There are four main types of coffee beans you’ll hear about: arabica, robusta, liberica and excelsa. Arabica and robusta make up almost all the coffee people drink; arabica is sweeter and more aromatic, robusta is stronger, more bitter and has roughly twice the caffeine. Liberica and excelsa are rare, with bold, unusual flavors, and are grown mainly in parts of Southeast Asia and Africa.
This guide compares the four species, explains what really drives flavor (variety, origin, processing and roast), and shows how to pick beans for espresso and other brew methods.
Types of coffee beans at a glance
| Arabica | Robusta | Liberica | Excelsa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Coffea arabica | Coffea canephora | Coffea liberica | Coffea dewevrei |
| Share of supply | Majority, roughly 55–60% | Most of the rest, roughly 40–45% | Tiny | Tiny |
| Caffeine (dry bean) | ~1.2–1.5% | ~2.2–2.7% | Generally lower than robusta | Generally lower than robusta |
| Flavor | Sweet, acidic, fruity, floral, chocolatey | Bitter, earthy, woody, nutty, heavy | Smoky, woody, ripe jackfruit-like, polarizing | Tart, fruity, dark, complex |
| Grows at | Higher altitudes, ~600–2,200 m | Low altitudes, hot climates | Low altitudes, heat-tolerant | Low to mid altitudes |
| Main producers | Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Central America | Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia, Uganda | Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, West Africa | Southeast Asia, Central Africa |
| Bean shape | Oval, curved center cut | Smaller, rounder, straighter cut | Large, irregular, asymmetric | Smaller than liberica, almond-shaped |
Production shares change from year to year with harvests and weather; treat them as approximate.
Arabica coffee beans
Arabica (Coffea arabica) is the species behind most specialty coffee and most of the coffee sold in cafés. It originated in the highlands of Ethiopia and South Sudan, and it’s a natural hybrid of two other species, Coffea canephora and Coffea eugenioides.
Flavor: Arabica has more sugars and lipids and less caffeine than robusta, giving it more sweetness, acidity and aromatic complexity. Depending on origin and processing, it can taste like berries, citrus, jasmine, caramel, nuts or chocolate.
Growing: it prefers cooler temperatures and higher elevations and is vulnerable to pests, diseases such as coffee leaf rust, and rising temperatures. That makes it more expensive to grow than robusta.
Arabica varieties
Within arabica there are many varieties and cultivars, and these shape flavor more than most people realize:
- Typica and Bourbon: heritage varieties known for sweetness and balance.
- Caturra and Catuaí: compact, productive plants widely grown in Latin America.
- Geisha (Gesha): famous for intense floral and tea-like flavors, and very high prices.
- SL28 and SL34: Kenyan selections with bright, blackcurrant-like acidity.
- Ethiopian landraces: diverse local types, often fruity and floral.
- Hybrids such as Castillo and Catimor: bred partly from robusta-arabica crosses for disease resistance.
Robusta coffee beans
Robusta is the common name for Coffea canephora, native to central and western Africa. It’s hardier than arabica: it tolerates heat and low altitudes, resists many diseases and yields more coffee per plant.
Flavor: heavier and more bitter, with earthy, woody, nutty or dark chocolate notes and lower acidity. Low-grade robusta can taste rubbery or harsh, which gave the species a poor reputation. Carefully grown and processed “fine robusta” can be smooth, chocolatey and pleasant.
Caffeine: robusta contains roughly twice the caffeine of arabica by weight. Caffeine is a natural pest deterrent, which partly explains the plant’s toughness.
Where you’ll find it: instant coffee, many supermarket blends, Vietnamese coffee and many Italian espresso blends, where a small share (often 10–30%) adds body, crema and bitterness that holds up in milk.
Liberica coffee beans
Liberica (Coffea liberica) has large, irregular beans and grows on tall, tree-like plants. It was planted widely in the late 19th century when coffee leaf rust devastated arabica in parts of Asia, but it was later replaced, mostly by robusta.
A 2025 study led by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, published in Nature Plants, reassessed this group using genetic data. It found that liberica and excelsa are separate species and that their combined global production today is probably under 1,000 metric tons, around 0.01% of coffee exports, far lower than the 1–2% figure often repeated online (Daily Coffee News summary).
Flavor: bold and divisive: smoky, woody and sometimes with a ripe-fruit aroma likened to jackfruit. In the Philippines it’s known as kapeng barako and is part of local coffee culture.
Excelsa coffee beans
Excelsa was long classified as a variety of liberica. Following the Kew-led research, it’s now treated as its own species, Coffea dewevrei. Researchers are interested in it because it’s heat- and drought-tolerant and could help coffee farming adapt to climate change.
Flavor: often described as tart and fruity with dark, roasty depth. Some roasters use small amounts in blends to add complexity. It’s still uncommon outside producing regions, but specialty roasters are beginning to offer it.
Other species worth knowing
- Coffea stenophylla: a rare West African species rediscovered in recent years and noted for arabica-like flavor at higher temperatures.
- Coffea racemosa and others: there are well over 100 known coffee species, but only a handful are grown commercially.
What really changes flavor (beyond species)
Two bags of arabica can taste completely different. The species sets the starting point; these factors shape the cup:
Origin and altitude
Soil, climate and elevation all matter. Very broadly: Ethiopian coffees are often floral and fruity, Kenyan coffees bright and juicy, Colombian and Central American coffees balanced with caramel sweetness, Brazilian coffees nutty and chocolatey, and Indonesian coffees earthy and full-bodied. Higher-grown coffee tends to be denser and more acidic.
Processing
- Washed (wet): fruit is removed before drying. Clean, bright, clear flavors.
- Natural (dry): whole cherries dry in the sun. Fruity, heavy, sometimes winey.
- Honey: some fruit left on during drying. Sweet, round, in between.
- Wet-hulled (giling basah): common in Indonesia. Earthy, herbal, heavy body.
- Experimental (anaerobic, co-fermented): intense, unusual and sometimes polarizing flavors.
Roast level
Roasting turns green coffee brown and creates most of its aroma. Light roasts keep more origin character and acidity; medium roasts balance sweetness and body; dark roasts emphasize roasty, bitter and smoky flavors. The same beans can taste like a different coffee at each roast level.
Single origin vs blend
Single-origin coffee comes from one country, region or farm, and shows that place’s character. Blends combine origins (and sometimes species) for balance and consistency, which is why many espresso blends exist.
Which coffee beans are best for espresso?
Most people find these easiest to enjoy as espresso:
- Medium to medium-dark arabica blends with chocolate, caramel and nut notes: forgiving and great with milk.
- Blends with a little robusta if you like a traditional Italian style with heavy body, thick crema and more caffeine.
- Light-roast single origins if you enjoy fruit-forward shots and don’t mind dialing in more carefully.
For specific bag recommendations, see our guide to the best coffee beans for espresso. Whatever you choose, dial in each new bag; our dial-in guide shows how.
Beans for other brew methods
- Pour over: light to medium washed arabica for clarity.
- French press and cold brew: medium to dark roasts, naturals and Brazilian or Indonesian coffees for body.
- Vietnamese phin coffee: robusta or robusta-heavy blends.
How to read a coffee bag label
| Label says | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| 100% arabica | No robusta; says nothing about quality on its own |
| Origin / region / farm | Where it was grown; more detail usually means more traceability |
| Variety (e.g. Bourbon, Geisha) | Which arabica cultivar |
| Process (washed, natural, honey) | Flavor style, from clean to fruity |
| Altitude | Higher often means denser, brighter beans |
| Roast date | Freshness; best used about 1–5 weeks after roasting for most methods |
| Tasting notes | The roaster’s description of flavors, not added flavorings |
Storing coffee beans
- Buy whole beans and grind just before brewing; ground coffee goes stale within days, sometimes hours.
- Keep beans in an airtight, opaque container at room temperature, away from heat, light and moisture.
- Buy amounts you’ll use within 2–4 weeks of opening.
- If you freeze beans, portion them into airtight containers and avoid repeated thawing and refreezing, which adds moisture.
A good grinder makes the most of good beans. If you’re upgrading, see our best espresso grinders.
Arabica vs robusta in espresso blends
Blending species is common in espresso, especially in Italy. Here’s what each brings:
| Blend | Typical result |
|---|---|
| 100% arabica | Sweeter, more acidity and aroma, lighter crema |
| 90% arabica / 10% robusta | Slightly heavier body and more crema, still sweet |
| 70–80% arabica / 20–30% robusta | Classic southern Italian style: bold, chocolatey, bitter edge, thick crema, more caffeine |
| Robusta-dominant | Very strong, bitter and heavy; common in Vietnamese coffee and some instant blends |
Robusta’s lower sugar and higher caffeine and chlorogenic acid content explain much of the difference in bitterness. If you drink mostly lattes and cappuccinos, a small amount of good robusta can help the coffee flavor cut through milk.
Why coffee species matter for the future
Arabica is sensitive to heat, and studies of climate change suggest that the land suitable for growing it could shrink in coming decades. Robusta is more heat-tolerant but also has limits, and it’s sensitive to drought. That’s why researchers and farmers are paying fresh attention to other species: excelsa and liberica tolerate heat and drought better, and stenophylla may combine heat tolerance with arabica-like flavor. Coffee breeders are also developing hybrid varieties that resist disease and higher temperatures while keeping good cup quality.
What about decaf beans?
Decaf isn’t a type of bean. It’s regular arabica or robusta that has had most of its caffeine removed before roasting, using water, carbon dioxide or solvents. The Swiss Water Process and CO₂ methods are popular with specialty roasters. Modern decaf can taste very close to the original coffee; look for a recent roast date and the decaffeination method on the label. There are also arabica plants that are naturally low in caffeine, such as the Laurina (Bourbon Pointu) variety, though they’re rare.
Green coffee grading in brief
Before roasting, green coffee is sorted and graded. Many producing countries grade by bean size (screen size) and by the number of defects in a sample, such as broken, insect-damaged or black beans. Specialty coffee is often defined by a low defect count and a high cupping score, typically 80 points or more on a 100-point scale used by trained tasters. Labels such as “AA” (Kenya, large beans), “Supremo” (Colombia, large beans) or “SHB” (strictly hard bean, grown at high altitude in Central America) tell you about size or altitude, not directly about flavor. For home buyers, a recent roast date, clear origin and processing information, and tasting notes you like are better guides than grades alone.
Fresh vs aged beans
Roasted coffee is at its best for a limited time. Most beans need a few days to release excess CO₂ after roasting, then taste their best for several weeks, with flavor fading gradually after that. Green (unroasted) coffee keeps much longer, often up to a year when stored well, which is why roasters can source coffee seasonally and roast to order.
FAQ
What are the 4 types of coffee beans?
Arabica, robusta, liberica and excelsa. Arabica and robusta account for almost all coffee produced; liberica and excelsa are rare, specialty finds.
Which type of coffee bean has the most caffeine?
Robusta. It contains roughly twice as much caffeine as arabica by weight, around 2.2–2.7% compared with about 1.2–1.5%.
Is arabica better than robusta?
Arabica is generally sweeter and more complex, which is why it dominates specialty coffee. But well-grown robusta can be very good, and many espresso blends use some robusta for body and crema. “Better” depends on taste.
Is excelsa a type of liberica?
It was long classified that way, but a 2025 genetic study led by Kew found that excelsa is a separate species, Coffea dewevrei.
What type of coffee bean is used in espresso?
Any type can be used. Most espresso uses arabica or an arabica-robusta blend, usually at a medium to medium-dark roast.
What does “100% arabica” mean?
It means the coffee contains no robusta or other species. It’s a common claim, but it doesn’t guarantee freshness or quality on its own; roast date, origin and processing tell you more.
