Discussion Board

Types of Coffee Beans

Behind every cup of unroasted coffee beans we sip there are carefully graded beans. These beans are graded on color, size and shape.

The AA grade is awarded to coffee beans that meet all of the above requirements, except they cannot have more than three defective qualities (quakers). Typically these are Kenya AA beans.

Arabica

Arabica coffee beans, also referred to as Coffea arabica, are the most popular kind of coffee bean in the world. According to legend, coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian goatherder Ethiopia after he noticed that his herd had more energy when they ate the fruits of the plant. This led him to experiment with roasting seeds and brewing them, creating the drink that we love today.

There are a myriad of varieties of coffee plants, however only two are used to create our most popular brews: arabica and robusta. The former is generally considered to be superior to the latter and this is evident in the taste of the final drink.

There are many different arabica cultivars. Each has their own distinctive taste. Typica and Bourbon are two of the most well-known arabica cultivars. All other arabica cultivars were developed from these two varieties either through natural mutations, or deliberate crossbreeding. Scott Labs developed the SL28 cultivar in Kenya that is renowned for its distinct chocolate flavor.

The taste of an arabica variety will depend on the environmental conditions in which it is cultivated, and also how it is handled and cooked. The type of shade the tree gets can have a significant impact on the final product.

Robusta

Robusta coffee beans (Coffea canephora) are the second most popular type of coffee beans. They are the beans that are used in most instant coffees and have twice as much caffeine as Arabica coffee beans price Beans. They are also used in numerous espresso blends, particularly for cappuccino and caffe latte.

Coffea Canephora is a plant that originated from Sub-Saharan Africa. It has been cultivated across the world since. It can grow at lower elevations and can tolerate higher temperatures than the Arabica coffee plant, making it a more convenient crop for farmers. Vietnam is the world's biggest producer of robusta, followed by Brazil and Indonesia.

While the robusta coffee plant has its merits However, it's not adored by cupping aficionados for its bitter taste and smoky rubber notes. It is often considered inferior quality coffee and most large coffee companies use arabica beans for their top-quality products.

However, the demand for gourmet coffee is growing, and smaller roasters are testing robusta varieties that are high-end to benefit from its superior qualities. Our Valhalla Java and Death With Coffee are two examples of outstanding robusta coffees that are mixed with arabica to give the perfect blend of flavour and strength. These beans are from Uganda which is a country in which robusta has been cultivated for a long time. Read more about them.

Liberica

Liberica coffee beans are rare and are seldom used in the world. They comprise less than 2% of the world's coffee bean consumption and are often overlooked since they don't contain the same amount of caffeine as Arabica and Robusta do. These beans have a unique flavor that many coffee drinkers find appealing.

Despite being extremely rare, Liberica coffee beans are still popular in a few regions of Asia. They are particularly popular in Malaysia and Indonesia where there is large Muslim population. The coffee industry in these countries has historically been very robust, and drinking the cup of coffee after prayer is part of the culture.

The background of Liberica coffee began in the 1890s when a worldwide epidemic of coffee leaf rust destroyed most of the world's arabica crop. This triggered coffee producers to discover an alternative species that could thrive in tropical climates, and they soon discovered the Liberica plant.

Liberica plants have a high tolerance for pests and diseases making them a great alternative to the ruined arabica crop. Liberica can also thrive in lower altitudes and hot temperatures that allow it to thrive in Southeast Asia's climate. This is why, today the majority of coffee that is produced in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia comes from Liberica beans.

Excelsa

While it's not common for coffee drinkers to come across excelsa beans in their cups, these exclusive beans are starting to gain the reputation of having a distinct flavor. According to Komal Sable, a fifth generation coffee farmer with South India Coffee Co. They are "a variant of the liberica species that has similar teardrop shapes, but smaller size." But, despite this family resemblance it's important to understand that excelsa is technically not a separate species.

It's not easy to classify excelsa beans. This confusion is responsible for the lack of their presence in the modern world of coffee. Due to this, many roasters, growers and brewers don't know how to cultivate or utilize these beans effectively.

In the end, it's entirely up to the individual to decide whether they enjoy the flavor of excelsa coffee. It could take a amount of time to find a blend that suits your preferences. The key is to be open-minded and give each type of coffee you can until you discover one you really enjoy. You'll have the chance to explore the full range of possibilities the unique beans have to offer. This is an adventure worth the effort.