# Reliable online coffee (Kona!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [December 18, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reliable-online-coffee-kona/430426 "2007-12-18T03:49:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reliable-online-coffee-kona/430426/1 "2007-12-18T03:49:49Z")
I want to get my Mum some Kona coffee. I’m unexpectedly going to visit her (that is, I wasn’t expecting I was going until day before yesterday) the day after Christmas for a coupla days. Last year, I sent her what I thought was some Kona, 100% coffee via an online retailer (I’ve forgotten the name, but would recognize the packaging if I saw it, I’m pretty sure.). I later visited, and Mom brewed some up and… it wasn’t Kona. Not even close. It wasn’t as good as Starbucks average brew on a mediocre day. Mom was far too nice to say so, but this was just not even noticeably good coffee. It was Joe. Java. Jamoke. I apologized to my Mom for being a wayward and disappointing offspring. I’d like to do better, but I realize there are a plethora of ripoff coffee outlets out there. Can anyone recommend a non-fraudulent place where I can reliably buy some 100%, non-blend, Kona coffee online? Without taking a 6 hour plane ride to the source? My Mom loves coffee, and she’s currently recovering from a painful back operation and isn’t very mobile, and I’d bet this would be appreciated. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reliable-online-coffee-kona/430426/2 "2007-12-18T03:54:22Z")
I ordered from [here](http://www.konacoffee.com/) for my twentieth wedding anniversary, and got some damngoodcoffee. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reliable-online-coffee-kona/430426/3 "2007-12-18T04:03:50Z")
Thanks, Czarcasm. That site looks perfect, except it also looks like they run on island time. No express shipping. Hmm, I guess I’ll order a pound, and if it gets here in after next Monday, _I’ll_ drink it. 🙂 They do have an e-mail up there, maybe I’ll ping them and see if they want to drive a pound or two to Fed-Ex for a fee. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reliable-online-coffee-kona/430426/4 "2007-12-18T04:20:02Z")
FYI, I paid the extra cash and got the pure peaberry Kona-twas mighty fine coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reliable-online-coffee-kona/430426/5 "2007-12-18T04:23:15Z")
I order mine from [Greenwell Farms](http://www.greenwellfarms.com/) nice people and good coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reliable-online-coffee-kona/430426/6 "2007-12-18T04:26:26Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] I order mine from [Greenwell Farms](http://www.greenwellfarms.com/) nice people and good coffee. [/QUOTE] Seconded - I was there a year ago and took home some very good coffee. ---
**Author:** ![LilShieste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@LilShieste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilShieste)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reliable-online-coffee-kona/430426/7 "2007-12-18T04:52:45Z")
I ordered some [Aloha Island Coffee](http://www.amazon.com/PLATINUM-100%25-Pure-Kona-Coffee/dp/B0000CG4I0/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=gourmet-food&qid=1197953477&sr=8-2) off of Amazon almost 6 months ago, and it was quite good. I’m not sure what kind of price range you’re aiming for, but I highly recommend it. LilShieste ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reliable-online-coffee-kona/430426/8 "2007-12-18T06:10:29Z")
[QUOTE=LilShieste] I ordered some [Aloha Island Coffee](http://www.amazon.com/PLATINUM-100%25-Pure-Kona-Coffee/dp/B0000CG4I0/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=gourmet-food&qid=1197953477&sr=8-2) off of Amazon almost 6 months ago, and it was quite good. I’m not sure what kind of price range you’re aiming for, but I highly recommend it. [/QUOTE] The beans aren’t that pricey (nor cheap), but the shipping will kill you. 🙂 I bypassed the Amazon version and went straight to their web site [here](http://www.alohaislandcoffee.com/index.html), and the shipping went down a bit. And I could tell if the coffee was ground or bean, Amazon didn’t even show that! It appears that this site and Czarcasm’s use the same online e-tailer service. I bet these guys are neighbors. ---
**Author:** ![This\_ll\_Do](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/this_ll_do/32/3023_2.png) [@This\_ll\_Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/This_ll_Do)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reliable-online-coffee-kona/430426/9 "2007-12-18T23:54:19Z")
> **[Lion Coffee Home - Lion Coffee](https://www.lioncoffee.com/)** I’ve ordered from them for over 10 years now and have never been disappointed in either the products or the service. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reliable-online-coffee-kona/430426/10 "2007-12-19T00:09:26Z")
We’ve been buying [Bong Brothers](http://www.bongbrothers.com/) coffee since the early 90’s. And if you go to the big island you can visit their store. 🆒 And you get boxes from _Bong Brothers_!!! I’m sure we’re on a list somewhere. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reliable-online-coffee-kona/430426/11 "2007-12-19T00:50:19Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to…_where else?_…Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reliable-online-coffee-kona/430426/12 "2007-12-21T17:29:50Z")
Well, I got the Aloha Island (mostly because they had a fast shipping option on the web site, the others didn’t), and its… really good!! Its not quite the same as what I remember from drinking it in Kona, but I think this is a lighter roast than the storefront coffee places serve. But its really a fine cup of brew. Thanks to all, I think Mom will finally forgive me. I will also try the other two choices up-thread when I’m not under a Christmas crunch. As long as we’re on coffee – I haven’t tried Jamaican Blue Mountain in years. It used to be possible (like 15 years ago) to find it for about $35/lb IIRC if you really looked, but the stuff I’ve seen lately hasn’t been even close, and seems demonstrably counterfeit. Is (real, honest to gosh) Blue Mountain extinct outside of Jamaica?