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 set off on new journeys with their coffee beverages, and Arabica is often used as a branding tool. They all claim to use "100% Arabica" and advertise with lines like: Freshly ground black coffee is 100% Arabica!

In truth, however, Arabica is a coffee bean variety, 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 makes up only 3% and is mostly grown in the Asia-Pacific region.

Liberica, also known as large-seed coffee, is extremely hardy but at the same time has a weak flavor and weak resistance to leaf rust disease. Its cultivation accounts for less than 1% of production, and it has essentially withdrawn from the commercial market, surviving only for scientific research. We will therefore focus today on Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica

Also known as small-seed coffee, Arabica originates from Ethiopia. Arabica trees typically grow at altitudes between 1,000-2,000 meters; they are relatively cold-resistant and thrive at suitable temperatures of 15-24°C. They require high humidity, with annual rainfall of not less than 1,500 millimeters, and they also make high demands on cultivation technique. Arabica trees are large shrubs with oval-shaped, dark green leaves. The fruits are also oval, generally containing two slightly flattened beans. The front surface is a long oval with a narrow, S-shaped curved central crack, 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 make it the only one of these native varieties that can be consumed directly and on its own. 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 disease is weak - particularly to coffee's greatest enemy, leaf rust disease. Coffee-producing countries are therefore all dedicated to improving varieties.

Arabica coffee from different regions, altitudes, and climates shows 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 alike, and can be prepared with a wide range of extraction techniques.

Robusta

Also known as medium-seed coffee, Robusta originates from the Congo in Africa. Robusta trees are mostly planted at low altitudes of 200-800 meters and prefer warm climates requiring temperatures between 24-29°C. They are not demanding about rainfall. This variety, however, relies on insects or wind for pollination, so coffee takes 9-11 months from pollination to fruiting - relatively longer than Arabica.

Robusta 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 their roots are shallow. The fruit shape is fuller than Arabica beans, with the central line splitting vertically. Seen from the side, they are usually flat or bulging in the middle. They feel harder than Arabica beans, like small stones.

Robusta coffee generally has an inferior flavor compared with Arabica.

The Value of Robusta

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

Once an Espresso blend meets milk, it presents a rich, 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 a coffee-market perspective, coffee beans fall mainly 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 made from commercial beans is much inferior to that of specialty coffee beans, and they can be used for espresso-based drinks like lattes and cappuccinos.

Between commercial coffee and specialty coffee, the gap between 10 yuan and 30 yuan does indeed represent a quality difference. Put simply, 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 bean. Specialty coffee beans are processed using refined methods. Careful washing and sun-drying, along with a range of 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 the 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.

In reality, though, blended beans can also produce coffee with an excellent taste - it mainly depends on which 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" exists because an animal called the civet excretes the coffee beans intact after eating the coffee fruits, and people extract the beans from its feces and process them.

So the "Arabica" we often see today is in fact classified on the basis of coffee bean variety.

Coffee bean varieties can be divided mainly 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 do not understand this point, and many brands take advantage of it, using "100% Arabica coffee beans" as a gimmick to make consumers think their coffee is excellent.

In "relatively professional" coffee shops ordering single-origin coffee, you will almost never see promotions like "Arabica coffee beans." At FrontStreet Coffee, for example, you will see names such as "Kenya," "Colombia," and "Yirgacheffe." Tasting single-origin coffee lets you understand the characteristics and flavors of coffee from a specific country or region.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Since this article is all about the Arabica family and what genuine single-origin flavor looks like, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Ethiopia Yirgacheffe is the perfect place to start: it shows the classic jasmine florals, bright citrus acidity, and tea-like finish that define a great high-grown Arabica. For a bolder fruit profile from the same origin, the natural-process FrontStreet Ethiopia Huakui brings vivid strawberry, passion fruit, and lychee aromas with almost no bitterness.