The truth about Kona coffee

Photo of coffee cherries in Hawaii by Mikefats

Hawaii is known for many things like leis and luaus, hula dancers and honeymooners. It’s also famous for its coffee, especially Kona coffee. Rich and smooth, 100% Kona coffee commands a high price, about $28 per pound. Why?

Location, location, location
Considering the limited geography where Kona coffee is grown, it’s amazing it doesn’t cost more. The Kona Coffee Belt on the big island of Hawaii is something of a “perfect storm” environment for coffee growing. The area boasts fertile volcanic soil and ideal altitude, sun exposure, temperature, rainfall and drainage—everything coffee plants need to produce rich, high quality coffee beans. However, it’s only a 20 mile stretch of land, about 1500 acres of mostly small farms.

But should you find yourself with a bag of “Kona,” you might be disappointed. Again, why? Because some greedy coffee companies have no problem with misleading the public.

The California “Con Man”
Wouldn’t you be outraged to find out that the bottle of Napa Valley wine you bought at the store was actually only 10% from Napa Valley and 90% from Death Valley? Darn right, you would.

In the mid 1990s, Michael Norton of Berkeley, California, owner of the now defunct Kona Kai coffee company, netted nearly 15 million dollars by selling “pure Kona coffee” that was mainly from Central America. Donald N. Schoenholt, in his article “We Was Robbed! The Kona Kai Scandal and its Aftermath” reported,

...in a telephone conversation secretly recorded by a [Kona Kai] worker, Norton said, “All right, so it’s true we created a nonexistent demand for a nonexistent product.” When the worker complained that he felt guilty about the millions of consumers that were duped,” Norton answered, “Duped for what? They got what they bought…coffee.”

It’s All About the Label
Norton received a jail sentence and some hefty fines as a result, and now Kona coffee is now the most strictly regulated coffee in the world. The state of Hawaii has established a mandatory certification program that guarantees the place of origin for all Hawaiian coffees. According to the Crazy About Kona Coffee website, this regulation requires that “any package containing less than 100% Kona-grown coffee must be labeled ‘Kona blend.’ A Kona blend must contain at least 10% coffee beans from Kona by weight.”

So, the lesson is, be label conscious.

Les Drent, founder of Coffee Times Magazine, is on a mission to educate the public about Kona coffee in an effort to sustain and protect the heritage and economic stability of Kona coffee, and the coffee farmers of the Kona region. He warns consumers to be wary of phrases like

Kona Hawaiian, Kona Style, Kona Blend, Kona Roast and Kona Sunrise. These are not 100% Kona coffees and in most cases contain 90% foreign coffee. [Furthermore,] S&W Foods’ Kona coffee blend is sold without the disclaimer on the canister, in direct violation of Hawaii law.

And yet, even forewarned like this, you are still in danger of being deceived.

A Cup Full of Doubt
As stated, all packages of Kona blend coffee must carry the disclaimer, “this coffee contains a minimum of 10% Kona coffee," however, this same regulation does not apply to restaurant menus. Tourists may order what they think is pure Kona coffee from a restaurant or hotel, but receive only a 10% blend.

To ensure you get what you pay for and deserve, Crazy About Kona Coffee recommends the following when shopping for beans:

1. Use word-of-mouth to find a reliable supplier. Customer experience is your ultimate guiding light.
2. Develop a personal relationship with your supplier.
3. Purchase only authentic product packaged in Hawaii. Let Hawaii's laws and regulations and the local coffee industry associations work for you.

Sources for 100% Kona coffee beans in Los Angeles 

Jones Coffee Roasters
537 S. Raymond Ave, Pasadena, California 91105
626.564.9291
MON - FRI 6:30 AM - 8:00 PM / SAT & SUN 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Joni’s Coffee Roasting Cafe
552 Washington Blvd Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
310.305.7147
Corner of Via Marina