Kona coffee is graded by the Hawaii
Department of Agriculture based upon
a grading system that takes into account
a number of factors, including a coffee
bean's size, shape, and the number of
defects it contains.
There are six primary grades of Kona
coffee, consisting of Extra Fancy, Fancy,
Number 1, Peaberry, Select, and Prime.
The Extra Fancy Kona coffee bean is the
largest
and has the fewest defects, followed
by Fancy, No. 1, Select, and then Prime.
The Peaberry Kona coffee bean, representing
a tiny
fraction of the total Kona crop, is a
differently shaped bean from the other
graded kona coffee beans. Whereas a typical
Kona coffee bean is flat on one side
and curved on the other, the Peaberry
bean is rounded and oblong in nature.
