Kona Moon

For coffee connoisseurs, Kona coffee is one of the best-tasting coffees in the world. But what makes it so delicious is what also makes it expensive, such as the precise balance of climate, weather and soil. After all, Kona coffee is only grown in the rich soil of the Big Island -- and only 100 percent Kona coffees are able to be called "Kona."

1. Kona Coffee Is 100% Pure

Like certain spirits that only come from a specific region of the world, Kona coffee has many imitators but no equals. In fact, Kona coffees that are mixed with other coffees are actually called Kona blends, but it says nothing about how much Kona coffee is found inside. Some unscrupulous sellers may only have trace amounts of Kona coffee within. 

While many might think that a Kona blend is an amalgamation of different Kona coffees, it actually means that only about 10 percent of the blend is Kona. As to what's in the remaining 90 percent, it's safe to say that it's likely whatever else they could get their hands on. That means the first requirement for a great-tasting cup of Kona coffee is a 100 percent Kona coffee -- no blends or imitations need apply.

2. The Kona Coffee Belt Is the Perfect Place To Grow Coffee 

With over 200 years of history in Hawaii, Kona coffee has found an ideal home in the volcanic hills of the Kona region. With a mix of sunshine and shade, as well as comfortable temperatures during the day and night, Kona coffee gets just the right climate to get the most out of the Kona coffee bean.

High altitudes also give Kona coffee its distinctive yet mild taste, and regular rains make sure that the plants don't dry out or get too warm in the Hawaii sun. The porous, volcanic soil is also ideal for quickly wicking away excess water. Taken all together, it's this ideal mix that helps Kona coffee dial up the rich flavor.

3. Dark Roast Kona Coffees Are Full of Bold Flavors

Unlike light and medium roasts that provide a subtle and complex flavor, dark roast Kona coffees, like other dark roast coffees, are full-bodied and bold with a straight flavor profile and low acidity that is great for mixing with milks and creams and suits the preferences of most coffee drinkers. 

If, on the other hand, you prefer more subtle notes in the coffee you drink, you may enjoy a medium or light roast. 

Comparing the Different Types of Kona Coffee

As mentioned earlier, not all Kona coffees are the real deal.

A Kona roast has the least to do with real Kona coffee, and likely contains no Kona coffee inside at all. There's really no such thing as a Kona roast from a manufacturing perspective, and unsavory sellers have started to cash in on the Kona name with so-called "Kona blends." Suffice it to say that this term is about as valuable as the paper it's written on.

Similarly, Kona style is another faux brewing term that is being used today to sell lesser coffee beans and roasts. Unless it mentions the amount of Kona coffee included (commonly 10 or 100 percent), there's likely no Kona coffee within.

Kona blends tend to only have 10 percent Kona coffee, a legal requirement that mandates that any Kona blend maintain at least a 10 percent mixture of real Kona coffee. While Kona blends may contain more than 10 percent Kona coffee, they rarely, if ever, do so.

By comparison, 100 percent Kona coffee contains only Kona coffee beans with no exceptions or substitutions. 

The Stages of Coffee Roasting

Straight from the coffee plant, coffee beans are more green than the tans and browns you're likely used to. That's because the roasting process is used to add complex flavors to the coffee beans -- flavors that will be released again during the brewing process. In fact, you can try your hand at roasting coffee at home if you purchase raw coffee beans.

For most, they choose to leave it up to the professionals, which roast coffee beans in either a drum or hot-air roaster. The first stage of roasting brings the coffee bean to a light pale or white. No changes have yet taken place chemically, but under heat the color starts to shift.

In the second stage of roasting, the coffee beans shift into an orange or tan color in addition to undergoing caramelization. From a more grassy smell to a sweeter, more savory smell, roasting continues until it hits the third stage, which is accompanied by an audible crack that denotes a "light roast."

In the fourth stage of roasting up until the second crack, tastes are shifting wildly as the roasting process imparts more flavor and richness. Removing the coffee beans from the roasting process after the first crack but before the second gives you a medium roast, while removing the beans after the second crack denotes dark roast coffee.