When choosing the best coffee beans UK, you will come across two common bean types. Whilst sometimes, they come as a blend, they can also come as single origin coffee beans.

Robusta Coffee Beans

Robusta coffee beans are more round shaped and have a higher caffeine content of up to 3%. Additionally, they contain 5% natural sugars and 8% essential oils which are significantly less than Arabica coffee beans. Whilst Robusta coffee beans grow into a bigger body and thicker crema, they lack the flavor balance that Arabica beans provide.

Robusta coffee beans are not as delicate as Arabica beans when it comes to the growing conditions. Unlike Arabica coffee beans, Robusta beans are not susceptible to diseases thanks to their high caffeine content – allowing them to grow in higher yields at low altitude and hot climates.

 Furthermore, due to their high caffeine content, they are ideal for people who want a quick caffeine hit – using them to make espresso and instant coffee. Additionally, Robusta coffee beans are favored in areas such as Vietnam where it used to make Vietnam style coffee – mixing it with sweetened condensed milk and serving it over ice.

Arabica Coffee Beans

Originating from Ethiopia, this bean has spread all over the world – accounting for 70% of the coffee beans consumed worldwide. Arabica coffee beans feature a more elongated shape. Whilst they contain half as much caffeine, they have a higher sugar and essential oil content of up to 8% and 18%, respectively.

Typically, Arabica beans grow at higher altitude and develop a more flavorful profile than Robusta beans. Due to the sweet flavors of Arabica coffee beans, they are ideal for making black coffee.

Robusta Coffee Beans Pros:

• Contains more caffeine
• Cheaper
• More disease resistant
• Produce a higher yield
• Better for instant coffee

Robusta Coffee Beans Cons:

• Not the highest quality

Arabica Coffee Beans Pros:

• Flavorful
• Higher quality
• More common

Arabica Coffee Beans Cons:

• More expensive

More About the Best Coffee Beans UK

Whilst we have covered the basics, it is a good idea to have more information when choosing the best coffee beans UK.  Below, we’ve shared extra information to help you pinpoint the right coffee beans for you – whether you want strong coffee beans or flavoured coffee beans.

1. Consider the roast – There are three main types of coffee roasts – light, medium, and dark – although, you will also find descriptions such as medium-to-dark roast, etc. Light roasted coffee beans are exposed to heat for less time which makes them light brown in colour. They are normally removed just after the first crack. This allows them to retain their natural flavour – normally smooth and bright. Furthermore, light roasted beans have a higher acidity (not sour or bitter though). Medium roasted beans on the other end are removed just before the second crack. They lose a little bit of their acidity whilst maintaining a balance between their natural flavour and roasty flavour. Compared to light roasts, medium roasts have lower caffeine content. Dark roasted beans get to the second crack. During the prolonged roasting process, they begin to collect oil at the surface – giving them a shiny and dark brown character. They tend to lose their natural flavour and develop that of the roasting – which may sometimes make them taste a little bitter. Furthermore, dark roasted coffee beans tend to lose their acidity – making them perfect for coffee drinkers who love the roasty flavours.
2. Types of coffee drinks – It will take you a long time to list down all the coffee drinks in the world – after all, different cultures have different gastronomical practises. Thus, it would be unfair to only think coffee drinks are limited to the everyday western drink types. However, in this context, we will look at the common western coffee drinks. For black coffee, medium roast Arabica beans are the best. Whilst Robusta is also used, dark roast Arabica beans make a great strong bitter espresso. Furthermore, espresso as we know is used as a base for many other popular drinks. Whether you want to make cappuccino, latte, mocha, or macchiato, Arabica coffee beans or a coffee bean blend of Arabica and Robusta are idea – it all depends on the roasting you want.
3. Black vs. green coffee beans – Whilst this piece has focused on black coffee beans, you must know that there are green coffee beans as well. This may sound strange and almost impossible for some people. However, when we say green – we don’t necessarily mean the beans are sourced elsewhere. The only difference between the two is that whilst black coffee beans go through a roasting process, green beans don’t. Green coffee beans are raw and sourced straight form their trees. Green coffee beans tend to be fresher since they don’t go through a roasting process – allowing them to retain more chemicals and nutrients. Furthermore, since green beans are not roasted, they don’t have the bitter taste and retain their natural aroma. However, what makes them stand out is that they come with numerous benefits. Some of the benefits include aiding in weight loss, regulating blood sugar levels, strengthening and fortifying the immune system to prevent diseases, delaying aging, and increasing energy levels. Plus, coffee from green beans is quite flavourful!
4. Other types – In your search for the best coffee beans UK, you will also come across less common types of coffee such as liberica and excelsa. Liberica beans are rarer and grow in specific climates. They tend t have a fruity ad floral aroma with woody notes. Whilst it is a variation of Liberica, the excelsa coffee beans is still quite unique. It is similarly rare and boasts fruity but tart flavours.  Additionally, you will come across pea berry coffee beans. Whilst they are not entirely different from Arabica and Robusta, they are merely a mutation of these beans. Unlike Robusta and Arabica beans, peaberry coffee beans only have a single bean present in their bean cherry instead of two. Typically, pea berry coffee beans contain between 1% and 1.5% caffeine. Furthermore, peaberry coffee beans tend to be a bit more costly due to their delicate roasting process which gives them more flavour and less acidity.