Arabica & Robusta - BFF... not.

The various types of coffee are distinguished by the variety and origin (highland or lowland), the flavour and the aroma. Arabica is a well-flavoured, aromatic coffee with less caffeine than Robusta, which has a somewhat unrefined, earthier taste.

Highland and lowland coffee

Highland coffees have a particularly fine aroma and are cultivated on plantations at an altitude of 600 to 1,800 metres above sea level. Lowland coffees have a different flavour and originate from plantations at lower altitude. In general the higher the altitude, the more superior the quality of coffee produced. However, this is not always the case, since plantations at lower altitude can also produce very good quality coffee.

Arabica coffee

Arabica is the oldest species of bean and is the most widely cultivated, accounting for 74 percent of the beans grown in the world. Arabica beans grow at altitudes between 600 and 1,800 metres above sea level and take six to nine months to mature.

The Arabica beans command a higher price on the coffee market because growing coffees at higher altitudes is more expensive and labour-intensive. Arabica beans fall to the ground soon after they ripen, so they must be harvested as soon as they are ripe to prevent them from spoiling or absorbing flavour taints from the ground. High-grown coffees are also at risk of frost damage, so farmers tend to build plant replacement costs into their prices. Production costs are higher since most Arabicas, especially those grown at the highest altitudes, are hand-picked and processed in the more expensive wet method.

Robusta coffee

The Robusta plant was discovered in the 1870s, growing wild in the Congo. About 26 percent of the world coffee trade consists of Robusta beans. Robusta today is mainly cultivated in West Africa and Southeast Asia. Robusta trees are very hearty plants that grow at lower altitudes (sea level to 600 metres) and are more cold- and moisture-tolerant and disease-resistant than the delicate Arabicas. Robustas mature in about half the time of Arabicas and yield almost twice as many berries.

Unlike Arabica beans, Robusta beans do not fall off the tree when they become ripe, so they don't need immediate harvesting. Robustas are also used for commercial, canned and instant coffees. Because they are cheaper to produce, Robustas are sometimes combined with Arabicas to make a low-cost blend with some of the flavour characteristics of the more expensive Arabica beans.