100% Kona vs Kona Blends
Kona, Hawai‘i is one of the best coffee-producing regions of the world. The Kona coffee district on the Big Island of Hawai‘i has ideal soil conditions and a microclimate uniquely suitable to grow Kona Typica–Coffea Arabica, or what we call Kona Coffee.
What is 100% Kona Coffee?
To be called 100% Kona Coffee, it must be grown on farms on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa, volcanic mountains in the Kona district on the western side of the island.
All 100% Kona Coffee will have one other thing in common: it will never be available at a low price in the marketplace due to its limited supply and high cost of production. If you do see an inexpensive package of coffee labeled as Kona, it’s guaranteed to be a blend with 0% to 10% Kona, and 90% to 100% coffee from another part of the world.
Nothing tastes, smells and feels like 100% pure Kona coffee.
- Vikram Singh -
What is a Kona coffee blend?
A Kona coffee blend is made by combining cheaper Colombian or Brazilian coffee with a little bit of Kona Coffee. Blending coffee is not illegal, but it does leave a bitter taste in the mouths of 100% Pure Kona Coffee farmers like ourselves.
The biggest problem this creates for us is brand confusion. Companies selling Kona coffee blends can provide a product that is much cheaper than 100% Kona Coffee but still has the word Kona on the label. But remember: when you are drinking a cheaper Kona Coffee blend for one fourth the price of 100% Kona Coffee, what you are really drinking is cheaper coffee with a few Kona beans thrown in for flavor.