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  • Kona Coffee?

    Your thoughts?

    Here at the market, I can get a can of coffee beans for $5-$6.00 of most any blend. But, the Kona Coffee at the same store is $17.99 for the same size can of beans.

    OK, I love Hawaii, I love coffee. I gave it a shot. I'm not sure if I had a bad batch, but it tasted "ashy". When we visited Kona in April, I noticed all the "soil" is black. Volcanic ash. Is it all in my head?

    At the hotel, I had Kona coffee, but I think it was a blend, the way they call stuff "juice" but you find it has only 10% juice in it. I didn't notice that ashy flavor as much.

    I love Maui onions. I love all Hawaiian food. I want to love Kona coffee. But, it just didn't happen for me.

    Anyone else feel like this?

  • #2
    Re: Kona Coffee?

    Originally posted by drumorgan
    Your thoughts?

    Here at the market, I can get a can of coffee beans for $5-$6.00 of most any blend. But, the Kona Coffee at the same store is $17.99 for the same size can of beans.

    OK, I love Hawaii, I love coffee. I gave it a shot. I'm not sure if I had a bad batch, but it tasted "ashy". When we visited Kona in April, I noticed all the "soil" is black. Volcanic ash. Is it all in my head?
    ?
    You're buying your coffee in cans? I can't vouch for the age of the Kona coffee you bought in that can, but fresh Kona beans packaged in bags and ground right before brewing would not produce that "ashy" taste. Are you sure the can said "100% Kona" or was it Lion Brand blend?

    Starbucks brand Kona is going for something like $28/lb (or more) and Craig would tell you it's a rip off because SBUX has a tendency to overroast their coffee. But I happen to like SBUX Kona, except that I can't afford it anymore! So I buy NickyBeans Kona beans from Costco whenever I go to Maui ($18/lb).

    Miulang
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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    • #3
      Re: Kona Coffee?

      true confession time here:

      Kona coffee just doesn't do it for me. As a black coffee drinker, I don't find medium roasts to be that enticing, which seems to be the only way that 100% Kona is roasted. 10% aren't anything special, imo. Give me a great French roast, vanilla mac nut, or hazelnut. And (I think it was Craig who said it before), McDonalds makes a better cup of strong black joe than does SBUX.

      pax

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      • #4
        Re: Kona Coffee?

        Try the Cloud Rest coffee from Pahala

        http://www.kaucoffee.com/

        Jimmy and Lisa Dacalio grow my all-time favorite coffee. They can't call it Kona, but Ka'u is every bit as good a growing region.

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        • #5
          Re: Kona Coffee?

          Miulang is right about price.

          Avg. retail for pure Kona Coffee runs about $28/lb. retail IN KONA. Probably higher everywhere else.

          100% PURE Kona Coffee is usually branded as "Extra Fancy". Another rare variety is the Peaberry. That can run as high as $40/lb. retail.

          My cousin owns a coffee farm in Kona up at Holualoa. Their last harvest is already sold and accounted for.

          Me? Ahhh.. Kona-Shmona... I like Taster's Choice instant.
          sigpic The Tasty Island

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          • #6
            Re: Kona Coffee?

            Gotta side with Pua'i Mano'a regarding Kona coffee - it's too weak for my taste. I like coffee that will float a horseshoe as the old cowboy saying goes. We've been buying the Seattle Mountain Costa Rica Dark French Roast (2.5lbs $7.99 only at the Costco in Iwilei) a great value and a decent cuppa joe.

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            • #7
              Re: Kona Coffee?

              Heck, Lion Coffee's Kona is cheaper than that at Safeway ($11 or so). Whatever I think of its management 15 years ago when I worked there, the product was good. Try their brand.

              http://www.lioncoffee.com/products.asp?dept=36
              http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/

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              • #8
                Re: Kona Coffee?

                a note on starbucks coffee -

                My brother was an employee there for a long time (through high school and because he was paid really well, it paid for college, too). Granted, he hasn't been a starbucks employee for, oh the last 4 years, but I can tell you (because I saw the bags), that the CoD (coffee of the day) normally is made from expired coffee beans (some as far as 3 weeks expired - but normally a few days to a week). This was a regular occurance at the 4 stores he worked at during his sb "career" (all in california).

                Also, if you fill out the comment card at a starbucks (usually on the condiment island thing with the straws) and send it in, they used to send you back 2 free drink coupons. Haven't done it in awhile since they no longer make my favorite drink, but I thought I'd share.

                -k
                Last edited by Kelly0040; June 16, 2006, 11:49 AM.

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                • #9
                  Re: Kona Coffee?

                  Gross on the CoD story! Fie on Starbucks!

                  However, to be fair to SBUX...for under $20, SBUX makes an excellent "Coffee Traveler" which is perfect to take to a meeting or a potluck. 96oz of fresh brew, at least a dozen cups, and all the trendiest fixings (1/2n1/2 in a full cup, more than enough packets of sugar, S/L, Splenda, Honey, good stirrers, etc). As a courtesy, call it in 1/2 hr ahead of time, and it is worth every penny.

                  Always a winner wherever you take it.

                  pax

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                  • #10
                    Re: Kona Coffee?

                    Originally posted by glossyp
                    Gotta side with Pua'i Mano'a regarding Kona coffee - it's too weak for my taste. I like coffee that will float a horseshoe as the old cowboy saying goes. We've been buying the Seattle Mountain Costa Rica Dark French Roast (2.5lbs $7.99 only at the Costco in Iwilei) a great value and a decent cuppa joe.
                    Me too! I like my coffee full-bodied. Safeway does an excellent french roast decaf. Also, since I am the only coffee drinker in the office, I rely on those fancy "coffee pods", and brew it just like a cup of tea...of course, I am happy to leave my bag in there to rot in all that hot water.

                    pax

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                    • #11
                      Re: Kona Coffee?

                      Originally posted by Pua'i Mana'o
                      since I am the only coffee drinker in the office, I rely on those fancy "coffee pods", and brew it just like a cup of tea...of course, I am happy to leave my bag in there to rot in all that hot water.
                      I know which one you're talkin' about. We bought the Senseo system from Costco several months ago, but ended up returning it. It came with a free box of coffee pod refills that included 3 different flavors.

                      The reason we returned it was because it only brewed in 1 or 2 European decanter-sized cups (4 oz.), which wasn't enough when we go on coffee drinking binges. Also, the coffee brew was rather weak for our Americanized taste. The neat thing was there's no messy filters or spilled coffee granules to worry about.
                      sigpic The Tasty Island

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                      • #12
                        Re: Kona Coffee?

                        I love my coffee but sometimes I'm too lazy to brew it. One thing I've noticed about drip coffee makers is that you have to let the coffee "steep" awhile before drinking it in order for the coffee to have some body to it.

                        I've also noticed that if you gotta drip, use the cone-style baskets instead of the standard flat-bottomed baskets. The drip concentrates more at the bottom of the cone instead of spreading out over a flat bottom. This gives you a hardier taste.

                        But when it comes to making it myself I love my stainless steel West Bend percolator. I honestly believe perked coffee gives you the hardiest body of any kind of brewing. And boy that pot is well-seasoned. I bought it at an estate sale so this thing has been brewing coffee since the 60's and man that flavor is good.

                        Lion's is good but I've noticed that even Lion's is a blend and not pure Kona. Despite that blending, they still make a robust coffee as their motto says, "the coffee that roars".

                        The problem with today's younger drinkers is that they've grown up on the taste of SBUX and that's what they consider strong coffee. It's burn't according to my tastebuds. There's a difference between burn't and robust coffee. But the greatest insult to coffee is when I see someone putting cream into their expresso! What is that all about? Expresso was meant to be taken like a shot of whiskey straight with no cream to panty-ass it's strength.

                        When I see people putting in several "creams" in their coffee I joke and tell them, "would you like to add a bit more coffee to flavor your cream?"

                        Straight and black, and no that's not how I like my men I'm happily married to a wife who FINALLY learned how to make my coffee the way I like it...when she's motivated to do so.

                        Nothing tastes better than when someone makes you a cup of coffee exactly the way you like it. The first time she did it right, I cried...yeah for real kine. Now that's love.
                        Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Kona Coffee?

                          Craig, have you ever tried a French Press? We have one, although we don't use it often. It makes strong coffee, I guaran-damn-tee it.
                          http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/

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                          • #14
                            Re: Kona Coffee?

                            Originally posted by Linkmeister
                            Craig, have you ever tried a French Press? We have one, although we don't use it often. It makes strong coffee, I guaran-damn-tee it.

                            I had one (bought it from that coffee place on the ground floor at Ala Moana Shopping Center years ago) but then it fell victim to my kids who broke the glass. I cried. I got over it, but I never replaced it.

                            And boy oh boy does it make a really steeerrooooonnnng cup O' Joe! Them hairs on the chest are still standing at attention...AND THAT'S MY WIFE'S CHEST!!!

                            Ho boy I'm glad she doesn't read this website! French presses are da bomb!
                            Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Kona Coffee?

                              I LOVED my french press coffee maker! I have seen all sorts of fancy ones, including the one-piece version that looks like a metal thermos from which you plunge it down and start drinking. However, the beans are supposed to be ground coarse, moreso than the auto drip deal. So, I did that for a long time, until I found pods in the store, and now I am lazy.

                              My good friend (a construction worker) told me one morning as I saw him at SBUX that he likes his coffee "sweet and blonde" to which I replied I like mine "strong and black".

                              Cream in an espresso? Isn't that what a latte is? Hell if I know; I have never indulged myself in a cup of coffee that costs over $2.

                              I try not to pound too much coffee, and also try to get as much decaf in there as possible. I pay attention to caffeine and am sensitive to its effects.

                              pax

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