Coffee beans

Coffee beans: species, varieties and origins

The coffee “bean” is the seed inside the fruit of a coffee plant. The species and genetic variety matter, but so do growing conditions, processing, roasting and brewing.

Major coffee species

Species	Common name	General characteristics
Coffea arabica	Arabica	Widely cultivated; often associated with aromatic complexity and acidity, but cup quality varies greatly.
Coffea canephora	Robusta	Often higher in caffeine and associated with more body and bitterness; important in espresso blends and instant coffee.
Coffea liberica	Liberica	Less widely cultivated commercially; distinctive large fruits and seeds and varied flavour profiles.
Coffea dewevrei	Excelsa	Often discussed commercially as Excelsa and commonly grouped with Liberica, although its taxonomy is more complicated than the label suggests.

Explore the bean section