What is a Kona Blend?

Visit a grocery store in the US and you will most likely find a coffee with the words Kona Blend or 10% Kona Coffee for sale. Unlike 100% Kona Coffee that costs a premium, these blends are often priced competitively with coffees from other countries. If your goal is to see why Kona Coffee is considered one of the best, we recommend that you do not waste your money or effort as you will most likely be very disappointed. The main differences between 100% Kona Coffee and a Kona Blend is that a 10% Kona Blend will taste like the predominate 90% cheaper coffee used in its blend. Almost none of the flavor notes that make 100% Kona Coffee special will show through at such a low percentage.

Keep reading as we discuss these differences in detail. The next time you are shopping for Kona Coffee, you will have the knowledge needed to make an informed decision that you won’t regret.

Why Do Kona Blends Exist?

Because Kona Coffee is grown in the United States, it is subject to regulatory laws that are more stringent, and therefore more expensive to comply with, when compared with other popular coffee growing countries. For instance, all workers producing Hawaii grown coffee at each stage of the process will receive, at the very least, the US mandated minimum living wage for their efforts. The rate used for a “living wage” in the US is much higher than the rate followed in other coffee growing countries. Similarly, environmental laws are more expensive to comply with in the United States. Collectively, these expenses drive up the cost of 100% Kona Coffee.

In a successful attempt to bring the Kona Coffee lore to the masses, a few companies have decided to make the price point more accessible by blending with cheaper beans from other countries. Although the final product is very different from 100% Kona Coffee, the lower price point is much more attractive to consumers and therefore gains traction in grocery stores across the US.

Flavor: 100% Kona vs. Kona Blend

The rich volcanic soil and perfect coffee growing micro-climate located on the slopes of the Hualalai Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii produces a coffee that is floral, smooth and well known for having a very low bitterness. True fresh roasted 100% Kona Coffee is a flavor experience many appreciate and consider to be one of the best coffees in the world.

The flavor of a Kona blend, however, will very rarely provide any recognizable Kona Coffee flavor notes. Most are blended with only 10% Kona Coffee, which makes it very challenging for these special flavor notes to stand out from the 90% majority. Many may enjoy a Kona Blend however, we would argue that the flavor they are tasting is most likely originating from the 90% rather than the very small 10%.

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Reasons to Buy or Avoid Kona Blends

We are aware that regardless of why 100% Kona Coffee is priced the way it is, many consumers are simply not interested in paying a premium for their daily coffee. If that is the case we have no issue with Kona blends…as long as consumers realize that they are purchasing a completely different product that should not be compared with Kona Coffee.

Our concern arises around the implication of using the “Kona” name and association without providing an experience that is even close to the real thing. If you are truly interested in understanding why so many people find 100% Kona Coffee so special, we definitely recommend you source true 100% Kona Coffee first. Allow yourself to be properly calibrated with an accurate representation before deciding if the attractive price point of a Kona blend could meet your expectations.

How to Buy 100% Kona Coffee

To ensure the best 100% Kona Coffee experience we recommend buying from a source that ships direct from Hawaii. Buying direct is helpful to ensure you get a premium product that hasn’t been sitting on a store shelf for months. Premium Kona Coffee is at its best when brewed within two months from roasting. At Kona Roasted Coffee, we place the roast date on the bottom of each bag to let our customers know how fresh their coffee is.

For the best experience we also highly recommend you purchase whole bean coffee. As soon as coffee is ground, the newly exposed surface area immediately begins to lose the volatile flavor components that make premium 100% Kona Coffee so special.

Negative Impacts on Opinion

If a consumer does not realize that a Kona Blend is a very different product when compared with 100% Kona Coffee, they may arrive at the wrong conclusion. We often hear that people believe Kona Coffee to be special due to marketing and the “magic” of Hawaii only, not because its flavor is anything remarkable. We strongly disagree and believe that Kona blends might be responsible for some of these opinions.

When you purchase a standard coffee your expectations would typically be measured simply by if you like it or not. However, when you purchase a coffee that implies something special you might be very disappointed if you find it to be merely acceptable. This could lead to a negative connotation associated with the Kona Coffee name. A mediocre Kona blend experience is not likely to convince one to seek out and spend a premium on real 100% Kona Coffee.

Informed Consumer

Overall, the specialty coffee scene is experiencing a renaissance with hundreds of new roasters and new processing methods emerging every year. More and more informed consumers are demanding a better coffee experience and are able to avoid marketing tactics that may not deliver the flavor and quality expected.

We encourage you to do your homework and learn the story behind your favorite coffee. Whatever your opinion of Kona Coffee might be we hope at the very least it was formed by experiencing a fresh roasted 100% Kona Coffee that was sourced direct from Hawaii.

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