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    Ka'u Coffee Mill

    4.5 (107 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Ka'u Coffee Mill Photos

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    KA'U COFFEE MILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Outdoor seating
    Good for working

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    Recommended Reviews - Ka'u Coffee Mill

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    Front of store
    Bubba Y.

    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?

    Michelle D.

    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.

    James M.

    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.

    Bean sample
    Dang L.

    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.

    Helen L.

    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.

    Shop
    MICHELE M.

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

    Coffee education
    Terry W.

    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.

    Products that I purchased
    Emily C.

    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.

    Athene D.

    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!!!

    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!!!!

    Drying of the beans.
    Corine G.

    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!

    coffee farm tour
    Kristina T.

    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.

    stumped trees and one year growth
    Bellea M.

    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!

    Coffee and outdoor seating

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    11 years ago

    Charm and good food, loved it! Try the doughnut-esque goodies (names escapes me at present). Lots to choose from.

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    11 years ago

    Great staff, tons of free samples but average coffee.

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    Page 3 of 3

    Ask the Community - Ka'u Coffee Mill

    Review Highlights - Ka'u Coffee Mill

    The staff is super friendly and we really enjoyed tasting the different coffees and macadamia nuts.

    Mentioned in 18 reviews

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    Paradise Coffee Roasters

    Paradise Coffee Roasters

    4.5(24 reviews)
    42.2 mi
    Locally owned & operated
    23 years in business

    I'm not a local. We vacationed in Hilo. I like going to local coffee shops, trying their…read morespecialities, and purchasing a bag. We looked up this spot and my bad, maybe I didn't read the menu fully, but I thought you could buy a cup of coffee here. I walked in asking to buy a cold brew and was informed they don't sell cups of coffee just bags of it. Okay. They let me sample the bag I chose to buy (a light roast which is my preference). It was smooth and I enjoyed it. Their business hours are like 9am to 2pm 3 days a week. Something like that. The shop is super small with just bags of coffee everywhere. So for anyone looking to grab a cup of coffee, this is not the place, but if you want to purchase some whole beans then this place is for you I guess.

    This place is closed. We also made a detour to try this place in August. Got here a few minutes…read moreafter they were supposed to open, but the door was locked and there was no sign indicating they were not going to open. Another person showed up confused. We saw someone inside and knocked. He came out and looked confused as to why we were there. Apparently, they are no longer open as a storefront serving coffee as most of their business is from online sales. I mentioned that Yelp and online indicates they are still up and running and should be open now. He again looked confused and said he doesn't know how to update Yelp and will have to look into it. Does not appear this has happened so hopefully my review can save you all a bit of wasted time and disappointment.

    Photos
    Paradise Coffee Roasters - Retail coffee display of fresh roasted coffees and brewing equipment.

    Retail coffee display of fresh roasted coffees and brewing equipment.

    Paradise Coffee Roasters - Entrance to Paradise Coffe Roasters

    Entrance to Paradise Coffe Roasters

    Paradise Coffee Roasters - Outside Paradise coffee roasters. Laurina Coffee tree in front of window.

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    Outside Paradise coffee roasters. Laurina Coffee tree in front of window.

    Hula Daddy Kona Coffee - They have lots of cute stuff for sale not just coffee Got some chocolate covered coffee beans in a really cute bag and their sweat shirt

    Hula Daddy Kona Coffee

    4.7(332 reviews)
    44.2 mi
    $$$

    We had an exceptional experience at Hula Daddy Kona Coffee! Sue was professional, thorough, and…read moreincredibly knowledgeable. Her attention to detail made the tour truly outstanding. The coffee was amazing, and learning about the history of the business, Kona coffee, and Hawaiʻi was both fascinating and informative, we learned far more than we anticipated. We also had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Karen, and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with both her and Sue. We look forward to returning and highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Big Island!

    Hula daddy is a boutique Kona farm where quality & detail is not overlooked. All coffee beans are…read moremeticulously assessed several times by the resident roaster, Laura. Only the best beans are eventually qualified for their roast and all hand packaged by Laura. This focus on quality & personal touch is reflected in their coffee price. They are more expensive than the Kona coffees you can purchase from local store, but you can be guaranteed of the quality from bean to coffee with Hula. We ended up not purchasing any bags but we definitely had a great time & would recommend the tour. Our tour guide was so bubbly & exceptional! Just FYI- the tour encompasses the history of Hula Daddy, & information about the land/trees/coffee making process. Tour ends with sample of chocolate covered coffee bean. You'll have to purchase flights or Individual cups to try specific batches. Otherwise they have free samples of their general medium & dark roast coffees near their entrance.

    Photos
    Hula Daddy Kona Coffee
    Hula Daddy Kona Coffee - .

    .

    Hula Daddy Kona Coffee - Coffee fruit to roast process

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    Coffee fruit to roast process

    Kona Farm Direct Coffee - 1st Place Kona Coffee Cultural Festival Classic Division 2022

    Kona Farm Direct Coffee

    5.0(56 reviews)
    41.2 mi
    $$

    This was one of my favorite moments from our recent visit to Hawaii. I swear that we were…read moreliterally treated like ohana. Leslie and her small staff were so kind and welcoming. There is something to be said about the view and the fantastic coffee!!!! Wow was it top tier! It feels like a custom tropical treehouse. We sat around her concrete table as we sipped sample after sample of award winning Kona coffee. On the TV we watched a live feed of the volcano. It was such a genuine experience all the way through. She took the time to walk us around the farm and explain the entire process. So much effort goes into making such a delicious cup of coffee. This place is highly recommended. It has extremely limited hours so be sure to be mindful of that .

    A fantastic and personal tasting and tour that was so gratifying and wonderful. Leslie and Etsi…read morewere wonderful and really made us feel like old friends! We were served several tastings of the coffee (7 or 8 small cups) and every cup was delicious! My favorite was the SL34 and I purchased a purchased a pound and half of it. After the tastings, we were taken on a tour around the farm and processing areas and it was so great to see Leslie treat the workers with love and respect. It was genuinely the best coffee farm we had been to...and we've been to several! The view is beautiful as well. The hours are extremely limited so make sure to make plan to come.

    Photos
    Kona Farm Direct Coffee - Picking Season!

    Picking Season!

    Kona Farm Direct Coffee - Fresh-roasted!

    Fresh-roasted!

    Kona Farm Direct Coffee - Kona Farm Direct Coffee

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    Kona Farm Direct Coffee

    Kau Coffee

    Kau Coffee

    4.9(13 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    Came out to the Big Island to help with the aftermath of a natural disaster, and somehow in the…read moremiddle of all that, this little coffee spot became our daily reset. We were staying nearby, so every morning turned into a quiet mission--pull up, breathe, and share a little aloha with the crew here. The energy felt genuine right away, not forced, not touristy... just real people, good vibes, and that island pace that makes you slow down whether you want to or not. After long days of work, this place hit different in the mornings. Coffee was always on point--smooth, rich, and exactly what you need to get your head right before getting back out there. But honestly, it was more than the coffee. It was the smiles, the conversations, the way they remembered you after a couple visits. In a time where everything felt a little heavy, this spot gave us a small sense of normal and a whole lot of warmth. If you're anywhere near Kaʻu, do yourself a favor and stop in... not just for the coffee, but for the feeling you didn't know you needed.

    Precious little coffee farm in the middle of nowhere. Great signage but hard to find if you're not…read moreen route or specifically looking for it. The staff were incredibly warm and greeted us immediately. The space itself is really adorable and clean. You walk right into a coffee shop and a gift store. They have plenty of fresh local coffee out to sample so we grab two mini cups and wandered around the shop. I really appreciated the shop for its local focus. I got some Hawaiian sea salt for cooking and even though it was expensive at $10 for a tiny bag it felt like it was authentic and of great quality. Much variety. The coffee was pricey, but it is everywhere and it's amazing. They also have things like macadamia nuts, oils and other really wonderful cooking items. Great outdoor space and bathrooms. Delightful energy and music playing.

    Photos
    Kau Coffee
    Kau Coffee
    Kau Coffee - Road Sign

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    Road Sign

    Ka'u Coffee Mill - coffee - Updated September 2026

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