A couple of years ago, I took a seed-to-sip coffee tour in Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island, and a few things the guide shared have stuck with me ever since. One of them is a little gross, but stay with me anyway.

Kona is tiny. It’s a district about 20 miles long and a couple of miles wide, growing around 25,000 bags a year (Mexico grows about 4 million). That exclusivity is exactly why the name “Kona” is worth protecting, and why you need to read your coffee label closely.

Timestamps:

• 00:01 The coffee tour I haven’t stopped thinking about
• 01:57 How small Kona really is
• 02:57 Bugs in your coffee: the coffee berry borer and the float test
• 07:19 Why your bag needs to say “100% Kona”
• 10:23 How Kona coffee is graded, from Extra Fancy to Prime
• 11:40 Peaberries, the rare single round bean
• 13:33 The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, November 6 to 15, 2026
• 15:16 Next week: a deep dive into roasts

The big takeaway: Right now, a bag labeled “Kona” only needs 10% Kona coffee inside. Starting July 1, 2027, that minimum rises to 51%. If you want the real thing, look for the words 100% Kona.

Resources

• Heavenly Hawaiian, where I took the tour (look for the Kona Big Bean and peaberry): click here
• Kona Coffee Cultural Festival: click here
• ☕ My home coffee setup, the gear I actually use every morning: Shop my coffee essentials

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. My Kona recommendations aren’t sponsored. That was just a tour I loved. Thank you for supporting the show!

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and share it with a coffee-loving friend. And next time you’re in line at your favorite coffee shop, ask your barista one question you’ve always wondered about. Get curious!

In this episode, we’re digging into Mexican coffee: where it came from, why the industry rose and then took a hard hit, and why so much of it ends up in our cups here in the US. Plus, I share what I tasted in my honey-processed vs. washed process taste test, and the results surprised me.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How coffee arrived in Mexico in the late 1700s, and why it didn’t really take off until after the Mexican Revolution
• The rise and collapse of the Mexican Coffee Institute (INMECAFÉ), and how Mexico went from the world’s fourth largest coffee producer to around tenth
• The predatory brokers called “coyotes” (yes, really) and how the fair trade label was born in Oaxaca
• Mexico’s four main coffee growing regions: Chiapas, Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Puebla, and what makes each one special
• Why Mexican coffee tends to be balanced, with those chocolate, caramel, and toffee notes I can’t get enough of
• A fun decaf fact: what “MWP” (Mountain Water Process) on your bag means, and why it’s Mexico’s answer to Swiss Water
• Why a country that grows so much arabica imports robusta for its instant coffee
• My honey processed vs. washed taste test, and what’s coming next (hint: Kenya)

Timestamps:

• 00:00 How Mexican coffee picked me
• 03:34 A quick history of coffee in Mexico
• 06:38 The silver lining: fair trade and the Max Havelaar Foundation
• 07:47 Coyotes, the predatory coffee brokers
• 08:40 Mexico’s coffee growing regions
• 11:31 What Mexican coffee tastes like
• 11:51 Your decaf might be from Mexico
• 12:43 Robusta and Mexico’s instant coffee habit
• 13:46 The taste test: honey vs. washed
• 17:12 What’s next: an anaerobic fermentation coffee from Kenya

Guest Grinds of the Week:

• Lone Pine Roasters (Bend, OR): Mexico, washed process
• Back Porch Coffee Roasters (Bend, OR): Honey Bear, honey processed
• Keebler Coffee Roasters (Longview, WA): Mexico, washed process

Resource:

• The World Atlas of Coffee by James Hoffmann: order your copy here
• ☕ My home coffee setup: the grinder, mug, and brewers I actually use every morning → Shop my coffee essentials As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show!

Coming up: Thanks to a Threads recommendation, a Memphis coffee shop is sending me an anaerobic fermentation coffee from Kenya. I can’t wait to taste how it compares.

If you love learning a little more about your daily cup, subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. And if you’ve got a coffee-loving friend who’d enjoy this, send them your favorite episode. I’d love for them to join us.

Got a Guest Grind recommendation? Tell me! I’m always looking for my next bag.

Decaf coffee has been keeping me up at night, but not in the way that you would imagine. I was curious how caffeine-free coffee was created and how many people actually drink it. Today's episode answers those questions, along with how decaf came to be.

Wanna know my at-home setup? Click here to check out my coffee-making essentials.