Kona Coffee Grading
Kona Coffee is graded according to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture standards. These standards are based on color, bean size, shape, moisture content and number of defects it contains. These rigorous standard, unique to Hawaii, ensures the integrity and quality of all Kona coffee leaving Hawaii.
The five major grading types of Kona coffee are:
Type I Beans
Type II Beans
Type I Beans: Consisting of Two Beans Per Cherry
Extra Fancy
Color: Uniformly good green
Size: Larger than 19/64"
Moisture Content: 9% to 12.2%
Defects: 8 full imperfections per 300 grams
Other Beans: One Type: not > 3% other type beans
Undersize: No more than 10% by weight
Fancy
Color: Uniformly good green
Size: Larger than 18/64"
Moisture Content: 9% to 12.2%
Defects: 12 full imperfections per 300 grams
Other Beans: One Type: not > 3% other type beans
Undersize: No more than 10% by weight
Number 1
Color: Uniformly good green
Size: Larger than 16/64"
Moisture Content: 9% to 12.2%
Defects: 18 full imperfections per 300 grams
Other Beans: One Type: not > 3% other type beans
Undersize: No more than 10% by weight
Select or Estate
Size: Optional (May be specified)
Moisture Content: 9% to 12.2%
Defects: 5% defective beans incl. not > 2% full sour, stinker, black or moldy
Included therein no more than 5% by weight sour or black beans.
Prime
Size: Optional (May be specified)
Moisture Content: 9% to 12.2%
Defects: 15% defective beans incl. not > 2% full sour, stinker, black or moldy
Included therein no more than 5% by weight sour or black beans.
Type II Beans: Consisting of One Bean Per Cherry
The Peaberry bean is rare make up less than 5% of our total Kona coffee crop. Normally the fruit of the coffee plant develops as two halves of a bean within a single cherry, but sometimes only one of the two seeds gets fertilized so there is nothing to flatten it. This oval (or pea-shaped) bean is known as Peaberry.
Peaberry
Color: Uniformly good green
Size: Optional (May be specified)
Moisture Content: 9% to 12.2%
Defects: 18 full imperfections per 300 grams
Other Beans: One Type: not > 3% other type beans
Undersize: No more than 10% by weight