It’s the middle of summer and I, a self-diagnosed Hawaiian Kona coffee addict turned micro-roaster, am planning my trip to the Hawaiian Kona Coffee Region for the fall Hawaiian Kona Coffee harvest on the Big Island. 

What could be better than to spend a few days socializing with some of the smartest brains in the Hawaiian Kona coffee industry, seeking out new best practices to perfect my craft and, yes, sampling the best Hawaiian Kona coffee from all over the Hawaiian Islands.  I can hardly wait.

While the Big Island is best known for its Hawaiian Kona Coffee production, it only accounts for about 1/3 of the Hawaiian Island’s total annual coffee production.  Coffee is grown on the other islands as well.  With an almost perfect mixture of year round warmth, sunshine, rich volcanic soil, wind-swept rolling hillsides, gentle trade winds and proportioned rainfalls; Hawaii is home to the best Hawaiian Kona coffee in the world.

But what makes Hawaiian Kona Coffee special?  Is Hawaiian Kona Coffee worth the premium price?   Let’s first get over the financial piece so we can concentrate on what makes Hawaiian Kona Coffee an American gem so special.  The average pound of coffee produces about 32 - 12 oz cups.   At around $26 per pound, that comes to $.81 per cup of 100% Extra Fancy Hawaiian Kona Coffee – the finest in the world.  So I ask you, as you sit on your back porch with the gentle touch of the morning sunrise on your face, the birds singing in perfect harmony and you take that first sip of Hawaiian Kona coffee, is it worth the $.81 vs. say $.40 to drink the best?  Hawaiian Kona Coffee is truly one of life’s affordable luxuries.

So with the financial arguments out of the way let’s focus on what makes Hawaiian Kona Coffee great.  It basically comes down to the climate, growing techniques, harvesting and processing of Hawaiian Kona Coffee.  Each of these processes most be done to world-class standards in order to produce a perfect cup of coffee.  With 170 years of experience under their belts, the 600 small farms that comprise the Hawaiian Kona Coffee Region constantly perfect their craft. 

The narrow corridor in Hawaiian Kona about 20 miles long and 2 miles wide, running from the Palani Junction to the north, to Puuhonua Road to the south, is the Hawaiian Kona coffee growing region.  It lies in an elevation range from between 700 ft to 2000 ft with average annual temperatures of 69° F.  The volcanic soil is deep, porous and well drained which makes it perfect for growing Hawaiian Kona coffee. 

The perfect climate and soil conditions bestow upon each farmer a responsibility to maximize this gift.  These primary family-owned farms take this responsibility very seriously and leave little to chance.  With an average annual Hawaiian Kona Coffee production of only 1 lb., each plant is given special attention throughout the year especially during the fall when the Hawaiian Kona coffee cherry blossoms begin to bloom. The Hawaiian Kona Coffee harvest session goes from August to December and this is where Hawaiian Kona Coffee farmers separate themselves from the rest of the world.  Hawaiian Kona Coffee cherries do not ripen on the plant all at once so he farmers do not pick them all at once. In fact, one Hawaiian Kona coffee plant will be hand-picked several times throughout the session to ensure the Hawaiian Kona coffee cherries are harvested at their peek.  Once picked, the Hawaiian Kona coffee is processed using the “wet” method; then it is dried, graded (size and quality) and shipped to people like me to roast for connoisseurs like you. 

So when you look at all that Hawaiian Kona Coffee offers in that Saturday morning cup of java, I ask you once again, it is worth the extra $.40 per cup?  But if you are still not convinced it is, consider this, every sip you take of Hawaiian Kona coffee is an investment back into America’s economy because this is the Hawaiian Kona coffee Made in the USA.