Kona Beans

[Coffee Grounds]

I just recently got into home roasting.
I am very happy I did.

I just got a shippment in of 8lbs of Kona Beans from the big Iland.

Holy Smokes they are very smooth.
I have been roasting a variety of different beans from Costa Rican to African.
The Costa Rican are very good also.
The different African beans seem to be more robust with a stronger aftertaste.


The Kona beans are far superior than anything else I have tried.

[designwise1]

I have read that Costa Rica beans are among the most balanced. I use them in most of my blends.

Enjoy the Kona. I tried Kona a couple of times but I prefer Kenya over just about anything else.

[F. Prefect]

Originally Posted by designwise1

I have read that Costa Rica beans are among the most balanced. I use them in most of my blends.

Enjoy the Kona. I tried Kona a couple of times but I prefer Kenya over just about anything else.

There exists this one problem when one speaks of Kona or Blue Mountain. That being you may only think you have tried Kona. Kenya AA is one of my favorites as well, but unlike Kona, you don't run the risk, in most cases, of being sold beans that are other than what are represented.

I don't mean to imply you didn't try real Kona, but unless you can purchase it from a VERY reputable source, I would be very careful.

F. Prefect

[dyj48]

Yep, there's still a bunch of unscrupulous retailers in Kona. It's not many, but again, I don't want to defame anyone, some of the bigger retailers do mix their beans and call them 100 percent Kona. The best retailers in Kona are the smaller farms who pick their own beans and market them in small batches. It's very difficult to get good labor and the bigger retailers just can't get them picked even though they're ripe on the vine. Most of the smaller retailers pick them themselves or have family and a few permanent helpers pick them.

I've visited quite a few mills and spoke to some of the mill owners to get a sense of the processing of Kona beans. It's just extremely difficult to get enough Kona beans to fill large wholesale orders to the mainland.

Best way to learn is to go to Kona and visit some of the mills. The organic movement is pretty good in Kona and many of those farmers are doing their best to get help. That's partially why the prices are so high, otherwise they'll go broke. Many smaller farms have closed because they just can't get the help necessary for them to have enough beans to make a decent profit.

[F. Prefect]

Originally Posted by dyj48

Yep, there's still a bunch of unscrupulous retailers in Kona. It's not many, but again, I don't want to defame anyone, some of the bigger retailers do mix their beans and call them 100 percent Kona. The best retailers in Kona are the smaller farms who pick their own beans and market them in small batches. It's very difficult to get good labor and the bigger retailers just can't get them picked even though they're ripe on the vine. Most of the smaller retailers pick them themselves or have family and a few permanent helpers pick them.

I've visited quite a few mills and spoke to some of the mill owners to get a sense of the processing of Kona beans. It's just extremely difficult to get enough Kona beans to fill large wholesale orders to the mainland.

Best way to learn is to go to Kona and visit some of the mills. The organic movement is pretty good in Kona and many of those farmers are doing their best to get help. That's partially why the prices are so high, otherwise they'll go broke. Many smaller farms have closed because they just can't get the help necessary for them to have enough beans to make a decent profit.

I don't know if the adulteration takes place at the level of the grower or the roaster, but it's a shame that a coffee as good as Kona cannot be purchased with any degree of confidence that what is being sold is 100% Kona, or Kona blended with beans that only resemble Kona in appearance.

I've only had a few cups of what I'm reasonably certain was 100% Kona, and although it's far too expensive to drink everyday, I would be willing to pay the 30.00+ dollars/lb if I could be certain I was getting the real thing. But personally, I have no such source.

F. Prefect

[dyj48]

Originally Posted by F. Prefect

I don't know if the adulteration takes place at the level of the grower or the roaster, but it's a shame that a coffee as good as Kona cannot be purchased with any degree of confidence that what is being sold is 100% Kona, or Kona blended with beans that only resemble Kona in appearance.

I've only had a few cups of what I'm reasonably certain was 100% Kona, and although it's far too expensive to drink everyday, I would be willing to pay the 30.00+ dollars/lb if I could be certain I was getting the real thing. But personally, I have no such source.

F. Prefect

Many of the big retailers grow and roast their own. Most of the smaller farms cannot process the beans themselves and send it out to the mills to process. Some of the mills only do a wet process and the remaining processing including another cleaning, sorting and bagging goes to a second mill. Most small farmers are pretty good, they get their own beans back in their own sacks from the processing mill, then they bag and sell retail or online.

The cheapest and honest kona coffee you can probably get is from blue sky coffee. Many local folks buy from them because of the prices ($18 + a pound). Blue sky loses money from their coffee sales, but because they run a large profitable construction firm, they don't seem to care. I would definitely buy roasted beans from them. I can't remember if they sell green, but they might. They're legitimate!!

http://www.konablueskycoffee.com/order_kona_coffee.html



Davis

[F. Prefect]

Originally Posted by dyj48

Many of the big retailers grow and roast their own. Most of the smaller farms cannot process the beans themselves and send it out to the mills to process. Some of the mills only do a wet process and the remaining processing including another cleaning, sorting and bagging goes to a second mill. Most small farmers are pretty good, they get their own beans back in their own sacks from the processing mill, then they bag and sell retail or online.

The cheapest and honest kona coffee you can probably get is from blue sky coffee. Many local folks buy from them because of the prices ($18 + a pound). Blue sky loses money from their coffee sales, but because they run a large profitable construction firm, they don't seem to care. I would definitely buy roasted beans from them. I can't remember if they sell green, but they might. They're legitimate!!

http://www.konablueskycoffee.com/order_kona_coffee.html



Davis

Thanks dyj48, I'll have to pay them a visit. I get most of my roasted beans from a company in Texas called Coffee Wholesale USA. They are an honest company, have great coffee sold only in 16 and 5 lb bags, and from a price standpoint, about the cheapest I've found anywhere on both varietals and organics, BUT, they ain't got any $18.00 Kona. 27.95 the last time I looked.

Thanks again, it's always good to get some feedback on companies when your about to pay 20.00 - 30.00 for a pound of coffee beans! 18.00.

F. Prefect

[Coffee Grounds]

Here is where I got them.
If they are blending green bean then they have some serious talent for blending.

http://huladaddy.com/catalog-greenbeans.htm

[dyj48]

Jeez, I've never heard of them, but they're located right in the heart of Kona territory. Those prices are incredible and extremely low. I can make a few inquiries, but they look legit....