There are arabica beans and robusta beans. The more delicate tasting arabica varietals have pickier growing conditions, producing a more expensive bean. Robusta beans come from hardier plants that are less expensive and offer a higher product yield. Unfortunately the flavor of robusta beans has been likened to burnt tires. There is a scale of quality within each type of bean. Specialty coffee houses use grade 1 arabica versus generic grocery store coffee at a grade 4 robusta. |
