Why Hawaiian Kona Coffee is So Expensive and How to Brew It Perfectly

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Why is Kona Coffee So Expensive?

Located between 19 and 22 degrees latitude, south of the Tropic of Cancer, the Hawaiian Islands, caressed by trade winds, form a naturally perfect coffee-growing region. With volcanic soil and tropical climate, complemented by slight humidity and regular afternoon showers, this creates an ideal growing environment that seems straight out of an idyllic pastoral scene, adding delicate yet unique flavor characteristics to the coffee beans here. Some coffee enthusiasts assert: Kona coffee produced here is absolutely the world's best coffee, with stone fruit and chocolate flavors, smooth and delicious to drink!

After the outbreak of World War I, coffee demand increased dramatically. Rising demand triggered price increases, and Kona coffee was no exception. The period from WWI's outbreak to 1928 was the golden age of Kona coffee. In 1940, World War II caused coffee prices to rise once again. By the 1970s and 1980s, Kona coffee prices experienced several ups and downs, but it was during this period that Kona coffee established its status as one of the world's top-tier coffees.

Despite Kona coffee's worldwide fame, its production remains at relatively low levels. This is because the main Kona coffee production area is located on the slopes of Mauna Loa volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. This narrow coffee-growing belt stretches about 50 kilometers in length and only 1.6 kilometers in width, with a total area of approximately 1,400 hectares, producing less than 2 million pounds of coffee beans annually.

Kona coffee has always been hand-picked bean by bean from ancient times to the present. This stems from the tradition of family farms using family labor, but also serves to ensure only the highest quality coffee beans are used for coffee production. Kona coffee's harvesting season runs from September to December each year, and farms must ensure that coffee beans maturing at different times are promptly hand-picked. Therefore, among all coffee producers, Hawaii's coffee industry management ranks among the strictest, with the highest labor costs.

Freshly picked Kona cherries are red and enticing, comparable to cherries, hence locals generally call Kona coffee fruits "Kona cherries." Once Kona cherries are picked, they must be processed immediately to prevent spoilage that would affect the coffee beans' flavor. Kona coffee processing typically uses the washed method, and Hawaii's clean, sweet mountain spring water provides ideal conditions for this method. This approach creates the bright, clear appearance and pure, fresh flavor of Kona coffee beans. Subsequently, the wet coffee beans are placed in what are called "hoshidana drying racks" to dry slowly and naturally in the sun, preserving their special flavors. The dried Kona beans are called "parchment" or "Kona gold" because after drying, a golden skin forms on the bean's surface. After the beans are completely dry, the golden skin must be polished off and the beans graded. All this work requires continuous manual labor.

Superior natural conditions allow Arabica coffee trees with ancient Ethiopian plateau heritage to thrive freely in the Kona region, creating more intense coffee flavors. From planting, harvesting, washing processing, sun-drying, and polishing - every step relies entirely on manual labor, and production is extremely limited. Hawaiian 100% Kona coffee naturally appears premium and expensive, ranked alongside Blue Mountain coffee as synonymous with high-end coffee. If you're not in Kona, Hawaii, it's difficult to find 100% pure Kona coffee beans.

Kona Coffee Brewing Analysis

1. Dripper: V60

2. Water Temperature: 92°C

3. Grind Size: Small Fuji grinder setting 3.5

4. Roast Level: Medium roast

5. Bloom Time: 30 seconds

Flavor: Malt, mulberry, persistent caramel sweetness in the aftertaste

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Technique:

Slow, steady, and continuous pouring: Gentle circular pouring with a fine, steady stream to ensure even extraction. Very slowly, and you can also use a stir stick appropriately. Typically, during the bloom stage, perform one cross-stir to allow full contact between water and coffee grounds, increasing the release of aromatic compounds.

FrontStreet Coffee

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