Hawaii Kona Coffee Bean Growing Story Characteristics & Pour-Over Brewing Recommendations

Hawaiian Coffee

The volcanic soil on the west coast of Hawaii provides rich nutrients for coffee trees, giving birth to aromatic and mellow coffee. Hawaii's annual coffee production exceeds 8 million pounds, making it the only state in the United States that grows coffee. FrontStreet Coffee's Hawaiian coffee is smooth, rich, and fragrant, with an enticing nutty flavor and well-balanced acidity. When it comes to describing coffee flavors, FrontStreet Coffee believes everyone will have their own interpretation, but what FrontStreet Coffee truly wants to do is guide friends who are new to specialty coffee to find a connection between coffee and their taste buds.

Twenty years after American independence, the coffee industry was still dominated by commercial coffee models. Europe had made substantial profits, and America wanted a share of the coffee market. However, the continental United States was not suitable for coffee cultivation. The annexation of Hawaii solved this problem, introducing Typica from Guatemala and planting it extensively. At that time, Jamaica's Blue Mountain coffee already had 60 years of development history and was quite mature. Being similarly an island, Hawaii couldn't help but emulate it. That's why we often see Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and Hawaiian Kona coffee compared together.

Hawaii is an archipelago belonging to the United States, located in the central Pacific. Among the many islands, only the Big Island grows coffee. This is not only because the Big Island has the highest elevation compared to other islands, but also because it has the most suitable climate and lacks excessive hybrid varieties, ensuring a pure growing environment.

Although the Big Island has the highest elevation among the islands, the coffee growing areas range only from 300 to 1,100 meters above sea level. This doesn't meet the typical elevation requirements for specialty coffee, yet no one would say that Kona coffee doesn't belong to the specialty coffee category—quite a contradiction, isn't it? At FrontStreet Coffee, we often discuss with other coffee professionals that while the concept of specialty coffee seems to have certain standards, there are always some distinctive coffees that break these standards. This is precisely what FrontStreet Coffee finds fascinating about coffee.

Although Kona coffee from the Big Island remains the most famous, coffee is now grown on every major island across more than 950 farms, with harvesting areas exceeding 7,900 acres. Hawaii's year-round warm, sunny weather, rich volcanic soil, rolling slopes, gentle trade winds, and abundant rainfall combine to make Hawaiian coffee one of the best in the world.

In 1813, the first plants were brought to Oahu, although sugar far surpassed coffee as an agricultural product for farmers. In the late 1820s, Bourbon variety coffee was brought to the Big Island, and over the next decade, the first coffee-focused plantations were established.

However, the coffee industry here did not develop smoothly. For example, in 1858, coffee production on Kauai came to a halt due to blight. Then there was competition from the sugar industry, as landowners switched from coffee to sugar to increase income. These factors led to many plantations being abandoned and subsequently divided into smaller farms. The United States began occupying the islands in 1898 and abolished protective tariffs on coffee, further weakening the market. As a result, more farmers started growing sugarcane. It wasn't until the 1980s, when sugar prices fell, that the coffee industry had a turning point.

Currently, there are 12 coffee regions distributed throughout the islands, with Kona being the most famous. However, due to low production and high costs, with the increasing demand for specialty coffee in recent years, the market price of Kona is approaching that of Jamaican Blue Mountain, and high-quality Kona beans are becoming increasingly difficult to purchase. Although Hawaiian coffee often commands high prices, it offers excellent traceability.

Kona Coffee Grading System

Kona coffee beans are actually divided into five grades, with the first three being most common: Extra Fancy, Fancy, No. 1, Prime, and Peaberry (round beans, commonly known as male beans. Because some coffee enthusiasts particularly favor them, they are specially selected and sold at higher prices. About 5% of Kona coffee beans are Peaberry type). Except for Peaberry, which is specially selected, the other four grades are classified according to bean size, weight, and defect ratio.

Premium FrontStreet Coffee Hawaiian Kona has moderate acidity with subtle wine aromas, a very rich mouthfeel, and an irresistible fragrance.

FrontStreet Coffee · Hawaiian Kona Coffee

Kona green coffee beans are affixed with numbered tags on burlap bags before export, indicating certification by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and bearing an official identification seal, making them more expensive. Kona coffee's market price is second only to Blue Mountain coffee. Moreover, Kona coffee from planting, harvesting, washing, sun-drying, and polishing is all done by hand, resulting in limited annual production. Currently, Hawaii's 100% Kona coffee ranks alongside Blue Mountain coffee as synonymous with premium coffee.

The unique natural environment of the Kona region nurtures Arabica coffee, making it one of the world's highest-yielding coffee plantations. Not only is the quality guaranteed, but the coffee cultivated in its unique growing environment and climate is even more aromatic. The coffee beans grown in the Kona region are very attractive in appearance, with full-bodied shapes and bright colors, earning them the title "the most beautiful coffee beans in the world."

Most coffee trees in the Kona region grow on volcanoes, able to absorb abundant nutrients stored in the soil. Combined with manual cultivation techniques, every coffee bean here has a unique appearance. Kona coffee brewed from these beans is silky smooth, richly aromatic, with a charming nutty fragrance and moderate acidity, as captivating and meaningful as the colorful scenery of the Hawaiian Islands.

Kona coffee cultivation has always adopted a family farming model. The Kona coffee harvest season runs from late August each year to January of the following year. Farmers pick ripe fruits in batches and process them to obtain coffee beans. Initially, only men were allowed to work in the coffee gardens, but later women joined as well. Hawaiians' family production model prefers to rely on family efforts rather than hiring workers, so it was normal for Hawaiian families to have eight or nine children at that time. Later, new immigrants continued to come from the Philippines, mainland America, and Europe to engage in coffee cultivation in Hawaii. Over time, Hawaii formed a social atmosphere centered on family culture while being open to absorbing foreign cultures, making it one of Hawaii's major characteristics.

Queen's Farm

FrontStreet Coffee's Frontsteet Hawaiian Kona coffee comes from Queen Farm. In 2009 and 2011, it won second place in the Gevalia (Hawaii KONA Cupping Competition) cupping competition. Seventy percent of the harvest there is considered the highest grade of premium specialty beans, and it is a farm known for high quality. Even the slightly lower grade specialty beans have aromas that are no less impressive than the premium specialty beans, astonishing and receiving endless praise from people in the roasting industry.

Currently, common Hawaiian coffees on the market, besides the Kona region on the Big Island, include Maui, Kauai, and Molokai islands, all of which have coffee plantations gaining prominence. Common Hawaiian coffees include different varieties such as Typica, Mocca, and Catuai.

FrontStreet Coffee · Hawaiian Kona Coffee Beans

Region: Kona Region
Farm: Queen's Farm
Elevation: 1100m
Variety: Typica
Processing: Washed

Roasting Suggestions

Like FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, Frontsteet Hawaiian Kona consists of low-density beans, so the initial roasting temperature cannot be too high. When sweetness emerges and the color turns light yellow, the moisture content is high and requires sufficient steaming time. The coffee beans are fresh, clean, and have a solid, heavy feel. Kona should not be roasted too dark—FrontStreet Coffee recommends medium-light roasting.

Machine: Yangjia 800N, green beans 550g
Entry temperature: 200℃
Yellowing point: 5'35'', 150.1℃
First crack: 9'30'', 187℃
Development after first crack: 1'50'', discharged at 193.4℃

Heat the roaster to 200°C and charge the beans, with air damper at 3. After 1 minute, reduce heat to 150°C, keeping the air damper unchanged. Roast until 5'35'' at 150°C, when the bean surface turns yellow and grassy aroma completely disappears, indicating dehydration is complete. Adjust heat to 140°C and air damper to 4.

At 9'30'', the bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and black spots, with the obvious transition from toast aroma to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the first crack sound. When first crack begins at 9'30'', reduce heat to 70°C and fully open the air damper (be very careful when adjusting heat—don't reduce it so much that cracking stops). Turn off heat at 182°C and discharge at 193.4°C.

Frontsteet Hawaiian Kona Coffee Brewing Methods

FrontStreet Coffee experimented with five different brewing tools—Hario V60, siphon, AeroPress, French press, and KONO—to compare the flavor differences.

1. Hario V60

Water temperature: 90℃
Coffee dose: 15g
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Grind size: Fine sugar (80% retention on China standard #20 sieve)

Brewing Method

Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. Pour in small circular motions to 125g, then segment. When the water level drops to just expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops to just expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. Total extraction time is 2'00" (timed from the start of bloom).

Flavor Description

Balanced and gentle osmanthus honey sweetness with an elegant, substantial but not heavy mouthfeel. The brewed coffee emits mulberry aroma that brings sweet happiness, with a smooth malt aftertaste that becomes like mulberry tea when cooled.

2. Siphon

Coffee dose: 20g
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:10
Grind size: BG-6M

Brewing Method

Add 210g of water to the lower chamber. When the lower chamber reaches 90℃, insert the upper chamber tightly. When the upper chamber reaches 90℃, add coffee grounds and stir to ensure full contact between coffee and water. After 30 seconds, stir again to break the crust. At one minute, remove the heat source and wipe the lower chamber with a dry cloth to accelerate the coffee liquid return.

Flavor Description

Chestnut, caramel, almond, hazelnut, plum, toffee. Overall mouthfeel is quite rounded with prominent aroma.

3. AeroPress

Water temperature: 88℃
Coffee dose: 10g
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Grind size: BG-5R

Brewing Method

Pour water directly to 147g, then press three times in a cross pattern. Stir 3 circles at 50 seconds, then press at 1 minute 30 seconds. Total extraction time is 1 minute 41 seconds.

Flavor Description

Sandalwood, herbal, chocolate, plum, peach, nuts, cream. Rounded mouthfeel, rich layers, soft fruit acidity.

4. French Press

Water temperature: 88℃
Coffee dose: 17g
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:13
Grind size: BG-5R

Brewing Method

Pour water directly to 223g, stir 5 circles. When steeping for 50 seconds, stir 4 more circles. At 1 minute, insert the plunger to press down the coffee grounds. Complete pour time is 1'31''.

Flavor Description

Brown sugar, nuts, cream, herbal, dark chocolate. Slightly oily texture is very smooth with high sweetness.

5. KONO Dripper

Water temperature: 88℃
Coffee dose: 15g
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Grind size: BG-6M

Brewing Method

Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. Pour in small circular motions to 125g, then segment. When the water level drops to just expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops to just expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. Total extraction time is 2'00" (timed from the start of bloom).

Flavor Description

Berries, chocolate, cream, spices, fermentation aroma, hazelnut. Smooth mouthfeel, lively fruit acidity.

Summary

In the process of extracting Frontsteet Hawaiian Kona coffee using different methods, FrontStreet Coffee found that V60 and KONO drippers produce richer flavor layers with softer fruit acidity. The three extraction methods of AeroPress, siphon, and French press all retain some oils, resulting in a fuller body leaning toward nutty and creamy flavors. FrontStreet Coffee suggests that friends who prefer rich layering can try V60 and KONO, while those who enjoy a fuller body can use AeroPress, siphon, or French press.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473