Costcos In Hawaii Sell Some Of The Most Prized Coffee In The World

When you ask people why they like Costco, the responses often center on saving money. It's usually about paying less to buy in bulk, getting cheap gas, and, of course, the $1.50 hot dogs at the food court. But in Hawaii, you'll also find some of the most prized and expensive coffee in the world: Kona coffee. Your local supermarket may have some Kona coffee blends, but finding 100% Kona coffee outside Hawaii can prove difficult, or at least expensive. So for coffee lovers visiting Hawaii, a trip to one of the state's eight Costco locations is more than just an Airbnb grocery run. It's a vacation destination.

Although California is experimenting with growing small batches, Hawaii is the only U.S. state that grows coffee at scale. Kona is the state's best-known coffee, exclusively grown in the Kona region on the western coast of the Big Island. You can find Kona near the top of many rankings of most beloved coffees in the world despite accounting for only 1% of the coffee produced globally. In 2024, Coffee Review, a popular online coffee guide, ranked the Hula Daddy Kona Coffee company at the top of its list from taste tests of over 3,000 different brews. 

The key factor to coffee grown in this area is the nutrient-rich volcanic soil. In addition, a climate with warm days and cool nights without extreme temperature swings, along with gentle rainfall and natural slopes for drainage, all combine to create this unique bean that brews a cup with notes of fruit, toasted nuts, and brown sugar. While Kona coffee is perhaps the most popular, farmers also grow coffee on other islands including Kauai and Molokai. Those varieties are also rare and can be found on shelves at Costcos in Hawaii.

It's true most shoppers turn to Costco for savings, but the biggest Costco loyalists say the fun is in the surprise finds of each visit. In Hawaii Costcos, that means getting your hands on not just Kona coffee but beans from other regions. There are 900 different coffee farms throughout the islands (via Kauai Coffee). Each region offers slightly different flavors and aromas, but all of them benefit from Hawaii's climate and fertile soil. One non-Kona variety Costco's been known to stock is Kauai Peaberry, a sweet yet citrusy brew with hints of lemon. Another example is Molokai Estate Midnight Roast, which leans into chocolate and earthy notes.

Some Hawaii visitors even plan their Costco run in advance of the trip, taking to travel forums to strategize accordingly. They have to use forums because Costco doesn't list Kona coffee on its website, even when you set your warehouse location to Iwilei on O'ahu (the busiest Costco in the country). If part of the fun of shopping at Costco is the feeling of being on a treasure hunt, Kona coffee may be the most exciting find.