Around seventy percent of the worlds coffee production comes from the famous Arabica tree. Gourmet coffee made from the beans of this plant tastes great and holds a premium position in the market. The tree traces its origin to Northeastern Africa. Now grown across the world, Arabica trees can grow to forty feet in the wild. To harvest the beans, the tree is regularly pruned to eight feet. Gourmet coffee beans from this plant are usually harvested from this tree three times a year for 30 years.

Robusta coffee beans come from a hotter and a high humidity climate. Found extensively in West and Central America, Southeast Asia and parts of South America, these beans are regularly used to blend in with the Arabica variety. They contain higher caffeine content, are more disease resistant and produce two to three pounds of beans per year. The yield is twice the amount of the Arabica tree. All of these reasons are why Robusta beans are less expensive than Arabica beans. However, many people nevertheless prefer the more robust flavor of the less expensive coffee beans. To each his or her own.

The temperature at which the beans are roasted contributes to the taste of the coffee. Blending or mixing two varieties of beans is also done to add variety to the flavor. The Europeans are known to prefer a dark variety of beans, while Americans prefer lighter shades. Gourmet beans should be kept in oxygen proof bags away from direct heat sources to retain their freshness.