Types of Coffee: An Explanation
If you've ever been to a coffeehouse before, you've probably noticed it advertise a huge long list of different types of coffee.
Costa Rican, espresso, Kenyan, latte, Java...
What does it all mean?When you break it all down, there are really two different types: Arabica and Robusta.
Arabica and Robusta are the two principle species of coffee beans used to make the all the java we drink.
Arabica beans make up about 75% of the coffee crop produced worldwide.
Compared to Robusta, Arabica is considered higher grade and is thus used to make gourmet varieties.
The beans pack in a lot of flavor, which varies slightly depending on which part of the world the bean grew in.
Arabica beans are grown all over the world but most commonly in Africa and Central and South America.
Robusta beans make up about 15%-20% of the crop produced worldwide.
These beans contain about twice as much caffeine as Arabica beans, are less expensive, and tend to produce a more bitter-tasting flavor.
Generally, Robusta beans are used in making coffee blends, instant coffee, and freeze-dried coffee.
Like Arabica beans, Robusta beans are also grown in all different parts of the world.
Other minor species of coffee beans make up the rest of the world's crop.
However, their scarcity makes them not only harder to find and buy but also more expensive.
Once you get past these main types of coffee, things can get a little more complicated.
Particularly for Arabica beans, beans grown in different places are identified by their growing location as beans from each place have slightly different flavors.
This is the explanation behind advertising coffee as, for example, Costa Rican, a citrusy variety with a spicy finish from Costa Rica; Kenyan, a more acidic and earthy type from Kenya; or Java, a medium-bodied, sweet version from the island of Java in Indonesia.
The last level of differentiation you're likely to see is preparation style.
This covers the differences between espressos, lattes, and just a plain cup of joe.
At its simplest, coffee is made by passing hot water through a filter holding ground, roasted beans.
Other preparations are variations on this.
In making espresso, for example, highly pressurized hot water passes through very densely packed, finely ground coffee beans, which gives a stronger taste and a higher caffeine concentration than a regular cup.
To make a latte, warm milk is added to an espresso.
Most other preparations run along the idea of adding something, like milk or tea or other flavorings, to the base black coffee.
So, depending on how you look at it, you could say that there are lots of different types of coffee.
At the most basic level there are two types: Arabica and Robusta.
As you expand out from these two types of coffee beans into growing locations and preparation styles, you could argue that there are many more.
Costa Rican, espresso, Kenyan, latte, Java...
What does it all mean?When you break it all down, there are really two different types: Arabica and Robusta.
Arabica and Robusta are the two principle species of coffee beans used to make the all the java we drink.
Arabica beans make up about 75% of the coffee crop produced worldwide.
Compared to Robusta, Arabica is considered higher grade and is thus used to make gourmet varieties.
The beans pack in a lot of flavor, which varies slightly depending on which part of the world the bean grew in.
Arabica beans are grown all over the world but most commonly in Africa and Central and South America.
Robusta beans make up about 15%-20% of the crop produced worldwide.
These beans contain about twice as much caffeine as Arabica beans, are less expensive, and tend to produce a more bitter-tasting flavor.
Generally, Robusta beans are used in making coffee blends, instant coffee, and freeze-dried coffee.
Like Arabica beans, Robusta beans are also grown in all different parts of the world.
Other minor species of coffee beans make up the rest of the world's crop.
However, their scarcity makes them not only harder to find and buy but also more expensive.
Once you get past these main types of coffee, things can get a little more complicated.
Particularly for Arabica beans, beans grown in different places are identified by their growing location as beans from each place have slightly different flavors.
This is the explanation behind advertising coffee as, for example, Costa Rican, a citrusy variety with a spicy finish from Costa Rica; Kenyan, a more acidic and earthy type from Kenya; or Java, a medium-bodied, sweet version from the island of Java in Indonesia.
The last level of differentiation you're likely to see is preparation style.
This covers the differences between espressos, lattes, and just a plain cup of joe.
At its simplest, coffee is made by passing hot water through a filter holding ground, roasted beans.
Other preparations are variations on this.
In making espresso, for example, highly pressurized hot water passes through very densely packed, finely ground coffee beans, which gives a stronger taste and a higher caffeine concentration than a regular cup.
To make a latte, warm milk is added to an espresso.
Most other preparations run along the idea of adding something, like milk or tea or other flavorings, to the base black coffee.
So, depending on how you look at it, you could say that there are lots of different types of coffee.
At the most basic level there are two types: Arabica and Robusta.
As you expand out from these two types of coffee beans into growing locations and preparation styles, you could argue that there are many more.
Source...