4 Varied Types of Coffee Beans & Their Characteristics

Are you an avid coffee drinker? If yes, then you must’ve wondered just how many types of coffee beans variants are there. How different are they really from one another? Well, we are here to give you all the answers for every type of coffee variant that is available.

There are hundreds of coffee species, but basically four types of coffee have more relevance – Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa and Liberica. Among these four variants, the most well-known are Robusta and Arabica. However, you may even get the other lesser-known coffee types if you search for them hard enough.

For Arabica, Brazil is the top producer and they also produce Robusta. You can get varied Brazil coffee beans price depending on the quality of these variants. However, for Liberica and Excelsa the Southeast Asian countries are more popular. In fact, 70% of Liberica coffee beans are produced from countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, etc.

Each type of coffee beans are unique in some ways or the other. Below we have enumerated all four types of coffee beans and detailed the characteristics, facts about them. Keep on reading to learn all about them.

1. Robusta

Originally found in sub-Saharan Africa, in today’s day countries like Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia produces the highest amount of Robusta coffee beans. It is one of the most popular coffee variants and is often mixed to create quality coffee blends.

Robusta coffee beans are comparatively less expensive than Arabica coffee beans hence making them a budget-friendly option for the roasters. Considering the taste of these coffee beans, it can be said that they have a strong aroma and an almost burnt taste.

Also, Robusta coffee beans contain more caffeine than Arabica. The production of these types of coffee beans is possible even in lower altitudes.

2. Arabica

This one is without any doubt the most popular coffee type available. They originated several centuries ago in the lofty highlands of Ethiopia and are also considered to be the first coffee beans that were discovered and consumed. Although they are immensely popular, they are comparatively the most difficult to grow.

This is the primary reason why this type of coffee beans have a high price in the market. For proper growth of Arabica coffee plants, an added amount of water, ideal temperature range and higher elevation is required.

Among all the other variants, Arabica has the richest quality and probably this is why several coffee brands claim to use 100% Arabica coffee beans for their products. These coffee beans are widely known for its smooth tone, distinct absence of bitterness and complex overall flavour.

3. Excelsa

Although Excelsa was considered to be a totally respective type of coffee species, experts in recent studies found out and reclassified them as a Liberica variant. As mentioned earlier, this type of coffee beans are grown primarily in southeast Asian countries.

If we consider the overall taste of Excelsa coffee then we can say that they have a pretty distinguished flavour than the other coffee beans. With light aroma and caffeine content, they surprisingly have prominent flavour.

4. Liberica

Liberica coffee beans are primarily mixed with other coffee varieties for adding a distinct body and complexity to the blend. This coffee bean is known for its floral aroma and smoky, vibrant flavour profile.

Liberica coffee plants grow relatively taller than the Arabica and Robusta coffee plants. The beans of this coffee type have irregular shape. Unlike the popular types of coffee beans, Liberica coffee plants can easily withstand hot and humid climates.

In taste, coffee derived from Liberica beans almost have a nutty, unusual flavour. A consumer will either love it or despise it for its wildly distinct coffee profile.

So, these are the main coffee types that you can find around the world. Now that you know the characteristics of each coffee type make sure you do further research as well such as knowing the Brazil coffee beans price and others. After all, coffee lovers ought to know everything (well, almost everything) about coffee, right?