I have talked before about the differences between arabica and robusta, but in a more subjective and gustatory sense. My goal was just to shed light on their taste profile to help you understand what quality of coffee best suits your taste. You can read the article BY CLICKING BELOW.
Instead, today I would like to be more direct and simply give you as much information as I can about the differences between Arabica and Robusta in a more objective and informative sense.
As you may have learned by now, the coffee plant, like any other plant, think of how many types of tomatoes there are, Has several species : Arabica, Canephora, Liberica and Excelsa.
For convenience, however, we divide the coffee world into only 2 families, i.e., the only ones that are commercialized: Arabica and Canephora , or also commonly called Robusta.
It is then important to point out that in turn these two botanical species are divided into additional hundreds of variants that are very different from each other in terms of taste, aroma, and in-cup yield in terms of creaminess and body.
But on to us.
The main differences to highlight between arabica and robusta are:
- Cultivation altitude
- Grain shape
- Number of chromosomes
- Caffeine content
- Sugar and oil content
- Taste and cup yield
1. ALTITUDE OF CROPS
Arabica grows above 700 meters above sea level and up to 2000-2400 meters, while Robusta grows at sea level, remaining always below 900 meters.
Cultivation in rockier, sloping soils undoubtedly makes Arabica more difficult to grow and consequently makes it generally more expensive than a Robusta (canephora) coffee.
I recommend that you try our two most different coffees and experience them for yourself right away:
- Ethiopian Sidamo – a fresh, fruity, citrusy and floral single-origin Arabica, delicate and driven to a pleasant, soft acidity CLICK HERE. >>
- Stretto – a full-bodied, creamy robusta blend with lingering bitterness and rich caffeine CLICK HERE. >>
2. SHAPE OF THE GRAIN
As you can clearly see from the photo, the Robusta bean, the one on the right, is smaller and rounder and the center cut is straight.
In contrast, however, the Arabica bean, so the one on the left, is larger and more elongated, with a more sinuous and wavy central groove.
You can then check for yourself whether your packet of coffee beans contains Arabica or Robusta coffee or even a blend of both.
3. NUMBER OF CHROMOSOMES
Arabica has 44 chromosomes, while Robusta has exactly half, or 22.
This implies that Arabica beans will have a more complex flavor profile, with more fragrance, than Robusta species beans.
4. CAFFEINE CONTENT
In this case the situation is reversed: Robusta has about twice or even three times as much caffeine as Arabica quality coffees.
In fact, we find between 0.8% and 1.5% concentration of caffeine in Arabica beans. While Robusta quality grains have between 1.7 percent and 3.5 percent caffeine.
Remember that pure caffeine is very bitter.
Caffeine also makes Robusta plants “sturdier,” strong, as it is she who repairs the plant from attacks by pests, insects or diseases. In contrast, the Arabica plant is therefore more delicate, difficult to grow and more prone to disease or infestation.
I recommend that you try our two most different coffees and experience them for yourself right away:
- Ethiopian Sidamo – a fresh, fruity, citrusy and floral single-origin Arabica, delicate and driven to a pleasant, soft acidity CLICK HERE. >>
- Stretto – a full-bodied, creamy robusta blend with lingering bitterness and rich caffeine CLICK HERE. >>
5. SUGAR AND OIL CONTENT
And the tables turn again, as it is again the Arabica quality that wins out over the concentration of oils. In fact, it contains about 18 percent of it, twice as much as Robusta, which usually stops around 9 percent.
This depends both on the species but also on the altitude of the plantation. As you go up in altitude, the grains become denser and the soil richer in mineral salts, which results in a higher concentration of aromatic oils in the grains.
The same goes for sugars, which are more present in Arabica beans, as much as 8 percent, while Robusta has an average of 5 percent.
6. TASTE AND CUP YIELD
Summing up, all of the above characteristics translate directly to the taste of the extracted coffee.
In fact, as we have seen, Arabica grows at higher altitudes, in more rocky soil and therefore rich in minerals, with less caffeine and a denser bean, containing more sugars and minerals, with twice as many chromosomes.
This makes the coffees extracted from Arabica beans more fragrant, the taste is more complex, intensely aromatic, and gives off sweeter, more delicate, and fresher notes that are highlighted from time to time in flowers, ripe fruit, red fruits, citrus, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, caramel, honey, and many more.
Finally, coffee will present a more buoyant acidity and a softer body.
In contrast, a coffee extracted from a single-origin Robusta will have less fragrance, staying within the spectrum of chocolate and spicy, and sometimes even woody or earthy. It will also be more bitter due to the higher caffeine content.
It will also bring a fuller, rounder body and more consistent cream to the cup.
All you have to do is experiment for yourself and you will immediately notice all these differences in taste.
Of course you won’t be able to identify every specific flavor at the first shot, for that takes training and a lot of experimentation, but you will quickly understand that a single-origin Arabica coffee is different from a robusta coffee, without a shadow of a doubt.
That is why I recommend our two most different coffees:
- Ethiopian Sidamo – a fresh, fruity, citrusy and floral single-origin Arabica, delicate and driven to a pleasant, soft acidity CLICK HERE. >>
- Stretto – a full-bodied, creamy robusta blend with lingering bitterness and rich caffeine CLICK HERE >>
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