Types of Coffee Beans

The coffee's rich dark brew begins with the fruit of a coffee tree also called a "cherry". The red fully ripe cherry has a sweet pulp and two flat sided green seeds or beans. These beans are protected by the silverskin (parchment like husk and silky opaque chaff).

The small bush like coffee tree does both bloom and bares both ripe and unripe fruits (unlike some other plants than bloom first then bares fruit). Since the coffee tree produces both ripe and unripe fruits at the same time, growing and harvesting coffee is labor intensive because the ripe beans must be picked selectively.

A healthy coffee tree will produce an average of 2,000 coffee beans a year; about an average of 400 beans are of top quality.

There are four types of coffee bean species; each with distinct appearance and flavour.

Arabica is characterized by wavy leaf margin, light green leaf color, thin leaves, pulp and parchment." Yields 500-1,000 kg of clean dry coffee beans per hectare. It could be grown productively in cooler places with an elevation ranging from 1,200 to 1,800 meters above sea level. Arabica is the traditional coffee from Ethiopia. Arabica has a delicate acidic flavour, a refined aroma and a caramel aftertaste.

Robusta is characterized by large umbrella shaped growth with thinner leaves which have more wavy margins. The berries are borne in heavy cluster with the pulp and parchment. Yields 1,200 kg of clean dry coffee beans per hectare. It could be grown in areas with an elevation ranging from 600 to 1,200 meters above sea level. Robusta has a stronger flavour than arabica with a full body and a woody aftertaste.  It is used for processing instant coffee and commercial blends.

Liberica has the the biggest berry. It is rounded and are borne signly or in small clusters. Has thicker leaves than Excelsa and twice as long as Arabica. The pulp is thick and the parchment is more woody. It also characterized a very strong exuberant taste and distinct aroma.

Excelsa has wide leaves that are thicker than Robusta but thinner and smoother and more rounded than Liberica with smooth edge. Young leaves are usually shiny with bronze violet color. The berries are borne in heavy cluster, varying in size and usually bigger than Arabica but smaller than Liberica. Pulp and parchment are thicker than the Leberica.  Excelsa is characterized by a smoky and earthly flavor. Like Robusta, it is also used for processing commercial blend coffee.