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Why 100% Kona
Coffee?
Why does 100% Kona cost more? |
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Kiele O Kona sells only 100%
Kona coffee grown on our farm. Some coffee processors blend a very small
amount (usually 10%) of Kona coffee beans
with lower
quality (lower price) coffee beans from Central America or Asia. The processors
then label the coffee “Kona Blend” although 90% of the coffee
is from somewhere other than Kona.
In practice, no one, not even coffee experts, can taste the 10% Kona in
a “Kona
Blend” so this practice is very deceptive and misleading to consumers.
These processors are only trying to increase the price of inferior coffee
by masquerading the blend as Kona coffee.
In the 150 years since Arabica coffee was first planted in Kona, Kona
coffee has developed a much-envied reputation throughout the coffee world
for its
distinctive aroma and full-bodied flavor with its smooth aftertaste.
As with fine wines in Napa-Sonoma, the high quality and unique character
of Kona coffee is almost totally a product of its growing environment.
The other
factors which can affect the quality are harvesting the cherry coffee
only at its peak ripeness and carefully controlled milling processes.
Harvesting only the ripest cherry requires hand picking. Machine-picking,
which is used in other coffee growing areas, picks unripe and over-ripe
cherry, which degrade the coffee flavor dramatically.
Improper milling of the coffee cherry can degrade the coffee quality severely.
The coffee cherry must be pulped immediately after picking, then the mucilage
covering the beans soaked off overnight. Then the beans(called parchment)
are ready to be dried. Any delays in this process will cause degradation
of the coffee quality.
The dried parchment must be stored under controlled conditions to maintain
high bean quality. Kiele O Kona roasts each customer order within 12 hours
before shipment to ensure our customers receive the freshest coffee possible.
Our goal is to deliver to our customers consistent high quality 100% Kona
coffee at it freshest! From hand picking to custom roasting, we are devoted
to our product quality and customer satisfaction.
For all the reasons above, producing premium quality 100% Kona coffee
does cost more than producing inferior coffees. We take great pride in
offering
one of the world’s finest coffees to our customers.
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