Coffee is one of the most beloved drinks worldwide, enjoyed by millions each day. Here in the United States, this popular beverage is uniquely grown only on the islands of Hawaii. Why? Because coffee thrives best in tropical climates, and Hawaii’s southern location provides the perfect conditions for the beans to flourish. While the U.S. may contribute only a small fraction to the global coffee market, Hawaiian coffee growers take immense pride in cultivating their limited acreage with care and precision.
During my visit to the Hilo Coffee Mill, located on the Big Island, I had the opportunity to meet owner Jeanette Baysa, who shared her deep knowledge of coffee production. As I walked through the farm, I was surprised to see how tall the coffee plants were. Expecting to see a bush, I found instead that the plants grew more like trees.
Jeanette explained that although coffee is technically a bush, they allow the plants to grow taller to maximize production. The trees were dotted with green and red fruit, each representing a different stage of ripeness. The bright red fruits stood out against the greenery, and Jeanette pointed out that these were ready to be harvested, while the green ones needed more time to ripen. Inside each ripe fruit are seeds, and the mature seeds are the densest, making them ideal for roasting.
Jeanette offered me the chance to taste a coffee fruit fresh from the tree. I eagerly picked a bright red one and bit into its sweet, juicy flesh, revealing two seeds inside—the coffee beans in their natural state. It was amazing to taste coffee in this form, and I could already envision how these beans would transform into the rich roasted coffee I love.
To get a better understanding of the process, Jeanette walked me down to the fermenting area. There, she showed me the machinery that starts the transformation of the fruit into coffee beans. A machine resembling a large cheese grater is used to strip away the fruit's outer layer, separating the seeds from the rest of the pulp. The result is the bean, ready for fermenting.
At the Hilo Coffee Mill, they use pure rainwater that’s never been treated with chemicals like chlorine, iodine, or fluoride. They keep some of this water, enriched with natural enzymes, and let the seeds sit in it for about a day. This step is crucial as the denser seeds sink to the bottom, indicating that they will hold onto the flavor better when roasted.
Once the beans have fermented, they are laid out on drying racks to complete their transformation. After drying, the beans emerge from their shells, ready for the final steps of roasting, brewing, and, finally, consuming.
On that cool, rainy day in Hawaii, I could already imagine savoring a warm, aromatic cup of freshly brewed coffee. The entire process, from tree to cup, was fascinating, and I left Hilo Coffee Mill with a newfound appreciation for the dedication and craft that goes into every bean. Hawaiian coffee is truly a special experience, grown with care and perfected with expertise.
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