The macchiato I ordered was so good, I had to go back into the shop to ask what kind of beans they used in their espresso. I cannot describe my utter relief when he told me it was the one I had already bought. It was the medium dark roast for those who are interested (I know you are). The beans were phenomenal in my moka pot for stove top espresso. read more

We stopped by Ka'u Coffee Mill during a tour of Kona. I was thinking when I booked it that I would get to learn about the mill itself and the coffee but it was just a quick stop unfortunately. The smell when you walk into the small gift shop is great. I got an iced latte and bought some coffee beans along with a t-shirt. The coffee tastes very smooth which would be expected since it's known as some of the best in the world in the Kona area. Definitely worth a stop if you're nearby. read more

Ka'u Coffee Mill - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Pahala, Hawaii

Easy to find, big parking, amazing restrooms ( as we all know restroom is the face of a business! ), fast service and delicious coffee! Yum! read more

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Purportedly the "best" coffee in Hawaii, we took a visit to the mill and shop. Lots of good smells and plenty of coffee options to purchase. A bit spendy but hey - how often are we going to be here? read more

Ka'u Coffee Mill - Front of store - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Pahala, Hawaii

I can't even tell you, but I don't want this deleted or lost for others consideration . When a shop displays their hours does that mean they close 35 minutes prior to closing or do they close until the end of shift. I was upset I took a 1 drive for this coffee place and 35 minutes before they closed they had all the coffee maintenance going on. That's not service. If that's the case they should move down the "open" hour down for maintenance. read more

I've long wanted to make the trip here after buying their beans for years at Hamakua Nut Co. Yesterday was the day. It's a long drive from the Kigali Coast, or really from almost anywhere, but it was worth it. The serene curves of the road take you high above the coast for a nice view. There isn't a lot down in Ka'u but you will pass the black sand beach and the turn off to South Point. Once you arrive it's an unassuming building with an outdoor seating area. They offer farm tours, have samples of probably five or six different coffees going, and there is a great selection of beans and misc items. I shipped home a ton of coffee, soap, and some other random things I wanted. The coffee is the star and they have roasts here I haven't seen anywhere else. We also had the best smoothie of our lives. Try the funky monkey -- fresh banana, chocolate, and coffee. Worth the drive for true coffee lovers. Make a day of it and don't rush. read more

Ka'u Coffee Mill - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Pahala, Hawaii

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What an awesome experience. Beautiful coffee farm setting. Come inside and they have some sample beans displayed. There were also 5 variety of coffee for you to sample. They have great coffee drinks as well as fruit smoothies. I got the caramel frapp and it was yummier than Starbucks and the coffee didn't make me jittery. They also have some Mac nut products and shortbread cookies for sale. Nice stop if you are in the area. read more

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I always stop at Kau coffee on the way to Kona from Volcano and never regretit. KAU Coffee Mill has the best coffee on Big Island. Its a bit more expensive than Kona Coffee but for the quality it is so worth it. They have a great selection of coffee and it's nice they offer so many differnt samples for tasting. They will also make any coffee hot or cold you want with the samples you got to try. The Staff is amazing, super helpful and friendly. They have various options for purchasing and shipping to the mainland as well. Lots of gift ideas as well for the coffee lovers in you're life. They also offer military and kamiana discounts. This is a must stop on the way to Kona. read more

Ka'u Coffee Mill - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Pahala, Hawaii

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Only two tours a day before 1 pm. Missed them all. Great place to sample their coffee. Everything you want. Dark, medium, flavored, beans, grounds, mac nuts, german cakes, pastries, hydro flask mugs, restroom, go explore on your own. Great bunch of guys working there. One wants to grade coffee. Never knew you can be a coffee grader. Clean place. Very welcoming. We were heading to volcano national park then got into very rainy weather and turned back and saw this farm. The climate changes rapidly from one weather to the next on this island. Weird. They said they closed for two weeks due to flooding. read more

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Try the black honey! Small shop but it was great to be able to talk to the shop employees about the process and town. read more

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Beautiful farm and business. Did the 11am tour on a Friday, our guide was wonderful and very knowledgeable. They offer opportunities to try their products (macadamias, coffee, salt, etc.). All products are laid out beautifully and labeled very well. read more

Ka'u Coffee Mill - Products that I purchased - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Pahala, Hawaii

Typical coffee farm shop. T-shirts, coffee, and such as that. We had heard the coffee is extraordinary, and they have samples available. They also run two (and ONLY two) tours per day. We were by here twice, and missed the tours both times, so cannot comment on them. I suppose if we had managed to get a tour that might have influenced my rating (either up or down). The shop is nothing special. I'm not rating the coffee, just the store. But according to my wife, the Ka'u coffee is superior to Kona. She liked it better than Kona coffee. We bought a few bags, plus a vacuum canister for coffee storage. The murals are cool. If they have it in stock, you likely can get the coffee a bit cheaper at a small store near Naalehu. It won't be from the Ka'u Coffee Mill farm, but it is from the same region (Ka'u). I will be reviewing that store as well. It's right across from the Punalu'u Bake Shop. However, that shop has a more limited supply than the Coffee Mill. So, if they're out, you can come here and be pretty sure you can fulfill your coffee needs. read more

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This is a place to go Don't bother with going anywhere else we talked to several locals and they all said to come to this coffee mill We ended up going both mornings that we were here and got coffee The first day I tried a caramel macchiato and it was absolutely delicious On top of that we got to try their lineup of drip coffee's that they offer. All of them are absolutely fabulous I absolutely loved the Semi wash medium dark ! If you drink our coffee you would absolutely love this. Why because it literally has notes of cherry but it's because of what they used to make this and how they get this flavor with the way that they roast it. The other one I really loved was a Peaberry. This is local this is sustainable this is use every bit to make account that is why I absolutely love this place. When you have some company that is doing something like this to be sustainable and trying to use the entire "bean" if you will, that's when you know they really really care! Honestly that's what sold it for me. I will be having the coffee shipped which is such a nice feature when you're on vacation is the ability to have things shipped home and it wasn't that bad I plan to be a part of their coffee club and refill as often as prescribed!! I will say this is more of a drip style Coffee. Unfortunately we have a deal on the automatic and you can't use really oily beans so the naturally dark award-winning roast we still had to use in our trip because it was too oily for our machine however still tasted bad ass!! I don't normally love flavored coffees but the coconut cream is to die for again I drink black coffee so it didn't really affect the flavor but it just smelled like absolute island heaven!! My husband loved the vanilla Madagascar as well. Both of these are beautiful to have for a trip coffee and they will make your home smell incredible. I'm sure if you use some cream it would bring out that natural flavor and the sweetness so if you are not a dark or black coffee drinker you definitely should check these out!!! read more

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Maybe the best latte I've ever had. Stopped because we saw the sign while driving and grabbed a drink and some beans to take home. I can't wait to use them and the Macadamia Latte was 11/10. Worth the stop!!!! read more

Ka'u Coffee Mill - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Pahala, Hawaii

Great free tour with free samples. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable concerning the coffee bean and the process in care for the best quality. Bought 4 bags to bring home! read more

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I was driving south from Kona to Hilo and saw signage for Ka'u Coffee Mill. Feeling curious, I followed the signs and found myself right in time for their tour. During normal times, tours are held daily at 10 A.M., 12 P.M., and 2 P.M. The tour lasts about half an hour and covers the history of Ka'u coffee, the history of Ka'u Coffee Mill, and the coffee farming and production processes. A lot of information is covered during the tour, and I recommend going on it if you want to learn about Ka'u coffee. After the tour, I spent a bit of time in the gift shop picking out stuff to take home. The gift shop has a pretty huge selection of coffee products, Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company products, and gift items. Samples of all of the coffees and nuts are available. Take your time sampling everything and browsing through all of the products. There is good coffee here, and you can get a giant bag of coffee if you really like it. There are K-cup pods available too. Ka'u coffee may not be as well-known as Kona coffee, but it is still good coffee. Stop by Ka'u Coffee Mill. It is a nice little break when driving to or from Hilo. read more

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I didn't pay attention to the tour schedule so we missed on the timing. Still, we had an enjoyable time exploring the shop and grounds on our own. They have a good selection of coffee samples. We did not try the flavoured coffees (not my thang) but stayed to the traditional roasts. It was interesting to see the difference between the wash process and discern the flavour difference among them. Of the samples we tried, my favourites were the peaberry and the natural dark wash that had some caramel notes, low acidity, and no acrid bitterness. We walked across the way to look at the ten-foot tall trees by the house. There was a guy about to get into his truck and my husband asked a question about the beans. We learned that the tall trees were going to be "stumped", cut back to about two feet tall. Coffee beans produce only on new growth. Bright red beans are picked by hand so keeping the trees short makes it easier for harvesting. He invited us to walk down the other growths to see the difference between one and two year plants, which we did. Loved wandering down the rows while there was light rain at the same time. We brought back a bag each of peaberry coffee, natural dark roast, and green beans for roasting at home. Also a can of SPAM flavoured macadamia nuts (they sell Hamakua Mac Nut Company products who source their nuts from local farmers). Staff at the retail store were friendly and knowledgeable. Would recommend stopping here if you want to gain some insight into coffee production and of course, coffee! read more

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This was a great stop on our drive from Hilo down to South Point! We didn't get there in time for a free tour of the grounds, but they have free self-serve samples of their coffee in the store. After trying some of the interesting blends, I ordered a mocha for myself which was delicious! Highly recommend if you're in the area. Ample parking in a lot outside. read more

Ka'u Coffee Mill - Coffee and outdoor seating - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Pahala, Hawaii

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Walked around the coffee farm on our own, which was absolutely beautiful. We were able to sample all the coffee roasts we wanted in the shop. We ended up ordering an iced coffee of the dark roast and a mango lilikoi smoothie. The smoothie was wayyyy too sweet for me, but I would definitely recommend their coffee drinks! read more

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My husband said the cheap coffee (Lion's) at our hotel was the best he'd ever had so we decided to visit a coffee mill and found this one, we went on 5/17/23. It was a rainy day so we didn't walk the grounds but I don't think we missed much there, just a bunch of coffee bean trees but it was pretty. The store was the highlight! They had candy, cookies, nuts, lots of coffee, seasonings and air tight containers for your coffee. read more

Ka'u Coffee Mill - Our haul! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Pahala, Hawaii

Longer drive, but great coffee. Was a decent visit and the large collection of samples were hot and on point. Ended up getting a coffee to go and a bag of beans for another day. One of the few roasters on this part of the island so it was nice to try a different flavor profile than that which is more common on the Western side of the island (e.g. Kona). read more

We went in the scores to visit a well known coffee farm. Granted it was close to closing but the staff was completely rude and not welcoming at all. We ended up purchasing some coffee, a tumbler and snacks but after visiting a few other farms on the island wished we would have waited because coffee was just as good as staff was much nicer. read more

Best Coffee Tour! It's the only one I've ever been on so take that into consideration. The gal I sat next to on the airplane paid $130 for a tour! She probably walks away with an 8oz. bag of 100% Kona Coffee but there is no excuse for that type of charge! This your is free and I spent $80 at the gift shop. Well worth it! You get to sample 6-7 different types of coffee. Come to Ka'u and meet the sweetest young ladies who work and guide you to learn all you want to know about this plant! read more

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Love that we found this beautiful place by following the signs on the highway - we took a quick detour to check it out and found a warm, inviting tasting room/gift shop with friendly employees. We missed the tour but checked out the gift shop, chatted with the staff, tasted the coffee and played with the kitties - fun little side trip, check it out! read more

Wow! Drove by the place two years ago and did not stop due to time. Absolutely did not make that mistake again on this visit. We stopped by and it was absolutely worth every minute and free sample. Purchased a pound of the natural dark. If my pockets were deeper, I would've purchased 10 pounds! Staff was extremely friendly and of course knowledgeable. Great place and would stop by again in a heartbeat!! Thank you for hosting and serving us!! read more

Good coffee. Tried and purchased a few flavors. Good scenery. Def took some photos. Would go back again. Thank you!

We recommend the tour! Informative, entertaining, beautiful grounds, delightful aromas if you are a coffee lover. 1500 acres ... April was our guide - engaging and knowledgable - she awed us with her tidbits e.g. it takes the harvesting of six trees(which they do most by hand) to make one cup of coffee after processing and roasting?!?! Tasting at the end made each sip even more delicious!! read more

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We came for the tour, which was short but insightful. Learned quite a bit about all the coffee grown on the island...not just theirs. The staff that we interacted with and saw on the premises were all very friendly and helpful with any questions that we had. We purchased a few items at the gift shop to take home, with the intention of ordering some more once we got home. Just ordered some more coffee etc, and had a question regarding the order. I figured that it would take at least 24 hrs for them to at least respond, but got a response within a few hours! Absolutely love the quick response as well as being able to support a small local business! read more

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UPDATE: +1 Star The bag of Peaberry we bought was excellent. Much better than what we tasted at the farm itself. Peaberry Ka'u Coffee 4 stars, Overall experience at the Ka'u Coffee Mill 2 stars. ------------------- This review is simply for the Ka'u Coffee we tasted. We did not do a tour or anything else here. The grounds are beautiful and it is interesting to walk around and see some of the operations of the farm. We have been to many of the Kona Coffee farms and have tasted a few Ka'u coffees. The best Ka'u coffee I have had blew away any other Kona coffee I had experienced to date. The samples of Ka'u coffee we had here were honestly very disappointing. We were very underwhelmed. Very acidic and harsh. This may be due to how they brewed the coffee and how long it may have been sitting in the coffee dispensers. We bought one bag of the peaberry and are hoping it will taste much better than our experience at the farm. We will update the review if it lives up to expectations. read more

Went in the middle of the week so not many people. Husband loves there coffee and now subscribing. Never going back to Kona coffee!

The coffee here was quite tasty. I wished there was some type of tour because this was probably the most beautiful coffee farm on the island. I got to walk around everywhere though. The tours were cancelled because of covid but the coffee taste great. read more

Ka'u Coffee Mill - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Pahala, Hawaii

Now this is coffee! Coffee, coffee, coffee! The aroma. The taste. The finish. Coffee, coffee. coffee! Great coffee! Coffee, coffee, coffee, yum! Coffee! Maybe I wasn't that bad but I did drink a lot of it, and it is good stuff. Since the 2010s Kau coffee has fast been eclipsing its big brother Kona coffee, as Hawaii's best and amongst the best in the world. With its caramel notes, low acidity, a citrus, apricot finish and no acrid bitterness. It is one incredibly complex and pleasing way to start the day. Kau Coffee Mill is the primary processor and roaster in the region, producing both their own phenomenal coffee and estate coffees to the specifications of many smaller growers. They also serve as the ad hock visitors center for the region, offering tours and tastings. Their coffees are phenomenal. Offered in three different washes indicating how much of the fruit or honey is left on the bean for roasting. The more fruit obviously, the more fruity complexity whereas the fully washed (traditional) showcases all the subtle nuisances that make this coffee amazing. From most mild to most complex: washed medium roast, semi washed medium dark roast, natural dark roast. Their washed medium roast peaberry stands alone for it's mind-boggling complexity and extremely long citrusy finish. The staff is extremely knowledgeable, very friendly, and truly excited about their products. The estate also grows macadamia nuts, roasted and seasoned in many flavors including spam. The coffees along with a few partner coffees are available for purchase on site and online. Availability varies based on the harvest and roasting. You better believe this stuff sells out quick. Price matches quality. Expect to pay between $36-$46 per pound. Well worth the visit. Just a short drive off the main highway. Outstanding, and highly recommended. read more

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A super fun time If you have an extra hour in your day! We got a tour of the farm and an insight into each step in coffee making. You can also sample a few different coffee flavors all being very very tasty. They have a super cute shop with a ton of locally grown foods. We bought several different bags of macadamia nuts that were grown on the farm across the street, and also a couple of bags of coffee to take back for our friends! Overall a super fun experience! read more

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Decided to stop by on our way to Punaluu beach. Beautiful scenery, great service and some onolicious coffee!

We came for the free tour and were amazed at the care and detail included in the tour we received. The General Manager, Lou, gave us a history and shared the process from seed to cup. Amazing! This was a highlight for all of us. The coffee is really, really good, as are the specialty salts and macadamia products. Worth the trek! read more

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Stopped by on our way to Punalu'u Black Sands Beach due to a bunch of signs on the side of the highway pointing to a coffee mill. Wish we just went straight there! The staff was friendly, but the coffee is not worth your time. We got a blended coffee drink (tasted like half a drip of expresso with a cup full of ice) and even bought some toffee bark which tasted stale. Still, we decided to sit outside in their seating area and enjoy the mountain side. In doing so, we watched a couple videos about the history of Ka'u Coffee Mill and we soon found out the land is owned by an Ed Olsen trust - a wealthy businessman from San Diego. This land also features pine trees surrounding the coffee fields, an indication of land stolen by Americans in the early stages of the colonization of the Hawaiian islands. By coming here you're not supporting the local Hawaiian economy, you're making a white American man richer! Not worth your money and not worth the embarrassment of coming to The Big Island to taste coffee worse than starbucks! read more

Our family of five from Texas and Oklahoma visited Oahu and the Big Island for Spring Break! We were driving from Hilo to Naalehu and happened to see a sign for the Kau Coffee Mill and decided to stop by! So glad we did!! There were not any tours that day since we were there on a Sunday, but the employees took the time to give us a "mini tour" inside the store front! We learned quite a lot about the coffee operation and enjoyed the little tour!! We sampled some coffee they had before deciding which ones we wanted to purchase!! The employees were very friendly and helpful in deciding which coffees would be best for our taste!! Would recommend visiting if you are in the area!! read more

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Alway enjoyed Kau Coffee. Always took my many guesses to sample and purchase their coffee. On a trip to Hilo I saw the mill was open till 4:30. Thought I would pick up a bunch of coffee pods on my way home. I was driving through the town and saw a sign saying curbside pickup. I pulled over and called I was less than a mile away. A man answered and I asked about curbside pickup. He told me they did it till 3:30. I asked him what time it was now and he rudely told me 3:31 and then hung up on me. Well rudeness has cost Kau Coffee Mill a customer. Never will I go back and never will I recommend them. CHANGE YOUR SIGN AND TRY HAVING SOME ALOHA. Business must be good if you think you can be rude to customers. read more

The approximate 30 mile approach to Ka'u Coffee Mill from either the Kona side or the Hilo/Volcano Village side is my favorite drive on the island. Bathed in the seemingly neverending, vast and imposing shadow of Mauna Loa, the world's largest (active) volcano, you'll pass turnoffs down dusty country roads and rocky lava 'roads' that only 4x4's will dare attempt. The pots o' gold at the ends of those rainbows lead to lovely spots such as Papakolea Green Sand Beach at South Point, Punalu'u Black Sand Beach, Road to the Sea Black Sand Beach, Pohue Bay, etc etc etc...even sticking to the main Highway 11 will afford vistas of lovely lush rolling hills undulating up and down from sea level up to 4000 ft elevation, with dramatic ocean and Mauna Loa views. Hell, even the Transfer Station (dump) in Wai'ohinu near Na'alehu is nestled in a serene valley surrounded by the aforementioned impossibly green rolling hills. It's truly a relaxing, inspiring, sublime, soul-affirming drive absent the distraction of the rest of the world's ills and moral failings... Turning off the highway and driving up Kamani St., you'll pass through the tiny former plantation town of Pahala, make a right at Pikake St., pass the portable basketball net and backboard jutting out into the road, and you'll wind up into a beautiful forest as Pikake turns into Wood Valley Rd. 2 1/2 miles from the highway, you arrive at the amazing Ka'u Coffee Mill campus, a portion of the approximately 10,000 acres in and around Pahala owned by the Edmund C. Olson Trust. The Mill grows and produces my favorite coffee on the island. Ka'u Coffee to me has a bit more nuanced, complex flavor than Kona Coffees I've sampled, not taking anything away from some of the excellent Kona/Holualoa beans. The tasting room is now reopened, though the self-serve coffee is still non-operational in favor of the staff serving your coffee samples of choice. Most recently, I was able to sample all 6 varieties they had available. It was a glorious BUZZ! Sadly, the delicious macadamia nut snacks are still not available like they once were, pre-Covid. Perhaps you can get them upon request?? I didn't ask, I was just excited to be back in the tasting room... So feel free to grab your delicious samples, take a seat on the back patio facing the coffee farm, and if you're so inclined, take a stroll up the hill into the grove, where you can spy the slopes of Mauna Loa far off in the distance, while contemplating not only the beauty of Wood Valley, but perhaps all the other things in your mind to be unclouded. For just a few minutes, or an hour or more...Serenity Now! DONE. read more

Best coffee I have ever tried. Brought some back to Michigan so I could gift coffee to my family and friends. They all called me once they tried it to say they loved the coffee. read more