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Buy Coffee Beans - Why The Type Of Coffee Beans Matter

By Christine Pinkston
Jun 6, 2009
People who are not familiar with whole coffee beans and coffee often ask what so special about coffee beans in the first place when jar of regular coffee can be easily purchased and is much more convenient. That would be absolutely true if you're all about convenience. But good taste is a whole other matter.

What many people don't know is that there are more than twenty different kinds of coffee beans all with differing tastes and flavors. However, coffee beans can divided into two main types. Avid coffee drinkers might already be familiar with the many different kinds of coffee beans that can be purchased.

Coffea Arabica is one of the most widely consumed kind of coffee beans in the world. Arabica is also available in many types of flavors. It is known for its fine taste and smooth texture and refreshing smell which can make many people's day. However it is very expensive due to the growing conditions needed to cultivate this kind of coffee.

In order to grow these plants they have to be at least 3000 feet above the sea level and the temperature cannot go higher then the low 70's Fahrenheit. If these conditions are not meet the Coffea Aribica plant cannot thrive.

The less popular type of coffee beans make up around thirty-forty percent of the world's coffee consumption. Scientists call this type of coffee 'Coffea Canephora' and is commonly called Robusta. This type of coffee bean is considered inferior quality as compared to the much loved coffea Arabica and is hardly sold separately. This type of coffee bean can be grown at temperatures of around 85 degrees Fahrenheit and almost anywhere. However this type of coffee bean is a bit bitter and most people don't like the bitter taste associated with this type of bean.

Coffea canephora are often used as fillers for coffea Arabica beans, which because Arabica is expensive, are often mixed with these lesser quality coffee beans. So most of the time when you buy coffee beans it's coffea Arabica mixed with Robusta in order to bring it within the reach of common people.

Whether you prefer Arabica based coffees or go for the Robusta varieties, the freshest and best tasting cup of coffee will always be made from freshly ground coffee beans. You can certainly buy a large can of supermarket coffee that is already ground up, or you may actually buy coffee beans from the same supermarket and grind it right there using their coffee grinder. But within a week or so, your ground-up coffee beans are going start tasting stale.

Instead of buying that big jar of coffee, consider your coffee drinking habits and preferences. You may want instead to buy coffee beans in smaller quantities and grind as much as you need for each potful. Most coffee grinders are reasonably priced and can, along with fresh coffee beans be indispensable when it comes to making that quality cup of freshly brewed coffee.
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