Hawaii Coffee – A Taste of Aloha

For a California kid like me, Hawaii is a once-in-a-while destination for special occasions. My wife and I spent our honeymoon in Waikiki, so Hawaii holds a special place for me personally. For many, visiting the islands includes filling the calendar with tours, hikes, snorkeling or hanging out on the North Shore to watch the surfers. For others, it means trying out the local food scene and soaking up the sun on the beach, drink in hand with a tiny little umbrella sticking out of it.

No matter the destination, there is one important question that must be asked: where will I be getting my coffee? For this trip, traveling in an airplane means bringing as little as possible with me. The Aeropress is the perfect travel brewer, as most hotel rooms have a hot water source. I brought along a bag of Idido from Counter Culture for brewing in the hotel room. Another great travel brewer is the Nanopresso, which you can check out our review here.

Now let’s talk Hawaii Coffee. For this trip, I attempted to visit as many shops as I could with limited time. My radius was relatively small. But I was really happy with the coffee I came across just near the Waikiki area. You don’t have to travel too far to experience really good coffee.

This list is not extensive, and there were some spots I did not get a chance to visit. But I am including them on this post since they were recommended by some of our followers on Instagram. Perhaps this list will inspire you to try these spots on your next trip to Hawaii!

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Honolulu Coffee Experience Center

If you are a coffee lover, this is a must-visit spot! Located just minutes away from Waikiki beach, the Honolulu Coffee Experience Center is exactly what it sounds like. It is a fully-immersive coffee shop where you can use it as a cafe, or if you choose you can get educated on all things Hawaii Coffee. When you walk in, the roaster is front and center in the middle of a large room. Surrounding the room is a cupping room, a cafe and an area where they do classes or seminars on coffee and tea. Unfortunately, I was not able to be there during the roasting process, but I did enjoy a refreshing cold brew while I visited. If you plan ahead you can visit on one of their roasting days. The seating is set up so that you can interact directly with their baristas and roasters.

Kona Coffee Purveyors

Kona Coffee Purveyors has a great shop located at the International Marketplace. Classic cafe, busy and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Not only do they roast and sell their own coffee, but they have some killer desserts (I tried their black sesame Kouign-Amann… delicious!). Okay, back to the coffee. I really liked how their cafe was set up. On one side, or their front of house, they were taking orders and serving customers’ food and drinks. On the other side, they had all their coffee displayed with samples at the ready. I tried the entire line up, and was really drawn to their Hualalai Estate coffee with notes of plum, hibiscus and caramel.

Fun fact – Raymond Suiter, the owner of Kona Coffee Purveyors, originally opened up Honolulu Coffee Company back in 1992 with a small kiosk in downtown Honolulu. The company exploded and he eventually sold Honolulu Coffee Company in 2008. He started Kona Coffee Purveyors with a dedication to the details.

Kona Coffee Purveyors
Website: konacoffeepurveyors.com
Address: 2330 Kalakaua Ave #160, Honolulu, HI, 96815
Instagram: @konacoffeepurveyors

Kai Coffee

Kai Coffee has a roasting center on the east side of Waikiki and currently expanding with a few locations throughout Waikiki. I landed on one of their newest locations at the Waikiki Shopping Plaza where I met James, the manager of that location. He made me an amazing pour over of their Kona Peaberry (so good!). I also tried their Kai Latte – a classic latte with macadamia nut, perfectly sweet and nutty.

This spot is located right above another really cool food hall STIX Asia. I know we aren’t a food blog, but if you find yourself looking for amazing food and good Hawaii coffee afterwards, go to STIX and then finish it off by visiting Kai Coffee upstairs!

Another fun fact. Sam Suiter, the owner of Kai Coffee, is the younger brother of Raymond Suiter (Kona Coffee Purveyors). Sam gained experience working at Honolulu Coffee Company before opening up his own chain.

Kai Coffee
Website: kaicoffeehawaii.com
Instagram: @kaicoffeehawaii

Island Vintage Coffee

This spot was recommended by a few of our Instagram followers, so I knew I’d need to check it out. They have a few locations to choose from in Oahu. In addition to their coffee, this place is known for their food. Just a few scrolls through their yelp page and you will start to get hungry from all the amazing food pictures. The line was out the door when I came by, but I was able to sneak through the crowd and check out the shop.

Island Vintage Coffee
Website: islandvintagecoffee.com
Instagram: @islandvintagecoffee

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Now this next list includes locations that I did not get to visit personally. These are on my list to try next time I visit, and they came recommended! I wanted to include these here so that you can make the decision to visit if it works for you.

The Curb Kaimuki

I spoke to a couple local baristas and they recommended visiting The Curb Kaimuki. From what I was able to find out, they are a multi-roaster coffee shop with a list of good roasters that they rotate through. Their shop looks like a cool spot from their Instagram account and Yelp. If you are in the area, please let us know how you like this coffee shop!

The Curb Kaimuki
Website: thecurbkaimuki.com
Instagram: @thecurbkaimuki

Try Coffee

Do or do not. There is no try. Actually, yes, I very much want to try. But it will have to wait for next time. This was also recommended by local baristas. It clears on my end from Yelp reviews and Instagram posts. If you make it there before me, let me know how you like it!

Try Coffee
Website: try.coffee
Instagram: @trycoffeehi

9Bar HNL

Recommended by our Instagram followers, this spot is also ranking high on the list to try. Their scuffins are popular among the reviews. A scuffin is a cross between a scone and a muffin. Never tried one of those before but now I want one! A scone and a muffin walk into a 9bar…

9Bar HNL
Website: 9barhnl.com
Instagram: @9barhnl

Green World Coffee Farm

I know the Dole Plantation is a popular tourist attraction. But Green World Coffee Farm needs to be on your list if you love Hawaii coffee. It’s the only coffee visitor farm on Oahu, and this small farm grows and roasts their coffee right there on site. If you’ve visited this farm, please tell us about your experience!

Green World Coffee Farm
Website: greenworldcoffeefarm.com
Address: 71-101 Kamehameha Hwy, Wahiawa, HI 96786
Instagram: @greenworldcoffeefarm

Final Thoughts

There are so many choices to try Hawaii coffee. So many places and always so little time. I hope this inspires you to visit some local coffee shops if you are looking to visit Hawaii in the future. And even if you don’t visit all the spots, find a location you like, get your favorite drink and just relax. Cheers and Aloha!