Coffee Beans – The Arabica and Robusta Species
Coffee beans grown for sale are picked from two primary species, namely Arabica and Robusta. Arabica coffee beans are considered superior and are used primarily in brewing gourmet coffees - espressos, cappuccinos and the like. Robusta beans are found primarily in lower grade, every day store bought coffees.
Arabica coffee beans are hand-picked (much like grapes are for fine wine) just as they become fully ripened - they're not allowed to fall on the ground and spoil like robusto beans. Arabica beans are then dried, sorted and graded according to color, size, and uniformity. It is believed that Arabica beans were the first type of coffee beans ever cultivated, and they have been consumed for more than a millennium in some parts of Africa.
Arabica coffee beans are grown at high altitudes (4000 to 6000 feet above sea level) in areas where the combination of abundant rain, warm temperatures, fertile soil and adequate shade develop superior coffee flavor. As mentioned, these beans are picked by hand at the peak of ripeness, carefully processed using the wet or dry method (depending on their country of origin), then meticulously graded and separated by bean size and density.
While Arabica coffee beans are more difficult to grow and harvest than other coffee beans such as Robusta, it is generally acknowledged that their superior flavor justifies the effort. Simply stated, Arabica coffee beans are considered a higher quality and better tasting bean than the other commercially grown coffee beans (robusta). Arabica coffee beans are grown all over the world, from Latin America to parts of Africa and Asia where the best environments offer light shade and higher altitudes.
Arabica coffee beans are a staple of gourmet coffees for making espresso and cappuccino. You can click on that link to browse through a huge selection of espresso machines.
Shopping for an Espresso Machine? Here's a selection at affordable prices:
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De'Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker List Price: $140.00 Sale Price: $69.00 Used From: $68.99  |
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Enjoy delicious espresso made your way with De'Longhi's pump espresso and cappuccino maker. You can choose to brew ground espresso or E.S.E pods with the unique patented dual filter holder. The choice is yours, making your espresso truly made to order... |
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Mr. Coffee ECM160 4-Cup Steam Espresso Machine, Black List Price: $49.99 Sale Price: $34.89 Used From: $29.99 |
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Makes delicious espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes. Powerful milk frother. 4-Cup capacity: 20-ounce. Per shot. Removable drip tray. Easy to pour decanter. Removable frothing aid. On/off indicator light. |
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Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Tablets, 100 Tablets List Price: $18.13 Sale Price: $12.69 |
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Cafiza espresso machine cleaning tablets, 100 1.2g tablets per jar |
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Capresso 303.01 4-Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Machine List Price: $59.99 Sale Price: $59.19 Used From: $47.64 |
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Experience the full taste of espressos, cappuccinos and lattes. The Capresso 4-Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Machine features an exclusive Coffee/Steam Selector that makes it easy to control both brewing and steaming, allowing the user to adjust coffee strength to their personal taste... |
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Espresso Tamper 50 & 60 Mm Sizes Cast Alloy Hand Coffee List Price: $7.99 Sale Price: $5.00 |
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Description: This sleek cast aluminum alloy Coffee Tamper fits beautifully in the hand. This was designed by a professional barista to tamp down espresso. You will love it in your kitchen or coffee bar and it also makes an ideal gift for the discerning coffee drinker!! One side is 50mm the other is 58mm Color: aluminum Content: cast aluminum alloy Measurements: 50mm top diameter and 58 mm diameter on the other side, and 2... |
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Tags: arabica coffee bean, cappuccino, coffee, coffee beans, expresso, robusta coffee bean
April 05 2008 11:28 am | beans