[RedLeader]

Hey guys, I'm actually starting a coffee roaster up here in small town Canada!  Turns out that particular hobby has grown up into a fully fledged business!

 

[JadeEast]

That's awesome news. Way to Go! Do you have a name?
What town?

 

[Destroysall]

Quote:

Some very very old Kona coffee

...
 

Sue me, but I've never tried Kona. How is it?

 

[NZtechfreak]

Quote:

I hate to burst your bubble but Starbucks is definitely in the top for New Zealand as well. Nestle and Nescafé account for 80% of the coffee consumption market share in New Zealand. Unless the remaining 20% is comprised primarily of ultra high quality boutique/small scale roasters Starbucks is likely in the top 5% for Kiwis too.

Back to coffee-fi though, bravo on the impressive home espresso setup! I've long had my eye on the Expobar's but just don't have the counter space and enjoy my fully manual lever machine too much; the Brewtus would be excellent for entertaining guests though, my machine is only good for three shots at most before it overheats and cooks the shots.

 
I was referring to quality, not consumption. If consumption is the yard stick it will fare better, naturally, as you suggest. 
 
The Brewtus is indeed fantastic for entertaining, the thermal stability on that thing is utterly sublime. Pull 30 shots in a row with next to no variation in temperature? Sure thing.
 
Which fully manual lever do you have? I sometimes think about getting one, but then I wonder whether I would tire of the romance after a time... 

 

[warubozu]

Quote:

Sue me, but I've never tried Kona. How is it?

Kona coffee is a mild coffee when compared to coffees from Sumatra or Ethiopia. I enjoy it's smooth and mellow characteristics, however whether or not it's one of the world's best coffee is a matter of personal opinion. The key is to buy 100% pure Kona coffee (Kona peaberry if possible) from a reputable seller as some of the blended Kona coffees out there is total crap. Coffee drinkers who enjoy coffees with sharp characteristics may find Kona to be bland and boring. Kona is however one of the rarest coffees grown as only beans that are grown and harvested in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii can be considered Kona coffee.

 

[Destroysall]

Quote:

Kona coffee is a mild coffee when compared to coffees from Sumatra or Ethiopia. I enjoy it's smooth and mellow characteristics, however whether or not it's one of the world's best coffee is a matter of personal opinion. The key is to buy 100% pure Kona coffee (Kona peaberry if possible) from a reputable seller as some of the blended Kona coffees out there is total crap. Coffee drinkers who enjoy coffees with sharp characteristics may find Kona to be bland and boring. Kona is however one of the rarest coffees grown as only beans that are grown and harvested in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii can be considered Kona coffee.

Interesting. Is there a known reputable seller in the U.S.? I usually shop at World Market, Sprouts, or Trader Joe's. While I personally love World Market's coffee, I do know that they grow most of their beans here in the U.S.  Thus I'm not sure if they have pure 100% Kona.
 
Another coffee I've always heard about but have yet to try is Blue Jamaican.  Seems like I still have a world of coffee to discover.

 

[warubozu]

Quote:

Interesting. Is there a known reputable seller in the U.S.? I usually shop at World Market, Sprouts, or Trader Joe's. While I personally love World Market's coffee, I do know that they grow most of their beans here in the U.S.  Thus I'm not sure if they have pure 100% Kona.
 
Another coffee I've always heard about but have yet to try is Blue Jamaican.  Seems like I still have a world of coffee to discover.

 
Not sure if any of those U.S. retailers sell top grade Kona coffee, I do know that World Market sells (or least at one time they did) Kona coffees by Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Co. Hawaiian Isles Kona coffee is ok, they are more main stream and what you would expect to find in stores on the U.S. mainland. There are better Kona coffee growers than Hawaiian Isles but they don't have a wide distribution. Which is why nearly all of the best Kona coffees are only available in the state of Hawaii. For the some of the best Kona coffees available, I would recommend that you buy your coffee from a online retailer that is from Hawaii or has a strong connection to a Kona coffee farm. That way you can be assure that you are getting top quality Kona coffee and not something that is stale or blended down with other crap grade coffee. Some of the online retailers I would recommend are listed below, all of them are from the state of Hawaii:
 
Honolulu Coffee Company:
http://honolulucoffee.3dcartstores.com/
 
Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation:
http://honolulucoffee.3dcartstores.com/
 
Sir Wilfred's Hawaiian Coffees:
http://www.sirwilfreds.com/about/
 
Island Vintage Coffee Company:
http://www.islandvintagecoffee.com/
 
Some of the retailers listed above also sells great Hawaiian coffees besides Kona that are grown on plantations on Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. Cheaper and not as rare as Kona and still a great coffee. I haven't had the opportunity to try Jamaican Blue Mountain but from what I've heard it quite good. Jamaican Blue Mountain like Kona is a rare coffee, grown and produced in small quantities in only one specific region of the world. Which is why prices for a pound is quite high when compared to other coffees.

 

[Destroysall]

Quote:

 
Not sure if any of those U.S. retailers sell top grade Kona coffee, I do know that World Market sells (or least at one time they did) Kona coffees by Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Co. Hawaiian Isles Kona coffee is ok, they are more main stream and what you would expect to find in stores on the U.S. mainland. There are better Kona coffee growers than Hawaiian Isles but they don't have a wide distribution. Which is why nearly all of the best Kona coffees are only available in the state of Hawaii. For the some of the best Kona coffees available, I would recommend that you buy your coffee from a online retailer that is from Hawaii or has a strong connection to a Kona coffee farm. That way you can be assure that you are getting top quality Kona coffee and not something that is stale or blended down with other crap grade coffee. Some of the online retailers I would recommend are listed below, all of them are from the state of Hawaii:
 
Honolulu Coffee Company:
http://honolulucoffee.3dcartstores.com/
 
Some of the retailers listed above also sells great Hawaiian coffees besides Kona that are grown on plantations on Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. Cheaper and not as rare as Kona and still a great coffee. I haven't had the opportunity to try Jamaican Blue Mountain but from what I've heard it quite good. Jamaican Blue Mountain like Kona is a rare coffee, grown and produced in small quantities in only one specific region of the world. Which is why prices for a pound is quite high when compared to other coffees.

Interesting.. I must thank you warubozu, I feel I've learned a lot about true Kona coffees already.  I think I might just give in and order the Kona Peaberry 16 oz coffee bean bag and just endure the joy I know it will give. 
 
Looking on the World Market website right now, they do have Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee.  Maybe I can get this too and do a comparison taste test.  However, I'm sure Hawaii is still the better place for Kona Coffee.  Thanks again, warubozu! 

 

[warubozu]

Anytime, Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffees makes a enjoyable cup so do give them and some of the other Kona plantations a try. Enjoy the brew, that is what it's all about.

 

[Destroysall]

Quote:

Enjoy the brew, that is what it's all about.

Indeed!

 

[RedLeader]

Anomaly Coffee, up here in Hanover.  I'm very excited about it, and I've got some test ordering up on the website as I ramp up and buy equiptment, etc. 

 

[ethan7000]

Enjoying Bel Canto and a few others from Coda here in Denver http://www.codacoffee.com/

 

[nxtgenlva]

My local coffee house does this continental blend, 4.20 for a cafitere for two, gosh is it good.

 

[johnman1116]

Question:
Would coffee from different geographical locations have different levels of caffeine per bean?
for example, south american beans are more caffeinated than beans from africa.
 
sweet maria is pretty delicious

 

[Happy Camper]

I've had a Kona blend and a Costa Rica blend from my last purchase and I prefer the Costa Rica blend. It has a more robust flavor. Kona is kind of weak in comparison.