Coffee is not created with technology or made in factories. It is harvested from hard-working farms all over the world.

That means that coffee is just like any other living thing. It comes from a certain genetic family. You may have seen 100% Arabica Coffee on some packages in the store. Are you curious about what it means?

It just so happens that coffee has two specific genetic families.

• Coffea Arabica
• Coffea Robusta which is also known as Coffea Canephora

Why are there only two genetic families?

The mother of all coffee plants is the genus Coffea. Below are over 120 species of coffee.

Below the species are the many varieties. Are you wondering why there are only two species that are consumed? Not all coffee plants produce great-tasting coffee beans.

Some plants are not hardy enough to produce high-quality beans consistently.

Canephora or Robusta Coffea

Robusta coffee beans produce twenty-five percent of all of the coffee beans produced in a complete year.

They are much easier to grow compared to arabica beans. They have a much lower risk factor for growing and sustaining since they are weather and disease resistant. They are also much cheaper than Arabica beans.

Are you wondering why?

What is the flavor quality?

The Robusta plants produce a lot more cherries, which means that each coffee bean gets very little nutrients needs to create strong flavors.

These coffee beans are very low in acids, oils, and natural sugars. They are very high in caffeine and chlorogenic acid, which leaves the coffee tasting incredibly bitter. The flavor options are pretty non-existent except for the bitterness. You will not find many specialty coffee shops using robusta coffee.

There just isn't enough flavor in the coffee beans.

Where does the coffee grow?

There are quite a few regions that grow robusta coffee beans. Vietnam is still considered to be the number one source of robusta coffee beans, even though they are trying to grow more arabica coffee beans.

You can still find these plants growing in West Africa, East Africa, and the Ivory Coast. It is also grown in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. There are some places in Southern America like Brazil who are still known for growing robusta plants.

It is more common for these regions to grow robusta due to the low altitudes. The plants can thrive at lower altitudes of 600 to 1500 feet.

How much caffeine is in the beans?

There is a lot more caffeine in robusta beans compared to arabica. That is the reason they taste so bitter.

The increased levels of caffeine are great for instant coffee packed with a boost. It can still be hard to enjoy such a bitter-tasting drink. There is around 80 percent more caffeine in each bean compared to the arabica beans.

Arabica Coffea

Arabica coffee plants make up the other 75 percent of the world's coffee beans. These plants are able to be diseased and damaged with harsh climates a lot more than the robusta coffee plants.

They are much more costly to sustain and make grow to harvest. This is why it costs consumers more money to purchase than robusta beans. Once you drink a cup, you will know it was all worth it. Are you wondering why?

What is the flavor quality?

When you first see an arabica coffee plant, you may think the plant is a bit unhealthy. There are many fewer leaves on the plant compared to a robusta plant.

This is what makes the coffee beans so much better. They are packed with flavors due to the incredibly low number of cherries and leaves on the plant.

They will give you fruity, floral, and sweeter tasting coffee than their bitter-tasting cousin. They have 60 percent more sugars inside each bean to assist with the flavor boost.

Where does the coffee grow?

You would think with the requirement of higher ground to survive and thrive that the arabica plants would be limited to one region. You can actually find these coffee plants all over the world.

There are more risks and a higher reward to harvesting these plants.

How much caffeine is in each bean?

Arabica beans are high in caffeine but not too high that they taste bitter. They have a 50 to 70 percent caffeine rate compared to their coffee cousin. You can enjoy great flavors with a high caffeine boost.

You will not have to worry about having the jitters if you want to enjoy another cup.

Both coffees have a place in the world. They both have pros and cons that come with each plant.

It all depends on what kind of coffee drinker you are.

Do you prefer to have sweeter and lighter coffee?

Do you need that extra jolt of caffeine in the morning that a cup of robusta will give you?

No matter what you prefer, these two coffees will take care of the job.