Is your coffee grown in the United States? The answer is most likely not. Coffee only grows under specific circumstances, so it is much more likely that your coffee was grown in Brazil or Vietnam than in the USA. There are, however, places in the US that are capable of growing delicious coffee.
At the time this sentence was written, there are 328,891,486 people in the U.S. (census.gov). and 64% of them are drinking at least one cup of coffee per day (creditdonkey.com). That is a lot of coffee.
Phrases like, buy American, and made in the USA are used all the time to encourage support for the United States and its economy. Coffee is something that most Americans, at least us normal ones, drink every day. If you really want to support US economy, doesn’t it make sense to start with something you purchase on a daily basis?
There are so many varieties of coffee around the world to experience, and you should definitely enjoy them all but you can also find some great tasting coffee that is grown in the good old US of A.
Where does Coffee Grow?
Coffee is a finicky plant that can only grow under specific conditions. It must be a subtropical environment so, north of the Tropic of Cancer and south of the Tropic of Capricorn. The altitude must also be between 1800 and 3600 ft. These specific conditions exist in a narrow part of the world along the equator called the Bean Belt.
When you imagine coffee farms you are probably picturing plantations in places like Colombia and Brasil, but there are actually more than 50 coffee producing countries in the world. All have their own distinct characteristics based on the environment, altitude and harvesting. Many people seek coffee out from specific regions because where it is grown has a major impact on the flavor. For example, coffee grown in Ethiopia is said to have a blueberry taste.
Coffee Grown in the United States
There are a few places in the United States that meet the criteria for growing some delicious high-quality coffee. Off the top of your head, you may be able to guess a few places that might have a climate capable of growing coffee. If you guessed Hawaii, you are correct. In the United States coffee is grown on the Hawaiian Islands and more recently in California. You can check out FringeCoffee.com for more information on coffee being grown in Cali. Coffee can also be grown in Puerto Rico which is an unincorporated US territory. For now, let’s take a look at some coffee grown in Hawaii.
Coffee Grown in Hawaii
Coffee grows throughout the Hawaiian Islands but Kona Coffee, from the main island, is the coffee that is most famous. It’s like a phoenix that rises from the ash of the active volcano, Mauna Loa. Coffee trees are literally planted in black volcanic soot and red berried trees sprout from the ash. From destruction, one of the world’s most sought-after coffees is born.
Where to buy Kona Coffee
Since Hawaiian Kona Coffee is so popular, many brands try to capitalize on the name, selling blends containing 10% or less Kona beans. You must be careful when buying the beans to make sure you get what you are paying for. The vendors listed below are all reliable suppliers of Kona Coffee.
KOA Coffee
Premium Kona coffee direct from Hawaii. KOA sells only top-grade 100% Kona coffee including the rare Peaberry Kona. They grow, process, roast, label, and ship all of their coffee directly from the Kona Belt in Hawaii. This is the coffee Forbes called Best in America! You can be confident that you are getting a quality product when you make a purchase from KOA coffee. You also have the option to purchase 8oz bags which is easier on the wallet if you want to try it out. There are plenty of sampler packages available too. Save on Kona Coffee when you buy a triple-pack. $7 flat rate shipping during the holiday season with no coupon necessary.
Volcanica Coffee Company
Volcanica coffee features gourmet coffee beans from around the world, but they are also a reliable vendor of Hawaiian Kona Coffee. Their Kona coffee uses only the highest quality beans with a grading of extra fancy. Hawaiian Kona Coffee Extra Fancy is packaged in 16-ounce bags you can choose from whole bean, drip grind, espresso grind, or french press. Click here to check the current price.
Volcanica also offers Kona Peaberry Coffee – Gran Reserve which they label the champagne of Kona coffee. Typically only 5% of all coffee beans harvested are considered peaberries. Click here to check the price.
Volcanica offers free shipping on orders of $60 or more. They also offer specials and coupon codes, so leave a comment or contact me to see if they have a special offer available.
Hawaii Coffee Company
Hawaii Coffee Company is the largest roaster of Kona Coffee in the world and home to some of Hawaii’s favorite coffee brands like Lion, and Royal Kona Coffee. You can choose bag size, and whole bean or ground coffee. Right now, they have flat rate shipping for $5 for the holiday season. 100% Kona Coffee.
Be sure to let me know in the comments if you decide to try any or if you have already. As always thanks for reading!
