Coffee Beans Green and Brown

The Arabica type of coffee beans, typically produce higher quality coffees and good Arabica coffee beans will have an even, bright appearance Coffee produced using the Arabica coffee bean is usually considered a superior grade of coffee. The blends that coffee drinkers refer to as gourmet coffee.

Arabica coffee beans contain about half the caffeine of Robusta beans and are more flavorful and aromatic. Much of the worlds coffee producers grow the arabica types of coffee beans, but only a few meet the exacting standards set by the Speciality Coffee Association of America.

Robusta coffee beans are favored more for their robust coffee blends. Robusta coffee is considered a lower grade of coffee, as it is usually grown at lower elevations. It has a more astringent flavor and contains a higher amount of caffeine. Robusta trees are normally easier to grow and simpler to maintain. They are also more resistant to disease and produce a higher yield. The Robusta types of coffee beans are typically used to produce a lower priced coffee blend.

Top Ten Coffee-Producing Countries

Brazil (22.5 million bags) After arriving from French Guiana in the early 18th century, coffee quickly spread and thrived in Brazil. Today Brazil is responsible for about a third of all coffee production, making it by far the heavyweight champion of the coffee-producing world. Though many connoisseurs believe that Brazil's emphasis on quantity takes a toll on quality, many also praise the country's finer varieties. Brazil is the only high-volume producer subject to frost. The devastating 1975 frost, in particular, was a boon to other coffee-growing countries. Two 1994 frosts raised prices worldwide.

Colombia (10.5 million bags)

The North Americans are addressed as the world's largest coffee consumers with Seattle being the spiritual home of coffee. With passage of time, this 'coffee culture' has spread its impact over the rest of the world. Even the countries which hold great coffee traditions to their credit, encompassing Italy, Germany, and Scandinavia, have added new converts to the pleasures of good coffee. As a result, the importance of coffee in the world economy cannot be overstated. Being one of the most valuable primary products in the world trade; its cultivation, processing, trading, transportation and marketing provide employment for millions of people worldwide.

Indonesia (6.7 million bags)

The Dutch unwittingly gave coffee a nickname in the late 17th century, when they began the first successful European coffee plantation on their island colony of Java (now part of Indonesia). Top-grade arabicas are still produced on Java as well as on Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Flores, but the Indonesian archipelago is most notable as the world's largest producer of robusta beans

Vietnam (5.8 million bags)

French missionaries first brought coffee to Vietnam in the mid-1860s, but production remained negligible as late as 1980. In the 1990s, however, Vietnamese coffee production has been ratcheted up at a furious pace. At least one trader worries that the industry is growing too quickly for its own good. "The crop's growing so fast that there's not an equivalent growth in processing, so you're looking at quality problems," he said from Daklak, Vietnam's main coffee-growing region.

Mexico (5 million bags)

The Dutch unwittingly gave coffee a nickname in the late 17th century, when they began the first successful European coffee plantation on their island colony of Java (now part of Indonesia). Top-grade arabicas are still produced on Java as well as on Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Flores, but the Indonesian archipelago is most notable as the world's largest producer of robusta beans

Ethiopia (3.8 million bags)

The natural home of the arabica tree and the setting for most of coffee's origin legends, Ethiopia is Africa's top arabica exporter and leads the continent in domestic consumption. About 12 million Ethiopians make their living from coffee, whose name is said to be a derivation of "Kaffa," the name of an Ethiopian province.

India (3.8 million bags)

According to legend, India is the birthplace of coffee cultivation east of Arabia. Today coffee production is under the strict control of the Indian Coffee Board, which some say reduces economic incentive and thereby lowers quality

Guatemala (3.5 million bags)

German immigrants initiated serious coffee cultivation in Guatemala in the 19th century. Today the country's high-grown beans, particularly those grown on the southern volcanic slopes, are among the world's best.

Côte d'Ivoire (3.3 million bags)

In the mid-1990s Côte d’Ivoire was the number five coffee producer and second largest robusta producer. Why the decline? Some speculate that an emphasis on volume and a lack of investment and planning have lowered quality and per-acre productivity. Today most exports end up as mass-market coffee in Europe, especially France and Italy.

Uganda (3 million bags)

Though Uganda grows precious little arabica, it is a key producer of robusta. That humble, hardy bean accounts for 75 percent of the country's export revenue and provides employment for 80 percent of all rural workers. Efforts to diversify aside, Uganda is likely to remain beholden to the bean for the foreseeable future.