Arabica vs Robusta

Coffee grown in Brazil

Now, although there are dozens of different types of coffee bean varieties, the two main ones are Arabica and Robusta. We thought it'd be helpful to summarize some of the main differences between the two:

  

	Arabica	Robusta
Taste:	Sweet, Fruity	Grain-like, Nutty
Acidity:	More acidic	More bitter taste
Caffeine Content	0.8% - 1.5%	1.7% - 4.0%
Growing Altitude	Higher altitude	Lower Altitude
Yield per tree	~500g per year	~1kg per year
Susceptibility to Disease	High	Low

We often hear that Arabica is of higher quality than Robusta. Although the price might indicate that, from our experience, we believe it comes down to personal preference instead: 

a. Someone who needs his shot of caffeine might find that a pure Arabica blend does not have the "kick" he needs. 

b. Pure Robusta blends might be a bit too bitter for some.

Before looking at factors like the roast or origin of the beans, it is important to first decide whether Arabica or Robusta suits your tastes better.