Kona coffee is graded by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture based upon a grading system that takes into account a number of factors, including a coffee bean's size, shape, and the number of defects it contains.

There are six primary grades of Kona coffee, consisting of Extra Fancy, Fancy, Number 1, Peaberry, Select, and Prime. The Extra Fancy Kona coffee bean is the largest and has the fewest defects, followed by Fancy, No. 1, Select, and then Prime. The Peaberry Kona coffee bean, representing a tiny fraction of the total Kona crop, is a differently shaped bean from the other graded kona coffee beans. Whereas a typical Kona coffee bean is flat on one side and curved on the other, the Peaberry bean is rounded and oblong in nature.