What’s the Difference between Arabica and Robusta Coffee?

There’s more than one difference between Arabica and Robusta Coffee. To start, they’re the two most popular major species of coffee on the market.

Arabica is a more delicate plant and it needs to grow in higher elevation. The taste is smoother and the level of caffeine is lower than what’s found in Robusta.

Robusta can be grown in harsher conditions. As it’s name implies: it’s “robust”.  That being said, the flavor is usually harsher and caffeine level higher than those of Arabica.

A lot of Coffee Roasters combine the two in Blends for Espresso, this helps them get the best of both worlds. At G Coffee Company, the Grandissimo espresso blend has Brazil and Columbia Arabica beans.  They both give off that caramelly aroma while the Indian Cherry Robusta adds a nice kick to the drink. In the end, combining the two species gives off a nice “multi-layered” experience to your drink.

You need to know that there’s also a third main species of coffee – Liberica – we’ll do a whole segment on that one day.

For now, we’ll just stick with the Difference between Arabica and Robusta Coffees.