How Many Types of Coffee Beans Are There?

There are many types of coffee beans, but these are the main (and most common) three – Liberica, Arabica and Robusta. Of which, Arabica (Coffea Arabica) is clearly the most important because it produces superior quality beans compared to the other two commercially grown species. Also known as “the coffee shrub of Arabia”, Arabic beans are native to Ethiopia. Liberica coffee beans are indigenous to Liberia, while Robusta originate from the Congo.

You can buy most of the types listed below as green unroasted coffee beans as well as fresh roasted coffee beans depending on your preference, and if you are able to roast them yourself.

The Best Known Types of Coffee Beans

Coffea Arabica

The most commonly used commercial bean is Coffea Arabica because it is by far the best quality bean. It also has less caffeine than Robusta Beans.

These are types of Arabica Beans:

· Kenya AA Coffee Beans – Kenya is one of the worlds biggest exporters, with ‘Kenya AA Coffee’ overwhelmingly topping the list of it’s finest brands. It is known be a quite acidic flavor.

· Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee – Indigenous to the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, it is the worlds most expensive and desired roast and is loved for its silky smooth flavor.

· Ethiopian Harrar – Originating from the Harar region of Ethiopia.

· Columbian Mild – Recognized globally for its intense aromatic and distinctive taste, Columbian Mild has a high quality.

· Hawaiian Kona Coffee – From the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii, Hawaiian Kona blend is reputedly expensive and craved around the world for its excellence.

· Java – Java is the most common roast known around the world, which lent its name to a ‘cup of coffee’ in America.

· Sumatra Mandleling – Rich in flavor and rich in history, Sumatra Mandheling has a mild earthy full bodied taste, displaying a rich chocolate syrupy flavor. Originating from the Mandheling Province of West Sumatra, which is known worldwide for its gourmet coffees.

· Tanzanian Peaberry Coffee – As the name suggests, a eminently full-bodied and lively brew originating from Tanzania, grown on Mount Kilimanjaro Slopes, close to Kenya.

· Mocha – Harvested in Yemen, around the Arabian Peninsula, Mocha has the reputation amongst coffee connoisseurs to be the best in the world.

The Other Types of Popular Coffee Beans

Coffea Robusta

Its scientific name is Coffea Canephora, these beans are of inferior quality but its caffeine content is higher than Liberica or Arabica. But as the name suggests Robusta can withstand harsher climates than the other types and are less susceptible to disease.

Coffea Liberica

Liberian beans only account for a very small percentage of commercially grown beans and usually only enter locally grown markets. Coffea Liberica produce a finer quality bean when grown at low altitudes, below 2,000 feet but don’t usually enter the world market.