The 3 Main Types of Coffee Beans: Arabica, Robusta & Liberica

Coffee isn’t just about roast levels or brewing gear — it starts with the bean itself. In this guide, we break down the three main coffee species that define nearly every cup around the world: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica.

What Are the Different Types of Coffee Beans?

“100% Arabica” — it’s a label you’ve likely seen on countless coffee bags or café chalkboards. But what does it really mean? And what are the other 0%?

Only 3 Coffee Species Are Grown Commercially

Most coffee drinkers are familiar with roasts, origins, and brewing styles. But far fewer realize that while the Coffea genus includes over 120 known species, only three are grown commercially worldwide: Arabica, Robusta, and the much rarer Liberica. These aren’t just marketing terms — they’re distinct species, each with its own flavor, caffeine content, and growing conditions.

Your Coffee’s Flavor Starts with Its Specie

If you've ever wondered why Ethiopian coffee tastes floral and tea-like, or why a Vietnamese Robusta brew feels like a caffeine punch, it all comes down to the bean's species.

In this guide, we’ll first break down the three main types of coffee beans — Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica — and then take a closer look at Arabica varieties, from the classic Typica to the prized Geisha. You’ll also discover which bean suits your taste, whether you’re brewing at home or searching for the next great cup.

Arabica Coffee

Arabica Origins and Growing Conditions

A globally dominant species.
Arabica (Coffea arabica) is the most widely consumed and commercially cultivated coffee species in the world, accounting for around 60–70% of global production.

Cool Climates and High Elevations Make It Shine
Native to the highlands of Ethiopia, Arabica thrives in cooler climates and higher elevations — generally between 800 and 2,100 meters above sea level. Countries like Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Guatemala are renowned for producing it.

Slower Growth, Better Flavor
These growing conditions slow the development of the coffee cherry, allowing more time for sugars and aromatic compounds to form. That’s why Arabica beans tend to offer more delicate, complex flavors compared to Robusta.

From Geisha to Blue Mountain — It’s All Arabica Coffee
If you’ve ever enjoyed a cup of Panama Geisha, Jamaican Blue Mountain, or Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, then you’ve already tasted Arabica coffee. These well-known origins sit within the global “coffee belt,” where altitude, climate, and soil combine to produce some of the world’s most celebrated beans.

Flavor Profile of Arabica Beans

Arabica is prized for its complexity and nuance. It typically features bright acidity, floral or fruity notes, and a smooth, clean finish. Think jasmine tea, ripe stone fruits, or citrus zest.

It also has less bitterness and a more delicate body compared to Robusta. This makes Arabica ideal for pour-over, drip coffee, and other methods that emphasize flavor clarity.

Notable Arabica Coffee Varieties and Origins

Arabica coffee offers a stunning range of flavors, and much of that comes down to variety. If you’ve ever wandered into a specialty coffee shop and seen tasting notes like “jasmine,” “bergamot,” or “stone fruit,” chances are you were drinking one of these standouts.

Typica
If Arabica coffee had a family tree, Typica would be at the root. It’s one of the oldest and most widespread varieties — a building block of modern specialty coffee. Clean, sweet, and balanced, Typica is what many roasters reach for when they want elegance in the cup.

Geisha (Gesha)
Geisha is the darling of the specialty coffee world. Originally from Ethiopia but made famous in Panama, Geisha is prized for its floral, tea-like elegance and soaring auction prices. Its rise began in 2004, when Hacienda La Esmeralda introduced it at the Best of Panama auction, where it sold for $21/lb — a record at the time. In 2024, a record-breaking batch from Elida Estate sold for over $10,013/kg ($4,545/lb), cementing Geisha as the world’s most coveted coffee.

Bourbon
A natural mutation of Typica, Bourbon brings a rounder body and deeper sweetness. Single origin coffees made from Bourbon often feature notes of chocolate, caramel, and cream, making them approachable and satisfying for a wide range of palates.

SL28 & SL34
These Kenyan-born varieties are prized by specialty roasters for their juicy acidity and fruit-forward clarity. SL28 coffee in particular is known for notes of blackcurrant, citrus, and tomato — bright, bold, and unforgettable in a pour-over.

Caturra & Catuai
Compact and productive, Caturra and Catuai are high-yield Arabica varieties widely grown in Brazil and Central America. While they may not grab headlines, they often deliver nutty, balanced, crowd-pleasing coffees — and under skilled hands, they can shine as approachable single origins in the specialty world.

Kona Coffee (Hawaii)
Kona is one of the most recognized coffee names in the U.S. Grown on the volcanic slopes of Hawaii’s Big Island, it’s known for a smooth body, mild acidity, and gentle nutty sweetness — a flavor profile that's easy to enjoy and hard to forget.

Because of its limited growing region and strong reputation, Kona coffee tends to be expensive. This demand has led to the rise of Kona blend coffee, which may contain as little as 10% actual Kona beans, with the remainder sourced from other regions. To experience the true taste of Hawaiian-grown coffee, look for labels that say “100% Kona Coffee.”

Blue Mountain Coffee (Jamaica)
Among premium coffees, few names are as instantly recognizable as Jamaican Blue Mountain. Long considered a symbol of luxury, it’s known for its exceptionally smooth, mild flavor and near-zero bitterness — the kind of coffee even non-coffee drinkers tend to remember.

Grown at high elevations in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains, this Arabica variety is produced in small quantities under strict quality control. The result is a clean, balanced cup with gentle sweetness, soft acidity, and a reputation that justifies its high price.

Pros and Cons of Arabica

Arabica's main downside? It's sensitive. It requires specific climate conditions, is more vulnerable to pests and diseases, and has a lower yield. As a result, it tends to be more expensive and labor-intensive to grow — especially within the specialty coffee supply chain.

But these challenges are also what make Arabica so prized: slower growth, high-altitude environments, and the delicate care required by the coffee plant all contribute to its complex, refined flavor profile.

Arabica Quick Facts

**Note: Caffeine content can vary depending on variety, growing conditions, and processing. The listed range is based on typical averages for each species.

Robusta Coffee

Grown for Strength, Built for Resilience

Robusta (Coffea canephora) accounts for about 30–40% of global coffee production and is especially valued for its hardiness and high yield. It thrives in lower elevations (typically below 800 meters) and hot, humid climates — conditions that would challenge most Arabica plants.

Vietnam leads global production, contributing around 40% of Robusta. Other key producers include Indonesia, Uganda, India, and Brazil.

In Brazil, Robusta is important, but Arabica still accounts for the majority of coffee production.

Robusta’s natural resistance to pests and disease, along with its climate adaptability, makes it a reliable crop.

Twice the Caffeine, Twice the Kick

What sets Robusta apart? Primarily, its caffeine content. On average, Robusta contains 60–90% more caffeine than Arabica — nearly twice as much. This gives it a stronger, more bitter flavor and a reputation for power over nuance.

The flavor profile of Robusta is often described as bold, earthy, nutty, and smoky, with a heavier body and low acidity. But the high caffeine content isn’t just about taste — it also acts as a natural insect repellent, making Robusta more resistant to pests and better suited to harsher, more sustainable growing conditions.

The Uses and Flavor of Robusta Coffee

Robusta plays a role in espresso blends, where it adds crema, body, and bite — the richness and kick many coffee lovers look for in their daily shot. It’s also the foundation of Vietnamese iced coffee (cà phê sữa đá), a bold and sweet brew served over ice with condensed milk that has become iconic around the world.

Because it’s easier and cheaper to grow, Robusta is widely used in instant coffee and supermarket blends — a fact that has shaped its reputation as low-quality. But that’s not the full story.

The Rise of Fine Robusta Coffee

Robusta has long been viewed as inferior to Arabica’s rough cousin — bitter, cheaper, and often used for instant coffee or blends. But that narrative is starting to change.

With climate challenges and shifts in global supply chains, more producers and roasters are exploring the potential of fine Robusta — beans grown and processed with greater care, aiming for higher quality.

Some producers are now applying specialty coffee techniques to Robusta — selectively harvesting ripe cherries, experimenting with post-harvest methods like anaerobic fermentation, and focusing on flavor development.

“The cup profiles from these fermented Robusta lots are complex, fruity, and clean and truly stand out as exceptional single origin offerings,” says Komal Sable, co-founder of the South India Coffee Company, in an interview with Perfect Daily Grind.

Whether you're drawn to its high caffeine content or curious to explore a flavor profile distinct from Arabica, Robusta is quietly opening a new window into coffee’s diversity.

Robusta Quick Facts

Liberica Coffee

Compared to Arabica and Robusta, Liberica (Coffea liberica) is the least known — but perhaps the most intriguing. With its unusually large beans and a distinctive flavor profile that’s floral, fruity, and smoky, Liberica offers a coffee experience like no other.

Grown mainly in the Philippines, Malaysia, and parts of Indonesia, Liberica accounts for less than 2% of global coffee production.

In the Philippines, it's often referred to as kapeng barako coffee — a bold, traditional brew deeply embedded in Filipino culture.

Though rare, Liberica is gaining renewed interest among adventurous roasters and coffee lovers looking to experience something truly outside the norm.

What Makes Liberica Unique

• Big, bold beans: Liberica beans are notably larger and more irregular in shape than Arabica or Robusta — often asymmetrical, with a unique appearance.
• Complex, polarizing flavor: Described as woody, floral, fruity, and smoky, Liberica defies typical coffee expectations. Some compare it to jackfruit, dark florals, or even pipe tobacco. It can be divisive — some love it, some don’t — but it's always memorable.

If Arabica is a delicate violin solo, and Robusta is a pounding drumbeat, Liberica is a jazz saxophone — bold, unusual, and improvisational.

Liberica Quick Facts

Excelsa Coffee: The Hidden Variety

Excelsa coffee, once classified as its own species, was reclassified in 2006 as a variety of the Liberica species.

Grown primarily in Southeast Asia, Excelsa remains relatively rare but has started to gain attention from adventurous roasters and coffee drinkers. In a sign of growing interest, the world’s first Excelsa-only coffee shop opened in the U.S. in early 2025 (Perfect Daily Grind, May 2025).

The caffeine content in Excelsa ranges from 0.86 to 1.13g per 100g — lower than both Arabica and Robusta. For comparison:

• Arabica: ~1.2 to 1.5g per 100g
• Robusta (Canephora): ~2.2 to 2.7g per 100g

While still niche, Excelsa — along with its parent species Liberica — offers something bold, wild, and unmistakably different for those curious to explore beyond the familiar Arabica-Robusta divide.

Excelsa Quick Facts

Arabica vs Robusta – How Do They Compare?

While Arabica and Robusta are the two most widely known coffee species, they’re not the whole story. In this section, we compare all three commercially grown coffee species — Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica — including Excelsa, a distinct variety of Liberica, across flavor, caffeine content, growing regions, and more.

A side-by-side look at the four main commercial coffee types, from the popular to the rare:

Note: Caffeine content can vary depending on variety, growing conditions, and processing. The listed range is based on typical averages for each species.

Choosing the Right Coffee Bean for Your Taste

• If you value complex flavors and enjoy exploring different origins and brewing methods, Arabica is your bean.
• If you need a serious caffeine boost or like strong, rich coffee, Robusta delivers.
• If you’re a curious drinker seeking something rare and adventurous, Liberica (or Excelsa) might surprise you.

Unlocking Flavor Starts with the Right Grind

No matter which coffee bean you choose — Arabica, Robusta, Liberica, or Excelsa — the grind can make or break your brew.

The Femobook A68 Electric Coffee Grinder is built for those who value consistency and control. With a sturdy metal body and a smooth, high-precision burr system, it delivers a uniform grind that's perfect for pour-over, cold drip, moka pot, or espresso extraction.

For coffee lovers who want something more compact, the Femobook A2 Battery Powered Coffee Grinder offers everyday reliability in a travel-friendly size. Despite its small form, it’s powerful enough for a range of brew methods — from espresso to French press — and fits seamlessly into any home or travel setup.

Both grinders are designed to help you get the best out of every bean — because great coffee doesn’t start with the machine. It starts with the grind.

Know Your Coffee, Know Your Brew

Behind every cup of coffee is a bean with a story. Whether it's the delicate clarity of Colombian Arabica, the powerful jolt of Vietnamese Robusta, or the mysterious depth of a Liberica brew, understanding your coffee at the bean level gives you a richer appreciation of what you're drinking.

So next time you browse the coffee aisle or sip a new single-origin pour-over, take a moment to ask: what type of bean is this? Your taste buds will thank you.

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Enjoyed this read? Keep exploring:

THE ULTIMATE COFFEE BEAN GUIDE: TYPES, ORIGINS, PROCESSING & CAFFEINE

FROM ETHIOPIA TO COLOMBIA: EXPLORING THE COFFEE BELT'S FINEST ORIGINS

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ARABICA COFFEE VARIETIES: GEISHA, BOURBON & MORE

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References:
Food&Wine: This Coffee Just Set a New World Record, Selling at $10,013 per Kilogram
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: Production-Coffee
Perfect Daily Grind: Robusta’s revival continues: What does it mean for coffee producers?
Perfect Daily Grind: What is Excelsa Coffee?
Perfect Daily Grind: Coffee News Recap 23 May 2025