Best Coffee Shops Duluth / North Shore Minnesota to Try

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Americano and a drip coffee from a shop in Duluth, MN

by Annette F

After living in Minnesota for 30 years I truly learned to appreciate coffee. The winters are long and cold, but oh so beautiful and it’s true what they say, there are only two seasons in Minnesota, winter and road construction. It’s no surprise that with roughly 6 months of winter, Minnesotans love their coffee.

When people think of Minnesota they think of the Twin Cities, namely Minneapolis and St. Paul, but hands down the most scenic part of the state is in northern Minnesota along the North Shore of Lake Superior. It is breathtaking. If you find yourself heading north out of the Twin Cities toward Duluth and beyond here are some of the best places to stop and get a steaming hot cup of coffee.

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Best Coffee Shops in Kailua-Kona Historic Village (Kona, Hawaii on the Big Island)

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Kona coffee cups near the ocean on the big island
Many of these Kona coffee shops are in within sight or just a short walking distance of the Oneo Bay in Kona.

by Lars H

If you’ve ever had a coffee on any of the Hawaiian islands, you have doubtless been made aware of the amazing Kona coffee growing region of Hawaii where the most famous Hawaiian coffee is grown.

If you get the chance, visit the little town of Kona, on the big island. You can fly over from Honolulu in less than an hour, directly to the Kona International Airport (KIA), which is only about 10 or 15 minutes by car, taxi or Lyft / Uber to Kailua-Kona, the full official name of the Kona.

I tried all of the various Kona coffee shops I could find in the Kailua-Kona Historic Village, and here are the ones I loved that you’ll probably love too.

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Why is Hawaiian coffee so good?

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hawaiian coffee grown in oahu

by Matt Gibson

Hawaiian coffee, particularly the coffee produced in the Kona coffee belt, or Kona coffee, is quite a bit more expensive than regular coffee, or even single origin coffee that was sourced from various countries around the world. But what makes it worth the extra price? 

There are quite a few factors that go into making Kona coffee so special that coffee enthusiasts are willing to pay top prices for it. It is somewhat ironic that many of the same factors that make Hawaiian coffee so expensive are the same factors that make it so good. These factors include the fertile volcanic soil that the coffee is grown in, the ideal weather that provides the ideal growing environment, and the hands-on labor style required to grow and harvest the beans, all add up to drive up the cost, and the quality of Kona coffee.  

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Why is Kona coffee so special?

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mountain thunder organic Kona coffee beans
Kona coffee from the volcanic soils of the Kona area of the big island of Hawaii is exclusive and delicious.

QUESTION: Why is Kona coffee so special? It’s really expensive and most places don’t even stock it, but I don’t understand what makes it good in the first place. — Howard E

ANSWER: 100 percent Kona coffee can be quite expensive, with some roasts going for $20-30 per pound, and other roasts going for as much as $100 per pound or higher. These prices are incredibly high for coffee, and yet Kona coffee flies off the shelf so quickly that it is often hard to find. But what makes Kona coffee so special? 

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Black Sheep Coffee Shop in Dallas, on Mockingbird. What We Know.

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Black Sheep Coffee Shop of Dallas on Mockingbird Lane exterior view
Black Sheep Coffee Shop in Dallas, on Mockingbird Lane. Photo by Lars

by Lars H

Ever heard of Black Sheep Coffee? Probably not if you’re in the USA, but maybe so if you’re from the UK, where they have around 45 shops, a large number of which in London.

What’s different about the coffee? They use only robusta coffee beans!

Why is this unusual? Because typically, most high end coffees brand that they are 100 percent arabica beans. Robusta beans are usually the beans used in cheap brands of coffee.

But guess what. You can actually buy specialty grade robusta beans that are top quality, and that’s what Black Sheep Coffee does. Here’s some more, straight from the source.

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