Koa Coffee vs Lavazza
The verdict
Koa Coffee and Lavazza, compared on every specification their makers publish.
Who each one suits
Koa Coffee
Anybody buying Kona who wants to know it is actually Kona rather than a ten percent blend
Lavazza
Anybody who wants Italian espresso blends rather than single origin coffee
What each one costs
| Price | Not publicly stated | Not publicly stated |
Where they differ
Every specification the two makers publish differently. Everything they match on is in the full table below.
| Koa Coffee | Lavazza | |
|---|---|---|
| Based in | Captain Cook, Hawaii, United States | Turin, Italy |
| Best for | Anybody buying Kona who wants to know it is actually Kona rather than a ten percent blend | Anybody who wants Italian espresso blends rather than single origin coffee |
| What sets it apart | A single-estate Kona grower selling its own crop, which is rarer than the word Kona on a bag suggests | A family roaster since 1895 that built its name on blending, not on naming farms |
| Coffees Reviewed | 8 | 5 |
| Flavoured Line | None | No |
| Format | Ground, Whole bean | — |
| Grind Options | — | Espresso, Whole bean |
| Origin | Hawaii | South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Mexico, India, Java |
| Price per Kg Range | 170.86 to 248.02 | — |
| Price per kg | 170.86 USD | — |
| Processing Method | — | Washed, Natural |
| Roast Date Printed | ✓ | ✕ |
| Roast Levels | Medium, Medium-dark, Dark | Medium, Dark |
| Roaster City | Captain Cook, Hawaii | Turin |
| Roaster Country | United States | Italy |
| Roaster Country Code | US | IT |
| Ships to | US, worldwide | US, UK, EU, worldwide |
| Ships to Note | Ships to many countries, though the roaster states that some products cannot be sent internationally without saying which. | Sold widely in Europe and internationally through supermarkets and the maker's own regional stores. |
| Subscription Available | ✓ | ✕ |
| Tasting Notes | Chocolate, Caramel & toffee, Creamy, Citrus, Berry | Chocolate, Spice |
Pros and cons
From each full review, written from the same published facts as the scores above.
Koa Coffee
- +A roast date printed, which almost no roaster on this site does
- +Eight coffees from a single named origin, Hawaii, across three roast levels
- +Ground and whole bean with a subscription available
- −$170.86 to $248.02 a kilo, four times the next most expensive roaster here
- −One origin only, so there is no range to move across
- −No certifications are published for the range
Lavazza
- +Nine origins named across the range including Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Guatemala and Costa Rica
- +Washed and natural processing both published, which most roasters here omit
- +1kg bags, the largest format on this site, from a roaster founded in 1895
- −No roast date is printed and no subscription is offered
- −No certifications are published on any bag in the range
- −Two tasting notes across five coffees, and one of them is a single word
Every specification, side by side
| Koa Coffee | Lavazza | |
|---|---|---|
| The maker | ||
| Based in | Captain Cook, Hawaii, United States | Turin, Italy |
| Who it suits | ||
| Best for | Anybody buying Kona who wants to know it is actually Kona rather than a ten percent blend | Anybody who wants Italian espresso blends rather than single origin coffee |
| What sets it apart | A single-estate Kona grower selling its own crop, which is rarer than the word Kona on a bag suggests | A family roaster since 1895 that built its name on blending, not on naming farms |
| Specifications | ||
| Coffees Reviewed | 8 | 5 |
| Flavoured Line | None | No |
| Format | Ground, Whole bean | — |
| Gift Sets Reviewed | 0 | 0 |
| Grind Options | — | Espresso, Whole bean |
| Origin | Hawaii | South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Mexico, India, Java |
| Price per Kg Range | 170.86 to 248.02 | — |
| Price per kg | 170.86 USD | — |
| Processing Method | — | Washed, Natural |
| Roast Date Printed | ✓ | ✕ |
| Roast Levels | Medium, Medium-dark, Dark | Medium, Dark |
| Roaster City | Captain Cook, Hawaii | Turin |
| Roaster Country | United States | Italy |
| Roaster Country Code | US | IT |
| Ships to | US, worldwide | US, UK, EU, worldwide |
| Ships to Note | Ships to many countries, though the roaster states that some products cannot be sent internationally without saying which. | Sold widely in Europe and internationally through supermarkets and the maker's own regional stores. |
| Subscription Available | ✓ | ✕ |
| Tasting Notes | Chocolate, Caramel & toffee, Creamy, Citrus, Berry | Chocolate, Spice |
Koa Coffee vs Lavazza: common questions
Is Koa Coffee or Lavazza cheaper?
Koa Coffee starts at Not publicly stated, and Lavazza at Not publicly stated.
Who is Koa Coffee for?
Anybody buying Kona who wants to know it is actually Kona rather than a ten percent blend
Who is Lavazza for?
Anybody who wants Italian espresso blends rather than single origin coffee
Keep comparing
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