Arabica
Coffea arabica
- Share
- ~56% of the world crop
- Grows
- High: ~1,000–2,000 m
- Caffeine
- ~1.2–1.5% of the bean
- Tastes
- Sweet, fruity, bright
Beans · From the farm
It starts as
a cherry.
A coffee bean is the seed of a red fruit. Its species, where it grew, how the fruit came off and how dark it was roasted decide most of what you taste.
01 · Species
Two species make
nearly all of it.
Robusta
Coffea canephora
- Share
- ~44%; Vietnam grows the most
- Grows
- Low & hot: 0–800 m
- Caffeine
- ~2.2–2.7%, about double
- Tastes
- Bitter, chocolate, nutty; thick crema
Liberica
Coffea liberica
- Share
- Well under 2%
- Grows
- Lowland heat; big, lopsided beans
- Caffeine
- Lower than robusta
- Tastes
- Smoky, woody, jackfruit
Excelsa
Coffea dewevrei
- Share
- Tiny, growing in Uganda & SE Asia
- Grows
- Handles heat and drought
- Status
- Its own species since 2025
- Tastes
- Tart, dark-fruity
02 · Roast
Green to black
in 12 minutes.
Green
Caffeine barely changes with roast. Dark beans lose weight and swell, so a scoop of light roast holds slightly more.
03 · Process
How the fruit
comes off.
Washed
04 · Origin
The coffee belt.
Coffee grows between the tropics. Circles show each country’s forecast crop. Tap one.