occur at anytime. It is a beautiful sight when coffee trees are in bloom with thousands of little white flowers. A few months after the coffee flowers, green berries begin to appear on the trees. It will then take a few more months for the green berries to turn to a red fruit, called "cherry". The harvest season can last for as long as six months. Normally, the first couple harvest will yield the most cherry. Adult trees can bear as much as 40 pounds of cherry on a good year. Although, that sounds like a lot of coffee, one thousand pounds of cherry will only yield about 150 pounds of coffee beans after all the processing is complete.

Within a day after harvest, the cherry must be pulped. The pulping process separates the beans from the pulp. The beans are then soaked and will begin to ferment. The fermentation process takes another day. The beans are put on a drying rack and rinsed. It will take about one to two weeks for the beans to dry. It can be faster, but with the humidity in Hawaii, it is better to wait until the beans are about 9.5%. Konas beautiful weather makes it the perfect place not only to grow coffee, but also to dry the beans in the warm sun. Beans can be measured for moisture with an old fashioned farming aide called a "dicky-John". Once dry, beans are stored. This stage is called parchment. Parchment is a thin paper shell that is milled off just before the beans are ready to be roasted. Beans can be stored in the parchment stage and will cure nicely in a temperature-controlled environment.

The ratio of cherry to roasted coffee beans is about 7 to 1. Growing and harvesting coffee is a long process that takes goes through many phases. For those of us who love to drink 100% Kona coffee it makes it all the work worthwhile!

Kona Coffee Terminology

Kona Coffee Terminology

Cherry - The fruit of the coffee tree.

Bean - Two flat seeds formed within the cherry.

Peaberry - When coffee cherries produce one round seed.

Pulping - separates the beans from the outer red skin.

Processing - When the beans are fermented and washed.

Drying - The beans are laid out on decks and sun -dried to a moisture level between 8 -10%. 

Parchment - A stiff white skin, that is milled off the bean prior to roasting.

Milling - Removing of parchment skin.

Green - Coffee beans milled and ready for roasting.

Roast - Cooking the green coffee to the desired taste.

100% Kona Coffee

100% of Kona Coffee Beans Guarantee!

Many brands of coffee claiming they are “Kona” are misleading. You may see labels that say “Kona Blends” and these blends usually contain 10% or less of Kona coffee! Because Kona coffee a scarce commodity in the marketplace, some retailers sell Kona Blends. Please read the small print because many consumers assume they are getting 100% Kona Coffee when in fact it is not even Kona Coffee. Blends are not a combination of different types of Kona coffees but rather a blend of Kona and Columbian or Brazilian coffees. 

Because Aloha Kona Coffee is grown and processed on the Estate it can guarantee not only the quality of its coffee, but also the fact that it is 100% Kona coffee beans. Don’t settle for anything less! Only coffee from the Kona Districts can be described as "Kona".

Coffee Roasts

Aloha Kona Coffee Roasts

What does roasting do? Fats and sugars within the coffee bean become emulsified, and through this process the wonderful flavors of the coffee beans are released. This process causes the coffee to emit its flavorful oil. Oil is what gives coffee its characteristic taste and aroma.

At Aloha Kona Coffee our specialty is our medium dark roast, which is roasted fresh to reach order at 464 degrees. This roast maximizes taste and aroma, leaving a perfect oil balance with no sharp bite. 
The medium dark roast offers just the right amount of caffeine and acid to offer a full flavor without any after taste. Some coffee lovers prefer darker roasts, such as espresso. Aloha Kona Coffee offers roasts to the taste and preference of every customer - just specify the roast you like best! 

Lighter roasts keep more acid in the bean than medium dark and espresso roasts. Darker roasts have a deeper flavor but there is less caffeine in the darker roasted coffees. It is all a matter of taste, and what you like drinking. 

The roasts alone don't determine the coffee taste - much of that depends of the quality of the coffee bean to start with. Aloha Kona Coffee cares for and processes every tree and we can guarantee the coffee you drink is the result of years of care and excellence. You will taste the difference in the superior bean we grow, and therefore, the taste is apparent in the final product- a wonderful roasted quality coffee bean. 

Aloha Kona Coffee Taste

Why Aloha Kona Coffee Tastes Better

Savvy coffee drinkers want to know the region where the coffee is from. Coffee drinkers look for 100% Kona coffee because it is well known that coffee from Kona is well balanced, with great body and good acidity. While terms like acids and body are used a lot, what do they really mean in regards to how coffee tastes?

Coffees body really refers to the weight of coffee on the tongue. While some coffees are light or crisp, others tend to linger. Body ranges from light to full. A good cup of coffee should taste clean, offering a full flavor without a long delay on the tongue.

Acidity is often thought of as a bad thing. However, it has very little to do with being sour or bitter. Acidity refers to the brightness of a coffee.

Coffees from Kona are known for their robust, earthy characteristics, with flower-like notes, and a great balance. When coffee is from the Kona region it infers many things. Kona coffee has great acidity, but not over powering, which is one reason so many coffee drinkers like it. Aloha Kona Coffee offers a very full-bodied medium dark roast that is perfect balance for coffee lovers.
At Aloha Kona Coffee each and every bag is roasted fresh to order, which assures the balance, body and acidity of the coffee beans will be the best you can possible drink. Some of these descriptions might be unnecessary, because the most important thing is you will know that when you take a sip that Aloha Kona Coffee tastes great!