The Best Kona Coffee K-Cups and Coffee Pods

Aloha in Hawaiian means love. Today you will experience Cozy’s “Aloha” for Hawaiian Coffee also referred to as Kona Coffee. Kona coffee isn’t just a bean from Hawaii – It’s one of the rarest and most exceptional coffees in the world! Kona coffee has rich flavor, warm hints of brown sugar, honey, cocoa and citrus fruits. The Kona flavor is complemented by a wonderfully complex aroma that is bright and well-balanced. Overall, Kona coffee is irresistible and unlike any other coffee you’ve ever had. 

The best part of Kona coffee is that it is available in a K-cup and is Keurig compatible with all popular Keurig models that accept a K-Cup or Coffee Pod!

We have compiled a list of the best Kona coffee K-Cups and Coffee Pods on the market right now, check it out and you will be feeling Aloha in no time!

Cozy’s Pick of Best Kona Coffee Pods and K-Cups 

1. Maud’s Kona Coffee Blend K-Cups
2. SF Bay Coffee Kona Blend Keurig Pods
3. Caza Trail Kona Blend K-Cups
4. Don Francisco’s Kona Blend Premium K-Cups 
5. Blue Horse 100% Kona Coffee K-Cups

The Best Kona Coffee Pods and K-Cups

Our list includes an assortment of both K-cups and coffee pods. The main differences between the two are the packaging, pricing, flavor quality, and eco-friendliness. Now without further ado Cozy gives you the best Kona Coffee K-Cups and Coffee Pods that are available on the market today:

Maud’s Kona Coffee Blend K-Cups

Maud’s Kona Coffee Blend is a family-owned California coffee company. They get their name from the owner’s two daughters (Maddi + Aubrey). Their Kona beans are blended with 100% organic and FairTrade Arabica beans that are right in southern California. The result is a medium roast with a heavy body, with chocolate and nutty notes.

Maud’s Kona Coffee blend is one of the best Kona blends out there. Plus, their K-cups are 100% recyclable with easy to peel tabs. 

SF Bay Coffee Kona Blend Keurig Pods

SF Bay—San Francisco Bay Coffee is another family-owned California coffee company. They take great care to bring you an incredibly rich and affordable Kona blend. They combine coffee beans from the Big Island and 100% kosher Arabica Central American beans for a smooth and bright medium roast brew.

These Kona blend pods come from plant materials. They are not only recyclable but also 100% compostable. This Kona coffee blend packs in notes of chocolate, macadamia nut, and buttered toffee with a sweet cherry finish—perfect for the coffee lover with a sweet tooth.

Caza Trail Kona Blend K-Cups

The Caza Trail Kona Blend is made with 10% Kona coffee and 90% arabica coffee beans that bring out a perfect balance for each of their light, medium and dark roast offerings. 

This blend offers up a light, delicate body, yet a bold and tart flavor with an aroma that’s reminiscent of Hawaii’s flora. It has a medium bite, but just enough sweetness to keep you coming back for more. Like others, the blend isn’t true Kona, but the flavor may convince you that it is.

Don Francisco’s Kona Blend Premium K-Cups 

Don Francisco’s Kona Blend Premium blends 10% Kona coffee beans with 90% premium arabica. This blend gives way to a beautiful fruity palate, a floral aroma, and a silky texture that could rival any medium roast you would usually brew in your french press.

Don Francisco is a family company that has been around since 1870, roasting their coffee beans in small batches to assure that you get the most flavorful coffee in every cup. Their product may not be 100% Kona coffee, but it will have you 100% daydreaming about a trip to Hawaii. 

Blue Horse 100% Kona Coffee K-Cups

Blue Horse Kona coffee beans are grown and harvested on a small family estate. These beans are grown without the use of pesticides. They’re hand-picked, sun-dried, and rinsed using rainwater—providing heaven on earth quality coffee.

These Kona coffee K-cups bring you an authentic balance of bitter and sweet with hints of almond and vanilla. Their aroma is crisp and full of tropical life—and they’ll transport you right from your kitchen to the Big Island.

Hualalai Estate Coffee K-Cups

Try Hualalai Estate Coffee! It not only serves up 100% Kona coffee, but they also pack in 11 grams of their medium-dark roast into their K-cups (most Kona K-cup companies only hold a maximum of 10 grams of their grounds).

The Hualalai Estate Kona coffee is assorted by bean size and roasted at just the right temperatures for the specific sizes. Poor quality beans are picked out, and each batch undergoes a blind taste-test for quality assurance. Another magical thing about Hualalai Estate Kona K-cups is that they use award-winning #5 recyclable plastic so you can enjoy your coffee waste-free!

Hawaii’s 1st Coffee Store Kona Pure Ecstasy K-Cups

Hawaii’s 1st Coffee Store comes from a small family farm in Maui. They roast their coffee to perfection in small batches just before packaging and shipping to ensure consistent and high-standard quality. They also follow the Hawaiian government’s strict standards for their 100% Kona coffee, guaranteeing you excellence with every cup.

This signature coffee comes in two grades: fancy and Kona #1. Both result in a medium to full-bodied rich and aromatic brew with a mild acidity and a bright flavor. Each cup truly is pure ecstasy.

Aloha Island Coffee 100% Pure Kona Organic Coffee Pods

Aloha Island Coffee presents you with the purest form of Aloha in a coffee mug. Their medium-roast coffee pods have the perfect balance of tartness and sweetness, with very low acidity. These coffee pods truly deliver the classic and unbeatable Kona coffee flavor and aroma.

The Aloha Island Coffee company prides itself on its Certified Organic RainForest Alliance Fair Trade coffee and cultivates the best hand-crafted artisan coffee product from their family farm. 

Organic Hawaiian 100% Kona Coffee Pods

Medium roast, low acidity, sweet and spicy, mild yet rich—that’s 100% pure organic Kona coffee. Brought to you by Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC, these organic 100% Kona coffee pods are a Direct Trade coffee product sourced from the Hala Tree plantation.

Hala Tree is a 6-acre family-owned coffee plantation that plants organic fruit and native flora, which is part of what gives this Kona coffee it’s incredibly unique flavor profile and aroma. All of their coffee is grown and harvested using sustainable and organic practices, putting love into every pod. 

Senseo 100% Kona Coffee Pods 

For the environmentally and financially conscious, Senseo 100% Kona Coffee pods are the perfect option. Senseo pairs its Kona beans with only premium arabica coffee beans from around the world.

Each of these Kona blend coffee pods delivers a pleasantly smooth taste with fruity notes and a chocolatey, bold aroma. Its body is full, creamy, and frothy—making it perfect for those who like to turn their regular cup of Joe into a specialty drink.

Victor Allen Coffee Kona Blend

Victor Allen Kona Blend is a medium roast blend of 100% Arabica beans that is roasted, grinded and produced in the United States of America. When it comes to coffee, Victor Allen is known for their knowledgeable master roasters who are experienced in bringing out the flavor of each bean by roasting in small batches. 

The Victor Allen’s Kona blend offers a smooth flavor that is sure to please your taste buds. Priced affordably, this is one Kona coffee it is hard to say no to. 

Solimo Kona Blend

Solimo Kona K-Cups are a blend of coffee beans from Kona Moku on the big island of Hawaii. Economically priced, you can get a taste of Hawaii without incurring a major expense.

Solimo Kona K-Cups boast a delicate flavor that is enhanced by a dynamic acidity and a gentle aroma. You can expect a coffee with a subtle sweetness that provides a balanced, smooth finish.

Cameron’s Kona Blend

For an environmentally friendly Kona coffee option that won’t disappoint we recommend you check out Cameron’s Kona Blend. Cameron’s Kona Blend K-Cups are rich and full of flavor, promising a unique cup with hints of nuts and chocolate. 

A great cup of Kona coffee isn’t the only reason you should consider Cameron’s. Cameron’s is one of the few North American coffee manufacturers that utilizes imported single serve technology from Italy that uses pods with a real coffee filter versus a plastic cup.  In alignment with their environmentally friendly approach, all Cameron’s pods are certified compostable.

Barrie House Kona Hapa

For 80 years the Barrie House has perfected the art of small batch coffee roasting in New York. Their Barrie House Kona Hapa is a reflection of this family’s ability to produce premium handcrafted coffee. As an added bonus, their pods are an environmentally friendly option designed with a recyclable case and biodegradable filter. 

Their Hawaiin Kona Hapa K-Cups brew up a delicious cup of medium roast coffee with hints of fresh coconut, sweet caramel and citrus. You won’t regret giving this aromatic and balanced blend a try.

The Spirit of Aloha in a Cup

Whether you decide to go for Kona coffee pods or K-cups, you can’t go wrong with any of the Kona coffees listed above. After all, grabbing a Kona K-Cup or pod and popping it into your Keurig is far easier than sourcing fresh beans, and using a grind and brew coffee maker to brew a hot cup. However, Cozy must warn you—once you start drinking Kona coffee in any of its forms, you may never go back to a regular medium roast option again!

What Makes Kona Coffee So Special?

Prized for its full-bodied flavor and beautiful aroma, the Kona coffee bean actually came from Guatemala and was introduced to Hawaii in 1892 by Herman Widemann. Of course, back then, it was a bean known as “Guatemalan Typica,” which later became affectionately known as Kona Typica.

Aside from having an interesting history, what makes Kona coffee so special is the unique island microclimate, volcanic soil, and shady mountain slopes that it grows on. These particular slopes rest on the leeward side of the active volcano Hualalai, between 1,000 and 3,500 feet above sea level. The slopes stretch over 30 miles of coastline, otherwise known as the Kona Coffee Belt. 

The Slopes of the Kona Coffee Belt provides the perfect tropical conditions needed for magic to happen. There’s the morning sun, afternoon showers and clouds, and cool tropical temperatures. Combine all that with rich, well-drained volcanic soil, and you have a masterpiece in bean form awaiting your favorite coffee mug.

Kona coffee is known as one of the most expensive coffee beans in the world. Kona coffee can only be referred to as “Kona” if it is grown in the established Kona districts of Hawaii. 

100% Kona Coffee vs. Kona Blends

As you browse through the different Kona coffee brands, you will notice that the packages read “100%,” “10%,” or “Kona blend.” 

If the package reads “100% Kona coffee,” it means you’re getting ONLY the unique Kona coffee beans. However, due to the specialty coffee’s rarity and price, many coffee retailers opt for a Kona blend. Kona blends are typically only 10% Kona coffee, with the remaining 90% being from a foreign bean. It’s also why these types of blends are typical much cheaper than those that offer 100% Kona coffee.

10% is the minimum amount required for the retailer to be allowed to label it as a Kona coffee. This distinction is important because you’re not necessarily getting true Kona coffee just because the label says so.

How Kona Coffee Is Made

The process of growing Kona Coffee happens over several months each year. At the beginning of the year, Kona coffee will bloom and cover the tree with small white flowers often referred to  as “Kona Snow”. Green berries begin to appear in spring with “cherry” or red fruit beginning to ripen in time for picking. 

Typically, each tree is hand picked multiple times through winter which will typically result in approximately 15 pounds of cherries which is the equivalent of two pounds of roasted coffee. 

Once picked, the cherry is run through a pulper which separates the pulp from the bean. The beans are then placed in an overnight fermentation tank where they can be held for 12 to 24 hours depending on the elevation of the facility where the fermentation is taking place. 

Once fermentation is complete, the beans are rinsed and set out to dry. Oftentimes a hoshidana, is used as a drying rack. The beans take seven to fourteen days to dry. Once dry, the coffee beans are stored as parchment which is milled off the green bean prior to roasting. 

Kona coffee beans are classified by law according to what type of seed they are. Typically Kona coffee is labeled as either a Type 1 bean which is two beans per cherry or a Type 2 bean which is one round bean per cherry. Any bean below Type 2, such as a Grade 3, can not be legally called Kona coffee. You will find Grade 3 and below coffee beans referred to as “Hawaiian” or “Estate” grade coffee. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much caffeine does Kona Coffee have?

A: Kona coffee beans are considered high in caffeine in comparison to other coffee beans.

Q: Why is Kona coffee so expensive?

A: Kona coffee is expensive due to the limited supply of Kona Coffee beans available.  Hawaii has limited the area coffee beans can be grown and labeled as Kona coffee which contributes to the amount of supply available.

Q: Does Kona coffee taste different than traditional coffee?

A: You can expect a light flavor profile with a fruity, sweet tasted. You will also detect hints of spice, nuts or chocolate. When roasted, Kona Coffee picks up the sweeter flavor of the beans.

Q: Which Hawaian island has the best coffee?

A: The vast majority of Hawaii’s coffee farms can be found on the Big Island. 

Conclusion 

Kona coffee will provide you with a delicious tropical experience in every cup. There is a reason Kona coffee is one of the most expensive coffee beans available on the market today. We hope you have a chance to try it for yourself. 

Until then…Aloha fellow Kona Coffee Lovers, Cozy hopes you enjoy every cup!