Kona Coffee - Straight from Exotic Hawaii

Of all the types of coffee out there, one of my favorites has to be Kona coffee. I could spend pages and pages describing why I love its rich taste and aroma, but there's really no way to understand Kona coffee unless you've tasted it yourself. This coffee bean comes from the main Hawaiian island. Actually, it originated long before that in Brazil, but was brought to the island in the 1800s. Now there are many farmers in Hawaii who make their entire living harvesting plants with this type of flavorful coffee bean. My absolute favorite is the peaberry version, with the extra-small coffee beans.

If you're committed to the extra expense of having Kona coffee shipped right to you, then you need to do it the right way. First, don't settle for the ground coffee. You want the beans straight up. Grind only as much as you'll drink that day. I personally measure how much fills my coffee press, and I only grind one press full at a time. And that brings me to another important point - skip the instant coffee maker. Give it away to someone with less discerning tastes and invest in a coffee press.

What is a coffee press? It is basically a glass jar, the top of which has a plunger and screen mechanism on it. The coffee beans go in the bottom. You pour hot water over them, let it brew for a minimum of 4 minutes and then push the plunger. This strains the coffee and holds the coffee grounds down at the bottom. Making coffee in a coffee press is a simple and inexpensive device costing about $30, and it results in coffee that tastes a hundred times better than anything you can brew in your instant coffee maker costing hundreds of dollars.

So now that you understand the importance of brewing your coffee properly, you need to know a little more about Kona coffee in specific. When buying Kona coffee, read the fine print. It should say, "100% Kona Coffee." Don't settle for a blend, which may contain 90% low-quality stuff as compared to 10% Kona coffee beans - why do you need to pay premium price for that? It's wise to start with a small 8-oz. bag and see if you like it first. If you decide that Kona coffee is for you, save money by ordering by the pound. It all depends on how much freshness is worth to you, but I buy in smaller quantities more frequently so I can savor the freshness in my coffee.