Reviews (36)
I love Pele Plantations which I found online. I was buying Kona from another distributor and read that the best and freshest came from Hawaii so....I picked Pele. I joined the coffee club as Melanie was so pleasant and helpful in recommending a coffee for me. My orders come on time, are packaged well and smell so wonderful before I get them out of the mailer box. I began with medium roast but tried Pele Roast and it's my new go to. I'm into my second year of membership and look forward to the arrival of my order...as does my husband and my adult son. Now and then I run out before I get my order and after drinking Kona regularly, it is impossible for me to be satisfied with anything else out there. Price wise, it's an indulgence that I believe I'm worth and if it weren't for the shipping cost to Southern U.S, it would be almost practical :) If you are a Kona drinker, I highly recommend Pele Plantations and if you want to try something extravagant for your taste buds, I highly recommend Kona.
I was in Kona 4 years ago and had bought several different brands of Kona Coffee before seeing Pele Plantations. What a difference. Theirs is by far the best. They only pick the coffee cherries when they are fully ripe. Their drying and roasting process is the best I have ever seen. I quickly became a Coffee Club member. The aroma of the freshly roasted beans is wonderful. The smell of the brewed coffee is the first treat of the morning. My wife and I have enjoyed every cup. If you want a special treat, try their Peaberry. It is out of this world.
Incredible coffee! Was lucky enough to snag a bag while visiting the Big Island, and it is currently making the return to dreary Seattle weather feel easier. Can't recommend enough.
Are you looking for the BEST organic, Hawaiian grown (Kona) coffee? Do you also like supporting a small local family business? Well look no further, Pele Plantations should be your next stop in Waimea. Tucked right next to the KTA in the Waimea Center, you can't miss the lovely window decal of Pele herself. But the real magic happens behind the glass. I've tried all the roast types and now just rotate through them because the next one is always my favorite! Don't forget to try the chocolate covered macadamia nuts, I keep a bag of these and coffee for guests or to take back to the mainland to share. You can't get this type of quality anywhere else. What a gem Waimea now has!
Very Nice place to buy 100% Kona Coffee.
We recently had the chance to visit Melanie and Vikram at their new store in Waimea. It was a wonderful experience! They are delightful hosts and they continue to sell the absolute best coffee in the world. The new store is in a convenient location when exploring the northern part of the Big Island. As an added bonus, their new retail displays provide a wealth of information about the various farms that produce Pele's amazing coffees. We have been members of the Coffee Club since we first visited Pele Plantations two years ago, and love receiving freshly roasted coffee every month. Pele Plantations coffee is our go-to when we need a gift for family or friends. We look forward to visiting the store in Waimea on our next trip to the Big Island!
最高のコーヒーです！ 私たちはメラニーと彼女の家族が大好きです！ メラニーはいつも暖かくて親切です。コナコーヒーに対する彼女の情熱が大好きです。 お店オープンの知らせを聞いて、幸せな気持ちになりました。 素晴らしい農場を訪れる日を楽しみにしています。 本当に尊敬しています。The shop is the best and the coffee is delicious!! We love Melanie and her family! She is always warm and kind. I love her enthusiastic appearance for Kona coffee. I was looking forward to the opening of the store. It makes me happy too. I'm really looking forward to the day of visiting the wonderful organic farms. I really respect the way that you guys share the responsibility of work and chores.
Amazing and passionate people who truly care about the product they produce, "Pure Kona" the taste and smell of the island to your cup.
Most amazing coffee!!! We have been coffee club members for the past few years after we stumbled upon this plantation. Make a reservation, the hour or so long tour is super informative and tasting at the end is lovely with one of the best views on the island. When we are there we feel like family. Can't say enough good things about this place!!!!
Best coffee ever! We get it shipped to us as often as possible and it doesn't ever last long enough. If you want to learn more about how an organic coffee farm works, taking a tour here is amazing! We've visited twice now and the view alone is worth booking a tour. Highly recommended but be sure to email ahead of time as this is not just a business, but their home.
I used to live in Kailua Kona back in the early `70s when coffee production was down to a minimum. Still, some was available in freeze-dried form in the tourist shops. It was expensive but I eventually tried some and it knocked my socks off, it was by far the best coffee I'd ever tasted. Later, I came to realize that all produce grown in that nutrient-rich volcanic soil is richer in taste, color, and scent (all of which are indicators of nutritional density). At least 4 times richer than anything grown on the US Mainland. I now buy the green coffee beans from Pele Plantations, grind them up in a grist mill, add water (just enough for them to completely absorb) and let them sit in the oven with the light on (pre-sprout them) for 24 hrs to get rid of the enzyme blockers that all seed and nuts have, then blend them in a 3hp commercial blender 4 times to make a nice fine paste, the last time bringing the temperature up to 110 degrees to get rid of the absorption inhibitors that all raw foods have. This makes a nutrient-rich paste which I refrigerate and eat raw. Kona coffee is the only coffee rich enough (that I'm aware of) to do all this effectively with. I'm a 70yr old athlete and still do a 12 and 1/2hr full-body weight lifting routine that takes me 3 days to do, working every other day, plus, on the days in between I do lumberjack work with non--powered hand tools. My raw Kona coffee paste is an essential part of the Super Food diet that keeps me going, I wouldn't be without it.
My family and I wanted to go on a coffee tour while on our Big Island vacation, and I'm so glad I was able to find Pele Plantation while I was doing research. Melanie and Vikram welcomed us with open arms and gave us a very informative private tour of their family owned farm. After learning about their 100% organic growing and roasting process (which is amazing - its so much work to stay certified year after year), we were treated with a coffee tasting on their lanai with amazing views of their property and the ocean. They have so much passion and dedication for what they do, and you can really tell in the quality of their coffee. We left with many bags for ourselves and for gifts, and signed up to be part of their coffee club. We all can't wait to enjoy the fresh Kona coffee at home and continued correspondence with Melanie and Vikram. If you're looking for a really unique Kona coffee experience run by inspiring people and is not a cookie-cutter tourist trap, definitely try to stop by Pele.
This review is for their online mail order business - short review is we love Pele Plantations! Love the focus on organic, love the roast and ship, love the fast delivery (order Sunday evening and it’s in our mailbox Wednesday), but most of all love the outstanding quality and taste of their coffee! We’re hooked!
Melanie and Vikram were wonderful hosts on our tour of Pele Plantations - their love for coffee and Pele comes through in their every word and action. They kindly squeezed us in for a tour and we are so grateful. My husband and I both enjoyed learning about the history of Pele, their process, and about running a farm. The tasting at the end of the tour has turned my husband and I into coffee drinkers - but only from Pele ;) Thank you again for such a lovely tour and great conversation, we both loved getting to know you two and can't wait to have more coffee!
Melanie provided exceptional hospitality, education, and an authentic experience that my family and I will remember for a lifetime. The passion her family has for this farm is evident in both the pure flavor of the coffee and the care they show at each stage of their process. Also, they have the most breathtaking view that I have ever seen. Thank you for welcoming us into your home.
This was an amazing experience. The owners, Vikram and Melanie gave us a personal tour of their farm and walked us through the whole process. It was just my wife and I, and it felt just like a VIP experience. The history behind the plantation was amazing, and gave me a whole new opinion on what it means to be 100% organic. This was such a great experience and highly recommend you reach out to Vikram and Melanie for this truly one of a kind experience!
You are a special guest when you visit Pele Plantations. Owners Vikram and Melanie took us on a personal tour of their beautiful plantation grounds and processing facilities. They shared their first-hand experiences with us about running an organic coffee plantation (and with a lot of detail, as I tend to ask a lot of questions). The plantation sits mauka to Highway 11 (on the mountain side) with breathtaking views over the ocean and coastline of Honaunau and Captain Cook. We concluded the tour with a cupping (coffee tasting) of one of their fresh roasts and talked more about their coffee and life on the Big Island. They are very generous with their time and knowledge. You make new friends and leave feeling like you have a glimpse into what it means to be a coffee grower and what life is like running a small business in Hawaii. Booking the tour was easy- I emailed through their website and got an almost immediate response from Melanie. I think they prefer tours in the AM before the weather gets too hot. The tour was free, as was their hospitality, and tasting. We ended up joining their monthly coffee club where we get a freshly roasted pound of organic coffee shipped to us on the mainland (overnighted via FedEx). We got our first shipment of coffee this month and we love every cup we make. Mahalo Melanie and Vikram.
THANK YOU for an absolutely wonderful experience. Your hospitality was very gracious and made our first day on the island feel very welcoming. God bless you.
We toured coffee plantations all over the island and on Kauai as well, and this is the BEST one. We were given a private tour by one of the owners, then afterwards we sat down with both of the owners and drank the coffee while enjoying the incredible view of the ocean! We drank coffee that had just been roasted 2 days ago. It was unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before. I’m not a coffee expert, but even I could tell a difference. They are such experts in their roasting that they even change the temperature they roast at each month as the bean loses density. That’s just a tiny example of the detail and expertise that they put into their process. I could go on, but the best way is to experience it yourself. Go even if you don’t like coffee! You won’t regret it
Mel and Vikram were incredibly gracious hosts and went out of their way to accommodate our schedule for the day. I was extremely impressed at seeing the care and dedication that goes into their coffee. They even brewed us coffee and sat down with us for a cup! I consider myself a somewhat "casual" coffee drinker but I'm pretty confident I can say this is THEE best coffee I've ever had.