Hawaiian Kona Coffee - Best in America?

kona coffee is cultivated on the slopes of Hawaii (the big island). The reputation is such that Kona coffee is among the most expensive in the world. Hawaiian weather is perfect for coffee growing (what isn't Hawaiian weather perfect for?).

Kona coffee beans are classified in 2 types according to seed. Type I beans consist of 2 beans per cherry, flat on one side and oval on the other. Type II beans consist of one round bean per cherry (known as a peaberry).

My review is of the Type I bean. Kona coffee has tons of flavor, balance, and full bodied taste. It, for the most part, does not contain any subtle taste undertones. It is a dark roast, but not too dark and definitely not smoky or burnt. This bean when brewed is extremely smooth and easy to drink. Perhaps the best thing about this coffee is the aroma it gives off when brewing, filling your home with a wonderful, aromatic smell.

In a rush

Ok, I'll admit, I had the house to myself last weekend and ended up doing quite a bit of painting. The manual labor sapped my energy and made me very lazy. I also needed some groceries. So, did I make 2 stops or 1?

One of course. I went the easy way out and got pre-ground coffee from a grocery store (gasp, shock!).

Metcalfe's Market has a large coffee selection. I went with the Costa Rican Tarrazu blend. Costa Rican coffee blends are like Switzerland...very neutral, middle of the road in its taste qualities. It is very balanced, very mild, very clean, but not boring. To put it simply, it has coffee flavor that you'd expect. It's not blowing me away by its pure awesomeness (Kung Fu Panda pun intended), but it's not making me hurl my cup against the wall in frustration either.

Bean Rating: 3.5 beans

Sumatran

Review of the Sumatran blend from Steep and Brew:

Sumatran coffee beans are some of the heaviest, smoothest, and most complex coffees in the world. The majority of Sumatran coffee is marked Mandheling or Lintong. (Source: www.coffeeresearch.org). Regular Sumatran coffee is earthy and spicy. It is full bodied, light on acidity, and definitely tasty. I give the Sumatran 4 out of 5 coffee beans. Hey, I just came up with the bean rating.

pretty pleased with myself.

Morning Joe

Starbucks and MSNBC have paired up to promote their Morning Joe Blend. Alas, this is not a new coffee blend, rather Starbucks simply renamed their Gold Coast Blend as the Gold Coast Morning Joe Blend (gotta love those cross-marketing possibilities). In case you didn't know, Morning Joe is a morning news show hosted by Joe Scarborough on MSNBC. This coffee is very intense and full-body in flavor. It has a very robust and bold coffee taste, without the bitterness or acidity of most bold blends. This is a great blend for that first cup of the day.

Steep and Brew

it's been a while since we've gone to Green Bay, so now in time of coffee needs, I made my way to Steep and Brew to tide me over. I went with one of the "snappy, full bodied" blends from Costa Rica. I was very happy with the purchase. Not an overly expensive blend ($8.50 per pound), but it has a rich full true coffee taste.

roast your own

I'm considering roasting my own beans at home. If you're interested in how the process works, check out www.burmancoffee.com.

Honduras coffee

Hondurans know what they are doing when it comes to roasting beans and producing a fine coffee. Very rich in taste and full of traditional coffee flavor, lightly acidic and medium bodied. A fine drinking coffee. This is a definite repeat purchase.