Whenever I'm in our Kona store, the question I get asked most is, "Why is Kona coffee so expensive!?" I'm here to explain it(to the best of my ability) to any of you that might be having that same question.
Kona Coffee is one of the only coffees that is grown commercially in the United States. It grows on the volcanic slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii. Sunshine in the morning, rain in the afternoon, perfect elevation and that rich volcanic soil make this, in my opinion, the perfect cup! Am I biased? Well...maybe a little. Kona coffee was the only coffee served in our house growing up.
The main reason as to why it is expensive is the cost of labor. Kona coffee is handpicked by our farmers pretty much all year. Because only the red cherry is picked, we have to pick the same tree multiple times during picking season. The beans are then separated by grade(post on grading to come). The larger the bean, the better the quality. The coffee is then dried, roasted and packed all by us, right in our Kona store.
In most countries, coffee is picked mechanically by the machine, shaking coffee trees and mixing over-ripe and under-ripe beans of all sizes which usually results in a sour cup of coffee. It costs 3 cents per pound to mechanically pick, in Kona it cost 75-85 cents per pound of handpicked coffee.
Another reason is the availability of Kona coffee. It only makes up about 1% of coffee in the whole world. That's crazy rare! The last 5 years there was a Coffee Cherry Borer infestation that devastated many Kona Coffee farms(that's a whole other post to write). It set a lot of farms back, including us. Because of the limited supply, a lot of companies do a blend of 10% Kona and 90% of random coffee beans from all over the world. But we have stuck with only serving 100%.
Now, I'm not good at math but I'm going to break this down for you so you can see just how much you're paying for a cup of Kona from us. I'll use my favorite, Private Reserve Signature. Here at KMC, we use 1 tablespoon per cup of coffee. A lot of coffee places use 2 tablespoons, but trust me, ours is strong! So if you're using 1 tbsp per 6oz Cup, you can get 32 cups of coffee from 1lb!
So at $1.40 per cup...is it really that expensive?
I would love to hear your thoughts or if you have any questions!
Thanks for reading!
Heather
Comments (22)
There is no better coffee! Tip for Canadian buyers; if you live close enough to the border, ship to the closest US town and bring it across the line yourself. In Vancouver, customs never charges tax or duty if you have a reasonable amount for personal use.
We order 3 pounds a month, and trust me there are many things my wife and I would give up before our 2 cups of KMC every morning.
My wife has been buying me KMC as an on-going “Christmas present” for that last 3 years. I get a pound every 3 months, and I only drink it on weekends, to make it last. It is wonderful coffee, indeed! Mahalo!
I appreciate the coffee and the care that goes into your product. I’m a huge fan. But I can’t order it from Canada without paying a ridiculous amount of shipping charges. I’ll always pay what you want for the coffee, but it would be helpful if you explored better and less cost shipping alternatives.
You know that anyone that has had true Kona coffee will never quibble about the price. Its the old saying that you get what you pay for. With Kona Mountain Coffee, that is the case. You want quality Kona coffee, then buy this. Yes there is shipping involved as well. Is it worth it? Oh yes it is. Mahalo KMC, keep up the good work.
You give the price of a pound of coffee beans, but what about shipping? Will that pound of coffee cost me $50.00 in Oregon?
Heather, thank you for the background on Kona Mountain Coffee. It’s exciting to see that the coffee is grown on the volcanic slopes of Hawaii and how rare the coffee actually is (making up only 1% of coffee worldwide, wow!).
I look forward to ordering samples for the office to try here in Santa Monica.
My two granddaughters discovered KMC many years ago and brought back a sample. The next year my wife and I vacationed in Kona (and of course I lived in the Kona shop). Mark spent a couple of hours with us at the farm, and I remember the bores well. You need to feature a post by Mark about the trials and trouble from “bugs”. I blend my own Espresso from the medium and dark. I have used nothing but KMC since our Kona trip. Many other coffees have been tried. You need to tell all about the low acidity of KMC - no heart burn here.
We visited your store in Kona and bought Private Reserve and Pea Berry. We have been buying (Honolulu Hilton GVC) your coffee and always enjoy at home inn Niagara Falls Canada. We discovered your Espresso blend in the store in Kona but you do not sell the beans. How can we purchase the espresso blend.
Love your coffee,
Leo
Send info and prices of how to purchase and ship