Understanding the Three Major Coffee Bean Types: Comparison and Differences Between Arabica and Robusta Beans, and Does Starbucks Use Only Arabica?

Today, many coffee vendors have embarked on new journeys with their coffee beverages, with Arabica often used as a promotional tool for their brands. They all claim to use "100% Arabica" and advertise with statements like: Freshly ground black coffee is 100% Arabica!

However, Arabica is actually a variety of coffee bean, not a type of coffee.

Coffee Varieties

The three main native varieties are Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. Arabica ranks first in production, accounting for approximately 60-70% of the world's coffee, with sub-varieties such as Bourbon and Typica. Robusta accounts for about 30-40% of the world's total coffee production. Liberica only constitutes 3% and is mostly grown in the Asia-Pacific region.

Liberica, also known as large-seed coffee, is extremely hardy but simultaneously has weak flavor and resistance to leaf rust disease. Its cultivation is less than 1%, and it has basically withdrawn from the commercial market, only preserved for scientific research. Therefore, today we will focus on Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica

Also known as small-seed coffee, it originates from Ethiopia. Arabica coffee trees typically grow at altitudes between 1,000-2,000 meters; they are relatively cold-resistant and thrive in suitable temperatures of 15-24°C. They require high humidity, with annual rainfall not less than 1,500 milliliters, and also have high requirements for cultivation techniques. Arabica coffee trees are large shrubs with oval-shaped, dark green leaves. The fruits are also oval-shaped, generally containing two slightly flattened beans. The front surface is long oval-shaped with a narrow, curved central crack in an S-shape, while the back surface has a relatively flat arc. The caffeine content is approximately 0.8%-1.5%.

The excellent flavor and aroma of Arabica coffee make it the only coffee among these native varieties that can be consumed directly and individually. Single-origin coffees such as Jamaican Blue Mountain, Indonesian Mandheling, Yirgacheffe, and Brazilian coffee all belong to this category. However, its resistance to drought, frost, pests, and diseases is weak, particularly to coffee's greatest enemy—leaf rust disease. Therefore, coffee-producing countries are all dedicated to improving varieties.

Arabica coffee from different regions, altitudes, and climates exhibits unique characteristics and can display completely distinct flavor profiles. When unroasted, it smells like fresh grass. After appropriate roasting, it reveals "fruity aromas" (light to medium roast) and "caramel flavors" (dark roast). It is suitable for single-origin and various blend beans, and can be prepared using various extraction techniques.

Robusta

Also known as medium-seed coffee, it originates from the Congo in Africa. Robusta coffee trees are mostly planted at low altitudes of 200-800 meters, preferring warm climates that require temperatures between 24-29°C. They don't have high requirements for rainfall. However, this variety relies on insects or wind for pollination, so coffee takes 9-11 months from pollination to fruiting, which is relatively longer than Arabica.

Robusta coffee trees are a species between shrubs and tall trees. They have longer leaves, bright green in color, and can grow up to 10 meters high, but have shallow roots. The fruit shape is fuller than Arabica beans, with the central line splitting vertically. From the side view, they are usually flat or bulging in the middle. They feel harder than Arabica beans, like small stones.

Robusta coffee generally has inferior flavor compared to Arabica.

The Value of Robusta

As a very important variety in the coffee world, Robusta plays an indispensable role in the commercial world. The value of Robusta is not to serve as a negative example to highlight how superior Arabica's flavor is, but it has an unshakable position in espresso blends. Italian blends add a small amount of Robusta to enhance the coffee's body, creating Espresso with richer crema.

After Espresso blends with milk, it presents a rich and full-bodied taste. Milk-based coffees become more intense and aromatic thanks to the complementary relationship between Robusta and Arabica, with Robusta compensating for Arabica's lack of body.

Robusta

Primarily used in espresso blends to increase body and obtain rich crema. Although Robusta's flavor cannot be compared with Arabica's, it has its own value.

Beginner Questions

1. What's the difference between 10 yuan and 30 yuan coffee?

From the coffee market perspective, coffee beans are mainly divided into two categories: commercial beans and specialty coffee beans. In terms of price, Robusta international futures are about $1,686 per ton, which is about 11.5 yuan per kilogram at today's exchange rate. Specialty coffee beans are several times more expensive than commercial beans. From a cost perspective, choosing commercial beans certainly offers greater profit margins, but the taste of coffee from commercial beans is much inferior to that of specialty coffee beans, and can be used for espresso-based drinks like lattes and cappuccinos.

Between commercial coffee and specialty coffee, the difference between 10 yuan and 30 yuan indeed represents a quality gap. Simply put, specialty coffee beans are high-quality green beans, roasted through exquisite roasting techniques that restore the unique flavors inherent in the coffee beans - flavors that belong exclusively to that particular coffee bean. Specialty coffee beans are processed using refined methods. Careful washing and sun-drying, along with various refined green bean processing techniques, give coffee "layered," "fruity acidic," "sweet," and "mellow" flavors.

Specialty coffee beans are several times more expensive than commercial beans. From a cost perspective, choosing commercial beans certainly offers greater profit margins. Those large-scale, mass-produced and packaged products are generally commercial beans.

In terms of individual bean flavor, commercial beans are generally chosen for blends. These commercial coffee beans are usually cheaper, and both the green beans and roasting techniques can only be said to follow mass-production standards. The biggest difference between specialty coffee and commercial coffee beans lies in quality and price. Specialty coffee beans might cost 90 yuan per pound, while commercial beans might be as low as 40-50 yuan per pound.

However, in reality, blended beans can also produce coffee with excellent taste - it mainly depends on what beans are used for the blend.

2. "Blue Mountain Coffee" and "Kopi Luwak" are coffees, while Arabica is a coffee bean variety.

Most people have heard of "Blue Mountain Coffee" and "Kopi Luwak" - these are coffee beverages, whereas "Arabica" "coffee" refers to a variety of coffee.

◆ "Blue Mountain Coffee" refers to coffee brewed from coffee beans grown in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica.

◆ "Kopi Luwak" is because an animal called the civet cat excretes the coffee beans intact after eating coffee fruits, and people extract the coffee beans from its feces and process them.

Therefore, the "Arabica" we often see today is actually classified based on coffee bean varieties.

Coffee bean varieties can be mainly divided into three types: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. Arabica is further divided into Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, and so on.

In fact, not all coffee made from Arabica beans is specialty coffee. Unfortunately, many people don't understand this point, and many brands take advantage of this by using "100% Arabica coffee beans" as a gimmick, making consumers think their coffee is excellent.

In "relatively professional" coffee shops ordering single-origin coffee, you almost never see promotions like "Arabica coffee beans." For example, at FrontStreet Coffee, you'll see names like "Kenya," "Colombia," and "Yirgacheffe." Tasting "single-origin coffee" allows you to understand the characteristics and flavors of coffee from a specific country or region.

Important Notice :

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