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Kona Coffee Roasts FAQ

How long does it take to roast coffee?

   Actual roasting time can be from 12 – 16 minutes, varying with roast type and size and brand of roasting machine.

What are the different roasts?

   American – our lightest … with about 20% more caffeine

   Vienna - a medium roast and our most popular

   French – our dark roast

How is caffeine content different in different roasts?

   The longer and hotter the roasting process, slightly more caffeine is driven off in the roasting process. Contrary to what may seem logical the darker, stronger tasting roasts have less caffeine than the lighter roasts.

What is Peaberry coffee?

   Typically, each coffee cherry has a pair of flat-sided coffee beans inside. In perhaps 3 or 5% of cherry there is a single more “pea” shaped bean … referred to as Peaberry. It is not easy to tell if a cherry has two beans or one Peaberry bean. Most trees produce both. You might describe it as an accident of nature. It is believed that Peaberry is more flavorful and may have more caffeine. Considering its rarity, it almost always commands a higher price.

What roast or type of coffee is best?

   The only “best” is what you like best! Like wine, one can argue all day long which is best … the reality is if you like the flavor best … it is the best roast for you!

What is the best way to brew coffee?

   The same answer as the best roast. Whatever machine and style that produces the coffee that you find most pleasing to drink. Many people find that they prefer a different roast or brewing method for breakfast coffee than they do for their last cup of the day.

Which coffee is Mountain Thunder’s most popular?

   Private Reserve – Vienna roast

Do you sell ground coffee?

   Yes, Mountain Thunder generally packages whole beans, however we will gladly grind any coffee to your specifications.

What are Mountain Thunder’s different qualities of Kona Coffee?

   Our finest coffee is Peaberry, then Private Reserve, followed by Premium. We wholesale lesser qualities under another brand … not Mountain Thunder!

What is Black & Tan roast?

   This is a mix of French (dark) roast and American (light) roast. Some coffee aficionados prefer the blend of the taste and aroma nuances of the two roasts combined. Allows you to have a lot of flavor and a lot of caffeine in the same cup!

What do you do with lower quality Kona Coffee?

   Lesser grades are sold wholesale under another trade name … not Mountain Thunder. Some is sold to companies that produce 10% Kona Coffee blends. The lowest grades are used in body scrubs and other body products.

How long can you keep roasted coffee?

   Roasted coffee that is sealed in the original vacuum sealed bag should be used within a year. After the bag is opened, depending how it is stored, we suggest using it within a month if it is ground or within six months if it is whole bean.

How should I store roasted coffee?

   We recommend a ceramic or glass container with an airtight seal that is kept in a dark cabinet where the temperature is relatively constant. Coffee should NOT be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. The dry coffee beans will pick up moisture and odors from other foodstuffs, that will impact the taste.

Is coffee decaffeinated by roasting, how is decaf made?

   There are several methods. Our provider uses a CO2 method that takes advantage of the fact that refrigerated liquid CO2 is a solvent for caffeine.

What training do you need to be a RoastMaster, do you need a certificate?

   RoastMasters typically have 3 – 5 years’ experience assisting before they take the lead position. There are some training programs, however we believe on the job training is best.

What kind of roasting machines does Mountain Thunder use, what is their capacity?

   We exclusively used roasting machines manufactured by the Diedrich Company of Sand Point, Idaho. We have roasters with a capacity of 7 pounds up to 110 pounds.