Types of Coffee Beans

There’s something exceptionally flavorful about coffee beans. And by flavor, we mean both the historical aura that precedes it and an eclectic range of best-tasting coffee beans serving up savory coffee that is the perfect pick-me-up for you if you’re looking to crank your day into gear.

High-quality coffee beans yield high-quality coffee. This is why we’ve stepped into your shoes and helped you hive out a comprehensive catalog of the different types of coffee beans. So, you’re not just amping up your knowledge base on everything coffee, but we’re also helping you make brilliant choices that give you a tad more control over your beans!

When it comes to the world’s best coffee beans, though, it could be a little tricky. Opinions on which coffee best rocks your boats are often skewed by a multiplicity of factors ranging from individual tasting experience, your taste receptors, genetics, and life experiences.

Ultimately, we’ve hauled out a few coffee beans ‘picks of the bunch’ that will merit a place in your ‘coffee beans hall of fame as part of the world’s best coffee beans in the table below:

Where do coffee beans come from?

Every man and his dog know that coffee is a brewed drink prepared using roasted coffee beans that have been harvested, processed, and dried. These roasted coffee beans are a product of coffee plants that are cultivated in well above 70 countries. Coffee beans are predominantly grown in the equatorial regions of Southeast Asia, Africa, India.

The largest coffee beans producing country is none other than Brazil with over 150 years of History and coffee plantations Fanning over 27000 square kilometer landmass throughout the country, 74% of which is the Arabica, and 26% Robusta

In the African region, Ethiopia is one of the top producers of coffee, if not the highest. with many farmers relying on coffee produced as their sole source of income. Mexico also has a reputation as a coffee-producing country with exports around of 252,000 tons yearly. Some other countries famed for high-quality coffee beans are Columbia, Guatemala, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Peru, The Arabian Peninsula. Ethiopia, India, Honduras, Peru, and Jamaica.

Main types

Arabica

Arguably the best coffee beans in the world. Chances are that you’ve waltzed through your favorite grocer only to glaze at an all-too-common sight of Arabica on almost all of the coffee bags. This type of coffee beans accounts for about 60-70% of globally produced coffee.

While its popularity places it tops of the minds of not just any coffee connoisseur, but also just about anyone willing to enjoy a cuppa on a cool dusky morning, It’s also the most marketed coffee beans of the lot. This is thanks to it being sweeter, tastier and acidic.

One thing you should know if you're not one to have your coffee hot is that these sensitive coffee beans are bound to diminish in taste when served cold or when blended with creamer or milk. To prevent this, you can add some additional flavor to the drink.

Robusta

If the name Robusta hasn’t given you a solid clue already, then you may like to know that this type of coffee beans is quite ‘robust’ in terms of global production volume, flavor, and a few other specifics that lend a chock-full of jaw-dropping amazingness to this type of coffee beans. Famed for its rather harsh flavor, tasting burnt or rubbery, the Robusta is strong coffee beans that pack a heavy punch of caffeine.

So, yeah. If you’re looking to get a shitload of caffeine to get you through your day — or night — then, you might be best served to go for some Robusta, and blur out the harshness of the flavor with some sugar and cream.

The finest blends of Robusta come with a tinge of chocolate and rum in its flavor profile.

Liberica

A collector’s item by every stretch of the imagination. Liberica is one of the best coffee beans in the world and is grown in not-so-common climes. Production levels are usually not exactly at an all-time high because of the lack of structure in these secluded climes for them to upscale their operations to meet the teeming global demand.

Unique for i’s somewhat ‘woody’ taste. The Liberica coffee beans posseses an aroma that is highly comparable to that of fruit and flowers. You would not have seen this coming, but this type of coffee beans had its bubble where it was largely popular — toward the end of the 19th century, until the insurgence of a plant disease called ‘coffee rust’.

The first country to harvest and sell these coffee beans at commercial volumes was the Philippines (when they were still a part of the U.S Territory.) As the Philippines economy grew, they parted ways with the U.S, much to U.S’ chagrin. This led to the U.S imposing economic sanctions that saw supplies of the Liberator coffee bean being restricted. This spelt the beginning of the end of its global circulation, especially as no other countries were able to engage the Philippines as a global supplier of the Liberica.

Excelsa

An extension of the Liberica family that has all the makings of strong coffee beans Excelsa is also scarce in its supply. Predominantly grown in the regions of Southeast Asia, Excelsa represents a small percentage of the world’s coffee supply. Excelsa has a mysterious, tart, fruity, dark taste that gives the coffee more substance and power to serve up a lingering finish on your palates. One downside to the Excelsa coffee, though, is its aroma. It doesn’t have the unique and pleasant aroma of Liberica or Arabica. But it remains the favorite of a select few coffee connoisseurs.

How to choose the best coffee beans for yourself

The swathe of high-quality coffee beans populating the markets today means that picking the best coffee beans for yourself might be somewhat of a gamble.

One way you maximize your coffee beans experience is when you explore the deeply personal experience that is coffee drinking. it's all in your taste bud, and only you can experiment with a selection of coffee beans and arrive at the one that rocks your boat.

Another thing you might want to consider is whether the coffee beans have been roasted recently. Coffee beans with a recent roast date will give you a better coffee experience than coffee beans that have been roasted for more than a day.

Whole beans should always be picked over pre-ground coffee so you don't miss out on the unique flavor. Pre-ground coffee exposes the outer shell of the coffee bean to air, and this oxidation process blurs out the flavor. This means you enjoy less of it. Lastly, taking into account the different regions where the coffee beans are grown is also crucial to enjoying the ultimate coffee beans experience.

Where can you brew?

Grinders may not be your best option when trying to extract your coffee. The oxidation that coffee grinder exposes it to air, often leading to a huge downgrade on the flavor. This leaves you with other alternatives that do your prospects of a well-flavored, contamination-free coffee a world of good. We’ve reeled them out below.

French Press

If you like a robust and thick cuppa, then the French press coffee is your jam. It employs an immersive method of brewing involving soaking the coarsely ground beans in hot water for a couple of minutes, after which the mesh screen filters the beans from the coffee. The mesh screen filter leaves more oil in the coffee — unlike standard paper filters. This gives your ‘cuppa’ a creamy consistency with all the flavors to savor.

Espresso

You will be forgiven to think that the word ‘espresso’ is meant to refer to a cup of coffee. Expresso is more like a shot of coffee that has undergone a brewing process that makes use of loads of pressure and finely ground beans.

Aeropress

The Aeropress is a recent discovery in methods to brew coffee. Think of it as a contraction using cylinders and a little filter to press brew coffee. it works just like an espresso but it can be used as a like-for-like replacement for espresso if that's what you're looking for.

Parting thoughts

How’s that for some insider scoop on the best types of coffee beans? Now that we have helped you shed some clarity on most of the most puzzling concepts around what good coffee beans really is, get ready to get yourself the best bang for your bucks in your next search for the best coffee beans. You can rest easy knowing that you have digestible bits of tips and tricks about coffee beans in your tank to brew your way to coffee nirvana.

FAQ

How to grind coffee beans?

Grind coffee with a grinder, or a blender. Crush your coffee beans with a rolling pin, or a mortar and pestle. These traditional methods, though, often require a lot of effort.

How to roast coffee beans?

By using a stove top, a manual popcorn popper, or a coffee roasting machine, you can always get the perfect roast. When you roast slowly, you have more control over how the flavor of the coffee beans unfolds, unlike roasting at a fast pace where the aroma unfolds quickly, but you may end up burning the coffee beans.

How to store coffee beans?

Because the cell structure of coffee beans is quite porous and prone to moisture and aromatics, fridges are a no-no when it comes to storing these delicious-smelling coffee beans. Rather, dry, airtight containers are usually the ideal location to store.

Do coffee beans go bad?

Not like they ever get rotten or grow mound. (Which explains why you MAY not see an expiry date in the packaging) they have a stable shelf life They tend to lose the aroma and flavor when they have been kept for far too long and storage — even if the storage is airtight. When it comes to coffee consumption, the sooner, the better your coffee experience.

How much caffeine in a coffee bean?

It depends on the variety of coffee bean. For instance, a single arabica coffee bean has about 6 mg of caffeine. A Robusta still being on the other hand has about 10 mg. when brewed.

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