Types of coffee beans

Different types of coffee beans to discover

While there are literally hundreds of varieties of coffee to delight your taste buds, all the coffee beans that are grown fall into one of four main types:

• Arabica

• Robusta

• Liberica

• Excelsa

Each one has a deliciously unique quality, giving you plenty to taste and explore. Buying quality whole-bean coffee and grinding it yourself just before brewing, guarantees the freshest flavours, oils and aromas. No matter which type of coffee bean you choose, it’s well worth grinding the coffee beans. You’ll quickly fall in love with the whole ritual and sensory experience.

The KitchenAid collection of home espresso machines has grinders built in for ultimate bean-to-cup freshness. Go fully automatic for effortless brewing, or semi automatic to feel more hands-on. Not sure? Try our help me choose tool to see which is best for your lifestyle.

Arabica for smooth sweetness

Arabica is far and away the most popular type of coffee bean. More than half of the world’s coffee production is made by Arabic plants. It may even be the first ever coffee bean to have been consumed, dating back to Ethiopia in about 1,000 BC.

These coffee beans are known for their smooth, soft taste, with hints of chocolate, caramel, nuts, fruit and berries. There are many sub-types of Arabica coffee to try out, but it’s sought after because of its relatively low caffeine content combined with satisfyingly high natural sugars and flavours. 

Many experts say Arabica is best drunk black (or with the smallest splash of milk), using either a drip coffee maker or an espresso machine at home.

Explore the Espresso machine

Robusta for boldness and strength

Robusta is the second most produced coffee out there. This bean originated in sub-Saharan Africa, but can be grown almost anywhere. It's a tough, resilient plant that definitely lives up to its name.

Robusta has a harsher, more bitter flavour, and a higher caffeine content than Arabica. Its unique taste is often described as earthy or oaky.

The sturdy Robusta bean is great for espresso, as it gives a lovely, rich crema that’s thick and flavourful. If you’re a fan of crema, then Robusta is the coffee bean variety for you.

What is crema in coffee?

Liberica for smokiness and spice

Liberica comes in third, but these beans can be expensive and tricky to find outside of western and central Africa and Southeast Asia.

Its beans are an irregular shape and much larger than Arabica or Robusta beans. The taste is smoky, woody and nutty, with hints of berry and spice. On its own, Liberica is best brewed in a filter coffee machine, drunk black, or with sugar. 

If you do get your hands on some of this rare coffee, try blending it with Arabica for an espresso with a distinctive kick. Great base for an extra special latte or cappuccino with frothed milk.

Excelsa for tart fruitiness

Excelsa beans are grown mainly in Southeast Asia and are pretty hard to come by. Although actually part of the Liberica family, Excelsa is very much its own bean. 

The almond-shaped beans produce a tart, fruity taste and complex flavour of both light and dark roast coffee.

You can brew yourself a cup of Excelsa using the drip coffee or pour over method, but a French press works well too. And, like Liberica, it’s great in a blend – adding a mysterious aspect and opening up a huge range of intriguing flavours to experiment with at home.

Discover different types of coffee

illy x KitchenAid are partners in espresso

KitchenAid has teamed up with illy, the beloved Italian coffee company, to create an authentic espresso experience at home. Everything you need is covered: excellent espresso machines and coffee with an Italian DNA. A selection of illy’s Arabica beans are currently available in an Exploration Kit that comes with KitchenAid espresso machines for a limited time. This includes the new Arabica Selection Brasile Cerrado Mineiro, the first coffee sourced entirely including the first ever coffee sourced entirely from regenagri-certified regenerative agriculture. Bring happiness to every sip.

Why grind your coffee in your kitchen?

Each of these coffee bean varieties delivers a distinct taste experience, so it's important to do them justice by grinding them yourself, at home, just before brewing, for maximum freshness. All the amazing flavours and essential compounds are released as soon as soon as the coffee grounds hit water. Grind size determines the way those flavours are extracted while in contact with the water, so it's important to use a quality grinder with precise settings.

The importance of selecting the right grind 

Coffee experts know their grind size, and for good reason. The grind size directly affects the resulting flavour and consistency of the brew. Why? It’s all a matter of science.

A coarser grind lets water flow through more quickly, with less surface area to extract flavours from. This means the water needs to be in contact with the coffee for longer in order to bring the full flavour out in your cup. 

A fine grind is packed tightly and has a larger surface area to work with, so it needs less time in contact with the water or it will become over-extracted, bitter and hollow.

Our Fully automatic coffee machines have burr grinders built in, with 7 different precise grind size settings for different beans and drinks. The Semi-automatic espresso machine with burr grinder gives you even finer tuning options with 15 sizes on the grinder knob, plus micro-adjustment too, to ensure the ultimate flavour from your chosen beans and blends.