Choosing Coffee

Choosing Coffee

How to choose different types of coffee that you see in the shops?

The best coffee are made purely from beans of the Arabica strain, or contain a high proportion of them. The shrubs that produce Arabica beans are slow to grow and mature, producing a fine flavor. Some coffee blends, particularly espresso blends and some instant coffees, are made with a high proportion of Robusta  beans. These have a bold, coarse flavor, a very high proportion of caffeine and are much cheaper to produce.

The quality of a particular coffee is assessed by its body, acidity and aroma, each of which will have been affected by the degree of roasting the bean has undergone.

If you enjoy mellow coffee, try Colombian, which is sweet and smooth, or New Guinea, which has a light body. Mild coffees include local Australian and Costa Rican, with a sweet and tangy acidity, and Brazilian, which is described as elegant. Kenya coffee has high acidity and a full flavor, while Java is rich, heavy and spicy. Jamaican Blue Mountain has a flavor that is rich, sweet and mellow.

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