Arabica and Robusta

Two species, two cups. Neither one is a moral position.

Arabica and Robusta are different species of coffee. They don’t taste like versions of each other, and treating one as the “real” coffee is how a lot of bad labelling starts.

What actually changes in the cup

• Arabica tends to be more aromatic, lighter in body, and easier to drink black.
• Robusta tends to be heavier, more bitter, and higher in caffeine.
• Robusta holds up better once you add milk. Arabica is easier to lose in it.

Neither fact makes one of them better. It makes them different. A bag should say which one you’re buying — or, if it’s both, in what proportion.

Different beans make different cups.