How to Properly Brew Hawaii Kona Coffee? Hawaii Kona Coffee Price is Expensive but Flavor is Unique

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There was mention about the flow rates of several common coffee drippers, which yielded very interesting results. When brewing pour-over coffee, the brewing times from fast to slow (left to right) are in the following order:

Hario V60 → Kono → Donut → Kalita → Melita

This extraction time comparison is only relative, without definitive data, leaving us baristas curious. We had to use a rather crude method to conduct comparative experiments. There are many types of drippers - perhaps you have a Melitta, Kalita, or KONO... Regardless of the type, each has its own characteristics. So how do these unique designs affect the taste of coffee?

Filter Cup Materials

In terms of materials, drippers come in resin, ceramic, and copper varieties. Most resin drippers are transparent, making it easy to clearly observe the state of coffee liquid dripping through the dripper during extraction, and they are lightweight and portable.

The Role of Dripper Ribs

When brewing coffee using the paper filter drip method, the filter paper will cling tightly to the dripper wall. Without these dripper ribs, after pouring hot water, air can only escape through the filter hole at the bottom. The remaining trapped air must escape from the surface of the coffee grounds during the blooming state, breaking a hole in the coffee powder surface. Cold air enters, and the coffee cannot bloom fully. Insufficient blooming naturally causes the coffee to lose some of its flavor!

Therefore, the dripper is extremely important. The dripper must have deep grooves so that after hot water is poured into the coffee grounds, there is space between the filter paper and the dripper for air to escape, allowing the coffee to bloom fully.

The Essential V60 Conical Large-Hole Dripper!

The bottom of a V-shaped dripper is a large hole, and it uses special conical filter paper. This type of dripper won't suffer from clogged filter holes and is suitable for coffee beans of various roast levels.

Conical drippers not only increase the concentration of water flow but also keep the coffee grounds more concentrated. During initial water pouring and blooming, the coffee grounds can absorb water more evenly. However, it also has drawbacks - its flow rate is relatively fast, making it prone to under-extraction. It requires multiple pours and has higher requirements for blooming.

V60 design features: perfect conical shape, spiral-like ridges, and a large central hole.

1. 60-degree cone angle: This extends the time for water flow to pass through the coffee grounds toward the center.

2. One large filter hole: This allows us to control the coffee's flavor by changing the water flow rate.

3. Spiral ribs: These allow air to escape upward from all sides, maximizing the expansion of coffee grounds.

Extraction characteristics: The rib design of the dripper can make the flow rate more uniform; however, water tends to accumulate at the dripper's grooves, causing some coffee grounds to be over-extracted while others are under-extracted. The large central hole design can increase the flow rate, somewhat compensating for uneven extraction. Using the Hario V60 dripper requires certain brewing skills and stability.

Japanese-style Method with Kono Dripper

Careful observation of the KONO dripper's ribs reveals that KONO's ribs don't extend from the bottom all the way to the top - they stop at less than half the dripper's height. This height design ensures that during the dripping process, the filter paper, after absorbing water, can cling tightly to the dripper wall. Once the exhaust space is restricted, air flow is also limited, which increases the water absorption time of coffee ground particles.

This time, I'd like to share extraction recipes using the same bean but different drippers to achieve two different flavor profiles.

This Hawaiian Kona coffee bean comes from Queen Farm. In 2009 and 2011, it won second place in the Gevalia (Hawaii KONA tasting competition) Cup Competition. 70% of the harvest there is considered the highest quality premium specialty beans, and it's a farm known for its high quality.

Light to medium roast Kona primarily delivers balanced, warm nectar sweetness and an elegant, substantial but not heavy mouthfeel. The brewed coffee emits mulberry aroma that brings sweet happiness. The aftertaste is a smooth malt bitterness that slides down the throat and then resurfaces when exhaling. When cooled, it's like a cup of mulberry tea. People in the coffee industry marvel and praise it endlessly! Bean introduction: Hawaiian KONA | Coffee Workshop Study Room

Roast level: Light to medium roast

Grinder used: BARATZA BG Grind setting: 4E (approximately Fuji 4)

Dripper 1: Hario V60 Transparent Resin

Water temperature: 90°C

Pour 29g water for bloom, start timing, wait 29s

Then pour 128g water, wait for the powder bed to drop about 1 centimeter, continue pouring to 230g, wait for all water to drip through the dripper.

Total time: 1 minute 50 seconds

When hot: barley tea, nuts, floral notes

When temperature drops to around 65°C, flavors begin to emerge: plum, mulberry, caramel, juicy

Balanced and refreshing taste with harmonious flavors

Dripper 2: Kono Resin

Water temperature: 88°C

Pour 30g water for bloom, start timing, wait 31s, then pour to 101g. When water level drops close to the powder level, continue with slow, large circular pours to 205g. Stop pouring and wait for all water to drip through the dripper.

Total time: 1 minute 55 seconds

When hot: cloudy mouthfeel with prominent green tea fragrance. Similarly, when temperature drops a bit, flavors burst forth.

Flavor: nutty

Mouthfeel: high texture, rich

Using the KONO dripper is mainly to slow down the drainage speed to increase coffee steeping time. Because the roast is lighter, we avoid amplifying green tea or herbal notes. Using relatively low temperature with slow, coarse water pouring avoids chaotic flavors. Because there are fewer extracted substances, we reduce the water ratio.

Regardless of brewing method, whether balanced or with stronger texture, it's all about bringing a cup that better suits each guest's preferences, getting closer to what they imagine.

Hawaiian Kona Coffee Bean Grading System

Characteristics: There's a saying that Blue Mountain is the king of coffee, while KONA is the queen of coffee. But compared to Blue Mountain, KONA is obviously less well-known domestically, has no standardized translation, and there have been forgery scandals in the past, making it not very easy to buy domestically.

Due to island terrain plus volcanic soil, Hawaiian coffee has very special characteristics - not too strong, not overly acidic, with mellow taste, carrying pleasant wine aroma and acidity.

Grading: KONA coffee is divided into four levels: the highest grade Extra Fancy, Fancy, Prime, and Gr. No.1. However, due to low production and high production costs, with increasing demand for specialty coffee in recent years, Kona prices on the market now rival Jamaican Blue Mountain, and high-quality Kona beans are becoming increasingly difficult to buy. "If I have the chance to go to Hawaii, I would definitely try it."

Hawaiian Kona Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Hawaiian Kona coffee beans have full guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they offer extremely high value - a 100-gram package costs only 120 yuan. Calculating at 15g per cup, one package can make 6 cups of coffee, with each cup costing only about 20 yuan. Compared to coffee shops selling cups for dozens of yuan, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473