Kona Coffee

In Hawaii, coffee trees thrive on the cool slopes of the Hualalai and Mauna Loa Mountains in rich volcanic soil and afternoon cloud cover.  Coffee trees typically bloom after Kona's dry winters and are harvested in autumn. Coffee cultivated in the North and South districts of Kona (on the Big Island of Hawaii) is the only coffee that can truly be called Kona Coffee


Before being graded, Kona coffee is hand picked, pulped, dried and hulled. Machinery at the coffee mill sorts the beans into different grades by size and shape. Peaberry is top of the line. A peaberry bean is formed when one side of the flower fuses with the other leaving only one bean in the coffee cherry. This gives the peaberry a more concentrated flavor and makes up only about 5% to 10% of the total Kona Coffee harvest. Top grades (in descending order) include extra fancy, fancy, No.1 and prime


Kona Coffee is sun dried, then custom roasted depending on desired results and differences in moisture of the beans. A good roasting process (and processor) can make a world of difference. Roasting is referred to as an "art form" by many in the trade. Dark roasts are typically called French Roast, Italian or Espresso. Medium roasts include Full-City and Vienna. Flavored coffee is either sprayed or powdered immediately after roasting for best absorbtion of the added flavor. Just after roasting the oxidation process begins and coffee is at its freshest.


Air tight containers and freezing coffee will optimize freshness. Whole bean stored in this manner retains a recommended shelf life of about three months, ground coffee about a month. Growers suggest buying in whole bean form and grinding just before brewing each pot.  ~ Redacted from http://konacoffee.com/coffeestory.html

While I disagree that "freezing coffee will optimize freshness" and that shelf life is "about three months" I have to admit that I am very intrigued with this coffee that is grown in the soil of volcanic ash.  I am looking forward to roasting this bean fresh and serving it at the coffee roasting demonstration on Saturday, March 23rd.  There are a few seats left if you are interested - email me.

Anchor Bay Roasts

Here is a short write-up in a newsletter where I did a demonstration.


Click here for the PDF Article

February Event - 02/18/2012

My next public demonstration is at the ECCO, a bookstore in New Baltimore.  Heh heh, I really thought that I would have to write a book to get invited to a bookstore venue but I guess books and coffee do go together.

Coffee Demo This Saturday...

There are still a few seats available for this FREE event if you are interested. Also, there is a $25 Gift Card for FREE gas that will be given as a door-prize to one of the attendees.  

Sorry, a reservation is required for a seat.
Please find my contact information on the website.

Flowers or Coffee?

click for larger image

I was thinking today how a husband invited me to do a roasting demonstration at his wife's birthday party.  It dawned on me that any middle school kid can buy flowers to show his affection to his girl but it takes a man with real insight to get his love such a rare treasure for her birthday.  She's going to love it!


Since it is the holiday season, please let me know if I can provide you with some coffee for your special events - your guests will do a double back-flip with a single twist when they taste how good your coffee is.  (You do know that is hyperbole right?)  Take a look at what I have to offer.


If you have not yet taken the time to find the easter egg on the website - lucky for you there is still time.  Go over to the Anchor Bay Roasts website, find that easter egg, and you will be entered in (with the other 3 people) this month's drawing for FREE coffee.

Coffee Roasting Demonstration

Since I am scheduled to begin supplying the fresh-roasted coffee at our church (VOX Church) I am going to be doing a coffee demonstration this Sunday and feature the Indian Monsooned Malabar.  I plan to roast and brew so that people may watch the process and sample the freshest coffee this side of the equator.  If you're not doing anything on Sunday come on out and taste the goodness.  (learn about VOX)

Coffee Demonstration

Today at church one of the guys asked me about how to roast coffee. So I volunteered to demonstrate the process using my popcorn popper at our small group bible study that afternoon - it was a hit. Not only was there a buzz at church about the roasting demonstration but everyone wants to roast there own coffee now. Hee-hee, I feel like the Brain who is attempting to take over the world.

To the left (from the left) are my popcorn popper, jug of filtered water, green coffee beans, 12 cup coffee maker with conical screen filter, aluminum pie plate to cool the beans on, and a burr grinder. I let everyone see and smell the green beans and then added 2/3 of a cup to the popper. With-in 10 minutes the beans were a nice shade of brown and finished having fully entered the First Crack.
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the coffee.
My continued preaching of how it is a mortal sin to add cream or any flavoring to black coffee made people feel obligated to at least try it plain black. Afterward I heard from person after person that they did not need to add flavoring because the coffee was so good. Ahhh, converts. (Sidebar - Do you know why they flavor coffee? Because it is bad coffee in the first place) At least two people commented that they are going to seek out a popcorn popper of their own and so I am well on my way to starting the green coffee bean co-op that I need to help with my coffee bean purchases

This was my first coffee roasting demonstration and it turned out well. I had pieces of 72% and 86% dark chocolate to sample with the coffee which seemed to go over well with the ladies. I am looking forward to having more demonstrations like this so that more people can learn the joy of truly experiencing coffee.