Types of Coffee Beans | Coffee Bean Types

Coffee arabica – arabica coffee – arabian coffee

These tasty beans originated many centuries ago in the highlands of Ethiopia, and may even be the first coffee beans ever consumed in form of a beverage.

As of today, Arabica coffee beans make up at least 60 per cent of the total world coffee consumption. Arabica beans are grown at high altitudes, in areas that receive steady rainfall and have a lot of shade.

Arabica trees are generally easy to care for as they are relatively small and easy to prune – they are normally no taller than 6′. Their small stature also makes harvesting simpler.

Arabica beans are the most commonly produced variety and are considered higher quality beans.

Coffea canephora – robusta coffee

The next variety of coffee beans is Robusta, which is the second most-produced in the world. This bean originated in sub-Saharan Africa and is now grown primarily in Africa and Indonesia.

It’s also particularly popular in Vietnam and is often mixed into coffee blends. It’s a less expensive variety, making it a very budget-friendly choice for roasters.

The Robusta varietal is extremely robust (hence the name) in its environment and practically immune to disease. Robusta coffee can withstand different altitudes, but particularly requires a hot climate where rainfall is irregular.

What makes Robusta different from Arabica is that it contains twice the caffeine but looks like small balls rather than the typical almond-shaped beans.

Coffea liberica | liberica coffee

Coffea liberica is a coffee that was originally discovered in Liberia (hence its name) but is now grown in several regions of West Africa.

Today, Liberica coffee is very difficult to find and produce, but it is a variety that can boast great historical importance.

In the early 1980s, a large part of Arabica’s world production was affected by a rust disease, plunging the coffee sector into a global crisis. Arabica crops were replaced with Liberica crops being more resistant to such diseases.

This initiative alleviated much of the problem, although the quality of the coffee was not the same. Some people felt that it “doesn’t taste like coffee”, although Liberica has very different taste notes from those of Arabica.

Coffee Liberica is prized for its piquant floral aroma and bold, smoky flavour profile. This hardy species is frequently mixed with other varieties to add body and complexity.

Liberica beans are larger than the other beans and are the only one in the world that is known to have an irregular shape.

Excelsa coffea | excelsa coffee

The fourth major type of coffee bean is called Excelsa. Excelsa accounts for around 7% of the world’s coffee. Though it was once considered a separate coffee species, scientists recently reclassified it as a Liberica variant.

Excelsa beans grow almost entirely in Southeast Asia, and they’re shaped somewhat like Liberica beans — elongated ovals. These beans grow on large 20 to 30-foot coffee plants at medium altitudes.

However, the Excelsa bean is vastly different in taste when compared to the Liberica coffee bean. Excelsa coffee is said to have a fruity and tart body.

Its flavours are reminiscent of a light roast and yet somehow have roasted and dark notes. This forms a rather complex contrast for those who try it for the first time without knowing which variety it is.