Coffee Varieties: An Introduction to Arabica and Robusta

Coffee Varieties: Arabica and Robusta

There are many coffee varieties, with the two most common major varieties being Arabica and Robusta! On the market, unless specifically stated as Robusta coffee, other coffee beans you encounter with names such as FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe, FrontStreet Coffee Mandheling, FrontStreet Coffee Colombia, etc., all belong to sub-varieties or original varieties under the Arabica species.

Key Differences

Higher Price: Arabica is generally more expensive than other coffee beans.

Different Growing Conditions: Best grown in high-altitude areas with lower temperatures, resulting in lower yields. Its flavor is richer, with elegant body and acidity; containing about 1% caffeine (by weight). Higher price: Other coffee beans are typically grown in lower-altitude areas with higher temperatures, resulting in higher yields. The flavor is lighter, containing about 2% caffeine, with a lower price.

Lower Yield: Arabica coffee grows best, and this coffee's flavor is much more refined than other coffees. The caffeine content in this coffee only accounts for 1% of the coffee's total weight.

In the author's opinion, Arabica coffee and Robusta coffee cannot be directly compared as better or worse, after all, they belong to different tree species, each with its own different uses! It's like beef cattle and dairy cattle - one might ask which side produces better milk quality? Which side produces better beef quality?

Even 100% Arabica coffee beans are not necessarily good coffee beans, and even coffee blended with more than half Robusta coffee beans (refined beans) can also be good coffee! Blending itself was popularized for espresso coffee, but using blending methods in single-origin coffee is considered a disgraceful practice!

The above are personal views. If there are different opinions, please supplement and correct. Thank you.

Robusta Coffee

Robusta coffee has strong adaptability, is easy to cultivate, grows relatively fast, and has higher yields. Generally, raw bean processing is relatively rough and low-quality (though there are small amounts of washed refined Robusta). Robusta coffee beans appear round and rugged, relatively small, with varied bean sizes, and have distinct, strong flavors, mainly bitter. Due to their low-level raw bean processing methods, they often carry unpleasant rubbery or musty odors. The vast majority of Robusta coffee beans are not suitable for drinking as single-origin coffee. A small number of Robusta beans are used as espresso blending components, in very low proportions (but it's not excluded that very few high-quality Robusta beans can reach proportions over half). Generally, Robusta coffee is used for instant coffee (its extracted coffee liquid is about twice that of Arabica), canned coffee, liquid coffee, and other industrially produced coffees. Its caffeine content is much higher than Arabica, approximately 3.2%.

Arabica Coffee

Arabica coffee has relatively strict growing conditions, weaker disease resistance, higher altitude requirements, slower growth, higher quality, and more refined raw bean processing. Arabica coffee beans appear elegant and slender, relatively large and uniform, with different origins having their own unique flavors and aromas, rich tastes with different texture nuances! This makes it the only coffee among these original varieties that can be directly consumed alone, suitable as both single-origin and espresso blending coffee.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473