Differences between Arabica and Robusta

Differences between Arabica and Robusta

Depending on your preferred coffee type in the morning the beans used may vary. In this brief article we highlight some of the differences between the two most dominant coffee species in the world – Robusta and Arabica.

Robusta coffee is made from the beans of the Coffea canephora plant.  This coffee is typically used in blends and instant coffee. They have a dominantly bitter flavour with notes of smoked wood and peanuts and they contain twice as much caffeine as arabica beans. These beans are typically grown at lower altitudes and in places with little rainfall like South East Asia and parts of Africa.

Arabica coffee is made from the beans of the Coffea arabica plant and it is thought to be of higher quality than other varieties. It is typically known to have a smoother flavour profile and lacks bitterness and it makes up almost 70% of the world’s coffee production. This coffee is typically grown at higher altitude and in a sub-tropical climate with Brazil the largest producer of arabica in the world. This bean is typically used in single origin, specialty coffee that is featured on Acuratore.

Back