What's the Difference Between Peaberry and Flat Coffee Beans? Do Peaberries Really Have a Fuller, More Rounded Flavor?

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Round Beans and Flat Beans

Round beans and flat beans differ in several aspects. Round beans have relatively smaller yields but offer richer flavors, making them more expensive. For flat beans, larger ones are typically more expensive, though they might be variants and not necessarily better.

A coffee fruit contains two beans that are attached to each other. When the bean skin is removed, the two beans can be separated. Each bean forms one individual coffee bean. Since the side that was attached is flat, they are called flat beans.

When beans fail to properly divide into two during growth, they remain as a single bean after ripening and dehulling. This single bean is elliptical in shape, hence called round beans. Round beans have lower yields, commonly found on the branches of young coffee trees, accounting for about 5% of the total tree yield. Due to their scarcity, they are more expensive, though their flavor profile doesn't vary significantly.

Coffee beans can be classified by washing method (wet-processed) and drying method (dry-processed), as well as by shape (flat beans and round beans). Coffee beans vary in color from light to dark. Through deep roasting, coffee beans crack open, expanding to double their original volume while losing nearly a quarter of their weight. During the roasting process, volatile flavor oils gradually develop, achieving a perfect balance of various flavors. Even within the same producing country, coffee beans are subtly affected by regional differences in climate, altitude, and soil quality, which influences their flavor and quality, creating distinct characteristics.

The correct terminology is "Flat Beans" and "Peaberry." Under normal circumstances, a coffee berry contains two halves that form flat beans (seeds), but in rare cases, the internal seeds don't split and instead form a complete, oval-shaped single round bean. Generally, peaberry production is about 1/50th that of flat beans.

Peaberry (Round Beans)

Some coffee enthusiasts believe that peaberries possess more intense aromas because normal coffee beans should have two seeds. However, in peaberry coffee, one seed develops poorly while the other becomes exceptionally large. This larger seed receives double the nutrients, resulting in a better taste profile compared to regular coffee beans. Additionally, due to their rarity, they are sometimes sold at inflated prices. In contrast, in different coffee-producing regions, these beans are sometimes classified as defective beans and discarded.

Knowledge Point

The ovary of a coffee flower contains two ovules. Since coffee flowers are self-pollinating, the pollination rate is extremely high. Typically, both ovules are successfully pollinated and develop into coffee berries containing two seeds (flat beans).

In summary: FrontStreet Coffee is a dedicated coffee research institution that enjoys sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month, we hold three coffee promotion events with significant discounts because FrontStreet Coffee wants to offer the best coffee at the lowest possible prices to more friends—this has been our mission for six years!

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473