Arabica vs Robusta – What's the Difference?

Arabica is good. Robusta is bad. At least, that's what specialty coffee has spent years teaching people. Unfortunately, coffee isn't quite that simple.

Arabica and Robusta coffee bean - Arabica & Robusta beans — Wikimedia Commons

If you've spent any time looking at coffee bags, menus or coffee websites, you've probably seen the words Arabica and Robusta. But what do they actually mean?Is Arabica better?Is Robusta worse?And why do some coffees contain one, while others contain a blend of both?

Let's have a look.

First things first: they're different species

Arabica and Robusta aren't different varieties of the same coffee plant. They are different coffee species. Arabica is Coffea arabica.Robusta is the common name for Coffea canephora.And although both end up producing the coffee we drink, they have some pretty significant differences.

Arabica – the specialty coffee favourite

Roger Burger on Wikimedia Commons.

Arabica is the species you'll encounter most often in specialty coffee. It originated in Ethiopia and has been cultivated for centuries, first in Yemen and then around the world. Arabica generally prefers higher elevations and cooler temperatures than Robusta. It is also more vulnerable to pests and diseases, which makes growing it more demanding. 

And there is another important difference:Arabica is usually associated with greater potential for complexity in the cup. Think floral. Fruity. Sweet. Bright. Chocolatey. Nutty. Of course, Arabica doesn't automatically taste good.

The variety, growing conditions, harvesting, processing, roasting and brewing all matter.

But when all those things come together, Arabica can produce incredibly complex coffees.

That's one reason it dominates the specialty coffee world.

Robusta – the tough one

Coffea canephora with clusters of fruit still on the plant, rather than simply showing a pile of beans.

Robusta gets its name for a reason. It is generally more robust than Arabica. Coffea canephora is better adapted to warmer conditions and tends to be more resistant to some pests and diseases. It can also produce higher yields. That makes it an important commercial coffee crop. Robusta also contains considerably more caffeine than Arabica. And caffeine isn't just there to wake us up. For the plant, it acts partly as a natural defence mechanism against insects and other threats.

So why does Robusta taste different?

Robusta tends to have a stronger, heavier profile.You may find flavours described as:

Woody

Earthy

Nutty

Dark chocolate

Spicy

It can also have a heavier body and more bitterness than many Arabica coffees. But here's where things get interesting. Good Robusta can actually be very good. Specialty Robusta is becoming increasingly interesting to coffee professionals and producers who are exploring what high-quality Coffea canephora can do.

So the old idea that:

Arabica = good

Robusta = bad

is far too simplistic.

What about caffeine?

Here's one of the easiest differences to remember. Robusta generally contains more caffeine than Arabica. This is one reason Robusta has traditionally been popular in espresso blends. More caffeine also contributes to a more pronounced bitterness. But caffeine isn't the only thing that affects bitterness. Roasting, extraction and the characteristics of the coffee itself all play a role.

And then there's crema...

If you've ever made an espresso, you've probably noticed the golden layer of foam sitting on top. That's crema. Robusta can contribute strongly to crema formation, which is one reason some traditional Italian-style espresso blends contain Robusta. A blend of Arabica and Robusta can give a coffee a combination of aroma and complexity from the Arabica, with additional body, intensity and crema from the Robusta. It's all about what the roaster is trying to achieve.

Does Al-Gharb use Robusta?

Our specialty coffees are predominantly focused on Arabica, including coffees such as our Brazil Mogiana Alta, Rwanda Kirambo and Papua New Guinea offerings.

But that doesn't mean we're against Robusta. Quite the opposite. Our Quimera Blend contains 30% Specialty Robusta.

Coffee is far more interesting when we stop thinking in terms of "good" and "bad" and start thinking about what we're trying to achieve in the cup.

A coffee blend isn't necessarily trying to taste like a single-origin filter coffee. An espresso blend might be designed to deliver body, sweetness, intensity and consistency. Different coffees have different jobs.

A quick comparison

Arabica

• Generally grown at higher elevations

• More sensitive to disease and environmental stress

• Lower caffeine

• Often more complex and aromatic

• Huge range of varieties

• Dominant in specialty coffee

Robusta

• Generally better suited to warmer conditions

• More resistant to some pests and diseases

• Higher caffeine

• Generally heavier and more intense

• Often produces higher yields

• Important in traditional espresso blends

So which one is better?

The answer is:

It depends.

If you're looking for a delicate, floral, fruit-driven filter coffee, a high-quality Arabica might be exactly what you're after. If you're looking for a powerful espresso with lots of body and crema, a blend containing Robusta might be perfect. And if someone tells you that Robusta is automatically bad coffee… Ask them if they've tried a really good one. Because coffee is rarely as simple as black and white. Or Arabica and Robusta.

— Henning Al-Gharb Coffee Roasters, Algarve

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