Best-Kona-Coffee

The 8 Best Kona Coffee Brands in 2023

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Have you ever tried Kona coffee? Once your taste buds experience the silky smooth brew of Kona Coffee you will realize why it is immensely popular all over the world. Once you taste this delicious and aromatic coffee, you would not want to ever go back to any other bean.   

Kona coffee is one of the most expensive coffee beans in the world. This Arabica coffee is cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the northern and southern districts of Hawaii’s island. These coffee beans are grown in perfect conditions in fertile volcanic soil. Each Kona coffee farm is known for producing distinct kind of bean.    

The flavor profile of Kona coffee is unparalleled. The sweet fragrance of the brew is first going to grab your attention. The first sip seems rich and sweet with a honey-like nutty taste that would remind you of cocoa, butter or caramel. You will experience a lingering, bittersweet taste of nuts or citrus on your tongue later on.

The profile of Kona beans varies from one farm to another. Some beans possess a berry aroma whereas others possess a distinctive vanilla scent. Although the flavor notes can vary, the Kona beans produce a brew that is full of flavor, smooth, mellow and rich.

We decided to research and track down the fine selection of genuine Kona coffee beans available in the market for you. Here are some genuine offerings that you can consider to satisfy your taste buds.

Things to Consider Before Purchasing The Best Kona Coffee

Not all Kona coffee growers are alike. Kona Coffee taste is elevated based on the elevation at which it is grown, the kind of soil it is grown in as well as on the orientation to the sun. Great coffee requires careful picking. Several farmers try to maximize their profit by picking unripe beans along with the good ones. 

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There are several Kona Coffee growers who exercise great care in picking only the red ripe coffee. This is the reason why such Kona coffee brands are expensive. Poor processing can run the taste of any coffee. Premium coffee beans are carefully picked, dried and processed in order to deliver an outstanding cup of coffee. Premium brands always monitor each step.    

Care must be exercised to always purchase Kona Coffee from actual growers. Coffee passed through numerous distributors before reaching the consumer. Each distributor involves in moving and storing the coffee. This can consume several months. When you purchase directly from the grower, you can be assured that you are getting quality Kona coffee.

You must always consider purchasing fresh grown Kona coffee beans. You need to check when the coffee beans were grown. Most coffee is brewed from beans grown years ago. Hence, you must always opt for fresh roasted Kona coffee.

Purchasing Kona coffee from passionate growers is going to offer you the best and the most delicious Kona coffee experience. Growing coffee requires a lot of patience. Processing and roasting demands time as well. Hence, it is essential to purchase Kona coffee from manufacturers who are passionate about their offering.

Growers who are passionate about offering great quality take extra measures to pick the best coffee beans and do not mix other beans. They exercise care in picking the appropriate coffee beans and roast them slowly on the estate itself. Look for awards and honors while purchasing Kona coffee of the many options available.  

You must consider the kind of flavor you would appreciate before purchasing Kona coffee. You should also purchase Kona coffee based on the quality of roast and the strength of the coffee that you desire.

Stay away from the mild roasts if you are fond of strong coffee. You would not be able to appreciate the mild, smooth taste..

Top 8 Best Kona Coffee


1. Kona Peaberry Coffee  

Highlighted Features

  • Freshly roasted coffee beans
  • Immediately packed and sealed
  • Grown in volcanic earth rich in minerals
  • Certified coffee sourced from Costa Rica
  • 100% customer satisfaction guarantee

If you are looking for an authentic Kona coffee experience with intense aroma, luscious, nutty and smooth flavor, then you must consider trying Kona Peaberry Coffee. One of the most prized coffees in the world, this Kona Coffee is full of rich and smooth flavor.

You would be treated to an aroma of cherries and orange blossoms when you treat yourself to Kona Peaberry coffee. Bright and vibrant with notes of sweet honey and caramel, this medium roasted Kona beans coffee promises you a remarkable coffee experience.

With volcanic coffee gaining immense popularity, you would not be disappointed with the finest quality coffee being offered in the form of Kona Peaberry Coffee. Highly priced for its low acid content, the Kona Peaberry beans are believed to be the champagne of Kona Coffee. A favorite of coffee connoisseurs, this concentrated Kona coffee is a real deal.

Pros

  • Grown organically
  • Certified by the Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance
  • Rich chocolatey and piquant flavor
  • Beautiful packaging and excellent aroma
  • Available in wide variety of flavors

Cons

  • Has a sour aftertaste
  • 100% Kona Coffee and is a little bitter

2. Hawaii Roasters 100% Kona Coffee 

Highlighted Features

  • Delicate and mild coffee
  • Hand-picked and sun dried
  • Winner of Hawaii Governors Export Award at the largest food exhibition held in Paris
  • The taste is complex yet rich with fruity and nutty notes
  • Low in acid and would not cause problems to those with sensitive digestive systems

If you want to experience the taste of all natural, farm-roasted, sun-dried and handpicked coffee beans, then you must try Hawaii Roasters 100% Kona Coffee. The medium roast offered by the brand is chestnut brown in color. It produces a mild and delicate coffee.

Featured on KGO Radio and the Food & Wine Radio Network and founded by a third generation coffee family, this Kona coffee variety promises authentic taste of volcanic Kona coffee. Indulge in premium quality coffee beans that flourish of the volcanic slopes of Hawaii.

Individually hand-picked the Hawaii Roasters 100% Kona Coffee is sun-dried to bring out its characteristic flavor. The artisan micro roasting carried out in small batches seals the freshness of Kona coffee beans in each and every packaged bag.

Pros

  • Whole beans stay fresh throughout
  • Roasted in small batches for ensuring quality of the product
  • 100% authentic Kona beans
  • Consistent quality maintained throughout

Cons

  • Dark roast lovers will find the flavor mild
  • You need to have a grinder

3. Kona Coffee Beans by Imagine

Highlighted Features

  • Beans grown in rich volcanic soil
  • Exceptional robust and sweet taste
  • Smooth and rich flavor
  • Ideal for use in drip coffee machines, automatic makers, cold brew machines and French Press
  • Mountain grown at an elevation of 2220 feet under the shade of macadamia nut trees

If you are looking for 100% whole Kona coffee bean with medium-dark roast then you should look no further than Kona Coffee Beans by Imagine. This flavorful and smooth beverage cannot be resisted by any coffee aficionado. Imagine Kona coffee beans are labeled to be Extra Fancy as they are among the top 10% of the best beans produced in Kona. You can be assured that you are investing in a premium product by opting for Kona Coffee Beans by Imagine. You need to have a grinder to brew this exceptional coffee.

The rich and sweet flavor of this coffee has notes of berry. This will specifically appeal to those who love a fruity brew. The best thing about these coffee beans is that these are low in acid which implies that these are not hard on your sensitive stomach.

Kona Coffee Beans by Imagine has been air roasted which is often employed in artisan roasting. This process prevents burning and charring. The brewing methods suggested by the company are cold brew, French press and the drip. The recommendations help you indulge in an amazing tasting drink.

Pros

  • Air roasted
  • Low in acid
  • Fruity and sweet flavor
  • Highest quality beans in offing
  • Not blended with low grade beans

Cons

  • The taste may not seem strong for some
  • You will need a grinder as only whole beans are offered

4. Kona Gold Coffee Whole Beans

Highlighted Features

  • Winner of 2018 AVPA Paris Silver Award
  • Single origin pure Kona Coffee beans are grown in the shade of Ohia and Macadamia nut trees
  • Grown in Kona region of Hawaii in mineral rich volcanic soil
  • The beans are handpicked, sun dried and roasted
  • Unique drum roasting yields highly aromatic and bitter tasting coffee
  • Can be used with automatic coffee makers, cold brew, drip coffee machines, French press and pour over coffee makers 

If coffee connoisseurs are looking for a reason to celebrated, then they should certainly try the Kona Gold Coffee Whole Beans. Grown in rich volcanic soil, these coffee beans possess a unique wonderful flavor that you can seldom find elsewhere.

Kona Gold Rum Co. has won several awards. It has secured first place in the Kona Crown Cupping Competition held in 2016. These roasted beans have been rated as Extra Fancy by the Hawaiian Society of Agriculture which is the highest grade possible for Kona coffee beans.

Upon picking and processing, the Kona coffee beans are sun roasted and air dried on the plantation. This is the most natural way of extracting the aromatic flavor from these superior coffee beans. The bright color of the coffee is due to the wet method processing.

Kona Gold Coffee Whole Beans blend produces sweet, crisp notes of peach, apple and raspberry. It also has a complex touch of melon, brown sugar, clove and molasses. The full city roast offers an aromatic blend of fruity, creamy and crisp notes. This makes it one of the most distinctly flavored brews.

Pros

  • Rated extra fancy for moisture content and consistency of size
  • Wet method processed and hand picked
  • Grown and roasted on the same Kona beans estate
  • Smooth and complex aromatic flavor

Cons

  • The burnt coffee taste may not appeal to everybody

5. Hualalai Estate- 100% Premium Kona Coffee 

Highlighted Features

  • All beans offered in the pack come from the same estate and are roasted together
  • Uniform beans are roasted together to prevent burning and under roast
  • No pesticides are used in the Hualalai Estate
  • Complex overtones produces delicious brew every time

Hualalai Estate Kona coffee is noticeably different when compared to other Kona coffee brands. This is because there is no blending of cheap quality products in the coffee. The coffee on Hualalai Estate is grown without any pesticides and is entirely organic.

The medium dark roast Kona coffee from Hualalai Estate offers a perfect blend of caffeine and flavor. The bold flavor and the complex overtones ensure a delicious cup every time. The estate ensures to choose the beans for uniformity of size and to render the entire process consistent.

Roasting the beans in an inconsistent manner can pose a challenge to the roaster. As each bean roasts at a different rate, some may burn and some may under roast. Hualalai Estate ensures that consistent size is maintained for obtaining best quality roast.

As pure Kona beans are oily in nature, you need to clean the grinder thoroughly while grinding these beans.

Pros

  • Smooth coffee with complex and bold flavor
  • Consistent flavor is produced by uniformly sized beans
  • Completely organic

Cons

  • As the beans are slightly oily, they can clog your grinder
  • Thorough cleaning of grinder is essential after each grinding session

6. 100% Kona Coffee Vienna Roast by Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation 

Highlighted Features

  • Attention to detail is given and best practices are followed
  • Roasted to perfection
  • Ripe coffee beans are handpicked and sorted via a rigorous procedure
  • Highly experienced Roast Master create the perfect blend of Private Reserve
  • Gourmet known for taste and quality

Grown at high elevation in the renowned Kona Coffee belt located on the Big Island in Hawaii, the 100% Kona Coffee Vienna Roast by Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation is a quite a unique offering. The Kona coffee beans by Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation are grown and roasted on the slopes of Mount Hualalai volcano. This region is apt for the growing conditions of Kona coffee beans. The mild climate, high elevation, plenty of sunshine, light winds, volcanic soil and ample rain during summer makes it the best belt for growing Kona beans.

Kona coffee beans grown by Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation are cleaned, graded and processed with the aid of an optical color sorter. This process removes yellow, orange and black Kona coffee beans that impart a bitter taste to the blend. The beans are then roasted to produce Vienna or French roast.

Vienna roast by Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation possesses a nutty and chocolatey flavor. It has overtones of cinnamon which imparts it a unique taste. This private reserve coffee is roasted from the most flavorful and largest Kona coffee beans.

The medium Vienna roast is the most popular of all gourmet roasts. It is ground to perfection for all coffee aficionados. The packaging is nitrogen flushed and vacuum packed for maintaining the taste, aroma and freshness. This award winning coffee is grown, processed as well as roasted in rich growing conditions. This imparts a delicious and unique test in every sip.

Vienna roast is popular for its chocolatey and nutty taste with slight cinnamon overtones. More robust taste and stronger aroma is the characteristic of this popular Kona coffee bean brand. Focus on quality is ensured in Mountain Thunder Coffee products so that it remains delicious and fresh in every sip. Grown in ideal conditions, each coffee bean is handpicked when it is ripe and red. The best of each coffee bean is brought out with small batch roasting.

Pros

  • Only the best Kona beans are used for processing
  • Beans are roasted in small batches for ensuring freshness and for obtaining the optimal flavor
  • Grown in heart of renowned Kona Coffee Belt
  • Comprises of the most flavorful and the largest Kona coffee beans

Cons

  • Bitter taste may not appeal to everybody  

7. Kona Coffee Cultural Festival’s Medium Roast 100 % Kona Coffee & Tea

Highlighted Features

  • Handpicked and sustainably farmed
  • High quality extra fancy whole beans
  • Secured first place in 2018 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival’s Cupping contest
  • Grown in a single estate in high elevated land
  • Certified 100% Kona coffee

If you are looking for a smooth roast coffee with caramel and floral nuances, then you should certainly consider trying Kona Coffee Cultural Festival’s Medium Roast 100 % Kona Coffee & Tea. The velvety texture of this medium roast is what renders it unique from the rest.

This Medium Roast secured first place in Gevalia Cupping Contest during 2003 and 2009. The best thing about this coffee is that it is low in acidity and ideal for people with sensitive stomach. This high quality extra fancy bean is handpicked and sustainably farmed.

This Kona Coffee Cultural Festival’s Medium Roast 100 % Kona Coffee & Tea is roasted and shipped in vacuum sealed bags for maintaining its freshness. This certified 100% single estate Kona coffee is made from high grade, sun ripened coffee beans.

Pros

  • Grown in Hualalai region which is the heart of Kona coffee growing belt
  • Features a velvety texture
  • Shipped in vacuum sealed bags for maintaining freshness
  • Made from sun dried coffee beans
  • Low in acidity and ideal for people with sensitive stomach

Cons

  • Those who are fond of strong taste may find it mild

8. KonaRed Certified 100% Kona Coffee 

Highlighted Features

  • Renowned for offering sustainable, traceable and functional products
  • Small batch roasted for freshness and quality
  • Rich and smooth taste with hints of chocolate, caramel and light floral notes
  • Fine for espresso and coarse for coarse brew

KonaRed is renowned for offering one of the rarest and most sought after Kona coffee in the world. Grown of the mountain slopes in volcanic soil, the Kona coffee plants thrive well in nutrient rich soil. Each coffee bean is picked when its ripeness is at its peak.

The coffee beans are roasted in house for highest freshness and quality. KonaRed offers the best coffee beans for making the perfect brew. This certified Kona coffee is medium roasted for imparting a delicate flavor to your cup of coffee.

This non-GMO 100% certified Kona Coffee is grown on Hawaiian estates. It is roasted in small batches. It is available in whole bean as well as pre-ground form. This coffee promises a delicious aftertaste and a smooth roast. The mild flavor makes it an ideal choice for inexperienced coffee drinkers.

Pros

  • Certified Kona Coffee which is grown in Big Island of Hawaii
  • Mild and smooth flavor
  • Non-GMO product
  • Pure and delicious product

Cons

  • Mild flavor of this brew may not be worth the price

Conclusions

We have listed the best Kona coffee brands and have reviewed them in detail. Going through this review would have given you the knowledge that you need to look into before purchasing a Kona coffee.

5/5 - (19 votes)

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James Miller

J is most definitely our resident barista! With a genuine passion for everything coffee related, he ...

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