Types of Coffee Beans
Last updated on Mar 27, 2025Kevin SinghelThe quality and variety of your establishment’s coffee offerings significantly influence customer loyalty and revenue. While many operators focus on brewing methods, presentation, or roast levels, the foundation of a standout coffee program lies in understanding the beans themselves. Below we dive into the origins, taste profiles, and commercial potential of the different types of coffee beans, empowering you to make informed decisions that enhance your coffee service.
Shop All Whole Bean Coffee & Espresso1. Arabica Coffee Beans
When crafting a high-quality coffee menu, Arabica beans are often the top choice for foodservice operators seeking a refined, crowd-pleasing profile. As the most widely consumed coffee species globally, Arabica is prized for its smooth, nuanced flavors and lower acidity, making it a versatile option for espresso, drip coffee, and specialty beverages. While it demands careful sourcing due to its climate sensitivity, its market dominance and customer appeal make it a must-have for cafes, restaurants, and hospitality businesses.
What Is Arabica Coffee?
Arabica is the most popular coffee species, accounting for over half of global production. Known for its elongated, slightly curved beans and delicate growing requirements, Arabica thrives at higher elevations with stable climates. Unlike hardier varieties like Robusta, Arabica plants are susceptible to pests and disease, which can impact yields. This makes premium-grade Arabica a more expensive but worthwhile investment for foodservice establishments targeting coffee drinkers.
Arabica Coffee Taste
Arabica’s flavor profile is celebrated for its smooth, well-balanced notes, often featuring hints of fruit, chocolate, caramel, or floral tones, depending on origin and roast. With lower caffeine content and milder acidity than Robusta, it delivers a more approachable cup, ideal for customers who prefer subtle complexity over bold intensity. Arabica can be a versatile base for single origin offerings, blends, or signature drinks that elevate the guest experience.
Where Is Arabica Coffee Grown?
Arabica flourishes in high-altitude regions with consistent rainfall and mild temperatures. Key producers include:
- Latin America: Varieties from Colombia, Brazil, and Guatemala produce bright, balanced cups with nutty or citrusy undertones.
- Africa: Arabica beans from Ethiopia and Kenya typically have floral, fruity, and wine-like profiles.
- Asia-Pacific: Grown in Sumatra and Papua New Guinea, these beans have earthy, spicy, or herbal nuances.
2. Robusta Coffee Beans
While Arabica occupies specialty coffee menus, Robusta beans offer a distinct, high-performance alternative for foodservice operators seeking intensity, affordability, and crema-rich espresso blends. Known for their higher caffeine content, bold bitterness, and resilient growth, Robusta beans are a practical choice for businesses prioritizing cost efficiency without sacrificing a strong coffee kick.
What Is Robusta Coffee?
Robusta is the second most popular coffee species. Its rounder, smaller beans pack nearly double the caffeine of Arabica, acting as a natural pest deterrent and allowing it to thrive in lower altitudes with hotter climates. Robusta’s hardiness and lower price point make it an attractive option for high-volume settings, budget-conscious menus, or espresso blends requiring extra body and crema.
Robusta Coffee Taste
Robusta delivers a strong, earthy, and full-bodied cup with prominent bitter, woody, or nutty notes, sometimes described as "harsher" than Arabica. Its minimal acidity and heavy mouthfeel make it ideal for customers who prefer a powerful, caffeine-forward experience, or as a blending component to add depth to milk-based coffee drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. When sourced and roasted well, premium Robusta can surprise with chocolate or spicy undertones, offering menu versatility beyond traditional expectations.
Where Is Robusta Coffee Grown?
Robusta flourishes in low-altitude tropical regions with volatile weather, primarily in:
- Southeast Asia: Vietnam and Indonesia are the world’s top producers, yielding bold, smoky flavors.
- Africa: Robusta coffee grown in Uganda and Ivory Coast are often earthier with a rustic intensity.
- Brazil: Brazilian Robusta beans are increasingly used in espresso blends for cost efficiency.
Arabica vs Robusta Coffee Beans
While Arabica has a more nuanced, acidic profile, Robusta offers bolder and more bitter flavors. In terms of price, Robusta is typically cheaper and often contains a higher caffeine content. For this reason, Arabica coffee beans are often used for high-quality specialty drinks, while Robusta coffee beans are better served for espresso blends, iced coffees, or budget-friendly bulk options.
3. Liberica Coffee Beans
While Arabica and Robusta dominate the global coffee trade, Liberica beans offer a distinctive choice for foodservice operators looking to differentiate their offerings with a rare, full-flavored coffee experience. Known for their uniquely irregular shape, bold aroma, and complex flavor profile, Liberica beans cater to specialty coffee drinkers seeking something beyond the ordinary. Though challenging to source in large quantities, Liberica’s growing popularity among coffee connoisseurs presents an opportunity for restaurants, cafes, and hotels to create exclusive, high-margin beverages.
What Is Liberica Coffee?
Liberica is a rare coffee species. It accounts for less than 2% of global production and is prized for its large, asymmetrical beans and resilient growth in hot, humid climates. Unlike Arabica and Robusta, Liberica trees produce cherries with a distinctive fruity, woody aroma, making them a standout choice for limited-edition or single origin coffee programs. Liberica offers a niche marketing angle, appealing to adventurous customers willing to pay a premium for unique flavors.
Liberica Coffee Taste
Liberica delivers a bold, smoky-sweet profile with unexpected fruity and floral undertones, often described as a mix of dark chocolate, ripe jackfruit, and spice. Its low acidity and heavy body make it an excellent candidate for cold brews, espresso blends, or standalone specialty drinks. While its flavor can polarize traditional coffee drinkers, Liberica’s unmistakable character can help your menu stand out in a competitive coffee market.
Where Is Liberica Coffee Grown?
Liberica thrives in hot, low-altitude tropical climates, and is most commonly found in Southeast Asia and West Africa. For operators, sourcing Liberica may require direct partnerships with specialty importers, but its exclusivity can justify higher menu prices.
- Southeast Asia: The heart of Liberica production lies in the Philippines and Malaysia, yielding intensely aromatic beans.
- West Africa: The species originated in West African countries like Liberia, though production is now limited.
- Central America: Some small-scale farms in Central America have begun experimenting with Liberica as a climate-resistant crop.
4. Excelsa Coffee Beans
While not as widely known as Arabica or Robusta, Excelsa coffee beans offer a truly unique flavor experience that can elevate a foodservice establishment's coffee program. With their unpredictable flavor profile and tart, fruity character, Excelsa beans present an exciting opportunity for operators looking to introduce adventurous drinkers to something extraordinary. Though production is limited, Excelsa's ability to add unexpected depth and complexity to blends makes it worth considering for specialty coffee shops and high-end restaurants aiming to differentiate their offerings.
What Is Excelsa Coffee?
Excelsa grows on tall, resilient trees and accounts for a tiny fraction of global coffee production, primarily used as a blending component to add dimension. Its elongated, teardrop-shaped beans develop a remarkably different chemical composition during roasting compared to other varieties. For foodservice professionals, Excelsa represents an opportunity to craft signature blends or offer limited-time single origin options that intrigue coffee enthusiasts looking for new experiences.
Excelsa Coffee Taste
The most distinctive feature of Excelsa is its unusual duality, combining dark, roasted notes with bright, tart fruitiness. This makes them particularly valuable for adding complexity to espresso blends and creating standout single origin pour-overs. Its medium body and wine-like acidity can polarize traditional coffee drinkers but delight those seeking adventurous profiles.
Where Is Excelsa Coffee Grown?
Excelsa thrives in Southeast Asia's tropical climates, with key production in countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Sourcing may require working with specialty green coffee importers, but the payoff is a truly distinctive menu item.
Excelsa vs Liberica Coffee Beans
While both Excelsa and Liberica are rare coffee varieties prized for their distinctive profiles, they cater to different preferences and menu applications. Excelsa stands out with its tart, fruity complexity and medium body, making it ideal for adding unexpected depth to blends or creating intriguing single origin offerings. In contrast, Liberica leans toward smoky-sweet flavors with a heavier, more robust mouthfeel, better suited for standalone specialty drinks. Excelsa’s wine-like acidity and versatility in blending give it broader utility for coffee programmers, while Liberica’s bold uniqueness appeals to drinkers seeking a truly unconventional experience.
Whether you opt for the crowd-pleasing smoothness of Arabica, the bold intensity of Robusta, the rare complexity of Liberica, or the tart vibrancy of Excelsa, each bean type offers unique advantages for different business models and customer preferences. By understanding these beans’ origins, flavor profiles, and commercial potential, you can craft a coffee program that not only meets demand but also enhances your brand’s uniqueness. Experiment with single origins and custom blends to keep your menu fresh and your customers coming back for more.
