Frequently Asked Questions about Coffee

What's the difference between Arabica beans and Robusta beans?

The coffee plant is a shrub of the genus Coffea of the Rubiaceae family. We are concerned with only two of the dozens of species of the genus: coffea canephora and coffea arabica. Robusta is the upright form of the species Canephora.

Coffee plants grow in the wild to a height of 8 to 10 meters but on coffee plantations they are kept at a height of 2.5 meters. The fruit is bright red in color and resembles a cherry. Each fruit normally contains two green seeds.

The Arabica bean (seed) has 44 chromosomes but the Robusta bean has only half that number. The Robusta tree is more resistant to parasites, disease, and heat than the Arabica bean.

The Arabica bean is flatter and longer and has a sinuous groove on the flat side. The Robusta bean is more convex and rounder and the groove is almost straight.

The Arabica bean contains from 1 to 1.7% caffeine whereas the Robusta bean is about twice as strong, containing 2 to 4.5% caffeine.

Robusta beans contain more of the acids that cause indigestion if consumed in large quantities. A cup of Arabica coffee is milder, more aromatic, and less astringent than a cup of Robusta coffee.

Most coffees sold are a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans, the Robusta being added for to add fullness to the flavor.

So are Robusta beans crummy?

No. And yes. It is true that fine coffee is made from Arabica, whereas food-service grade coffee is predominantly Robusta. But Arabica by itself is a bit one-dimensional. Blending Arabica with Robusta enhances the flavor and body. One should also realize that like anything in the world, there are high quality and low quality Arabicas. There are high quality and low quality Robustas too. A roaster of fine coffees will choose the high quality Robustas for blending.

What are Single-origin coffees?

Most roasted coffee is a blend of beans grown in different regions. To begin with, it is usually a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans - those coming from different regions. Beyond that, both the Arabica and Robusta components themselves are blends from different growing regions. Take for example, Miscela d'Oro, which is a blend of Arabicas from Santos Brazil and Central America with the Robusta coming from Uganda and Colombia. By blending coffees from different regions the roaster achieves a more balanced coffee with a wider appeal.

Single-origin coffee, on the other hand, is composed of strictly one type of bean from a specific region. As far as I know, single-origin coffees are always Arabica beans. Single-origin coffees present the unique flavor of the beans grown in the particular region: Brazil, Columbia, Kenya, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Jamaica, etc.

Why should I be interested in single-origin coffees?

As mentioned above, most coffee is a blend from different regions for the purpose of achieving a balanced flavor experience. The individual-region coffees each have their own unique qualities which are both their strength and their weakness. By blending, the roaster can achieve a roast that will be enjoyable for many coffee lovers. Single-origin coffees, in sacrificing balance and wide appeal, offer the discriminating coffee aficionado a valuable flavor experience. One is able to enjoy the flavor and aroma characteristics peculiar to a given region. You may find that a particular region's coffee is your "cup of tea," so to speak. Or you may simply enjoy sampling the variation of the world's coffee growing regions. One might compare single-origin coffees to single malt whiskeys vs. blended whiskeys.

Does PodMerchant carry single-origin coffees?

Of course. We have single-origin coffees from Attibassi, Compagnia dell'Arabica, and Hausbrandt.