The complete list of all types of coffee

The fact is that there are many types of coffee drinks that are just waiting to be enjoyed by us - the
loyal coffee drinkers. Let's take a look at the different types of coffee that exist.

Main varieties ː

There are many different kinds of coffee. However, most of the beans produced and consumed
can be divided into two main varieties:

Arabica
Robusta

Arabica beans account for the majority of coffee produced and sold in the world today. Robusta
beans, on the other hand, are much stronger and bitterer beans that are produced and used in
many types of espressos and for those who prefer a very strong coffee.
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Complete list of all types of coffee
Black coffee - Coffee served directly from the decanter after brewing without adding anything to
alter the flavour.
Coffee with sugar and/or milk - Coffee is brewed like black coffee but at the end of the brewing
cycle, cream or milk and sugar or artificial sweetener is added to modify the flavour.
Filtered or Drained Coffee - A brewing method where the coffee is placed in a paper filter and hot
water is poured over the coffee, allowing it to flow into the decanter.
French Press Coffee - Coffee prepared with a plunger coffee maker that uses a piston to press
the coffee to separate the finished beverage from the coffee grounds.
Pearl Coffee - A brewing method in which hot water is passed through the coffee grounds by
gravity to achieve the desired strength.
Turkish Coffee - A traditional coffee drink served in the Middle East, fine ground coffee is
immersed in water, allowing maximum foam formation.
Cold brewed coffee - A brewing method that does not use hot water. Instead, cold water and a
longer period of time are used to create the cold coffee beverage.
Iced Coffee - Slightly different from cold brewed coffee, iced coffee is prepared using a hot
brewing method and then cooled before serving.
Vacuum coffee - A brewing method using two chambers where steam pressure and vacuum
produce the cup of coffee.
Espresso - A very popular brewing method using ground coffee. A small amount of water is added
creating a special taste and strength to the coffee.
Caffe Americano - An espresso-based beverage where hot water is added to the espresso,
creating a coffee of similar strength but with a different taste than regular drip coffee.
Cafe Cubano - Native to Cuba, this coffee drink is an espresso with Demerara sugar added.
Caffe Creama - A long espresso drink served mainly in Switzerland, Austria and northern Italy
from the 1980s onwards.
Cafe Zorro - A double dose of espresso added to water in a 1:1 ratio.
Doppio - A double portion of espresso served in a Demitasse cup.
Espresso Romano - An espresso served with a slice of lemon on the side.
Guillermo - A hot espresso poured over lime slices, sometimes served over ice.
Ristretto - An espresso made with the same amount of coffee but half the amount of water.
Lungo - The opposite of Ristretto, this drink is made with more water.
Cappuccino - An espresso made with hot milk and steamed milk foam.
Latte - Espresso made with steamed milk in a ratio of 1:3 to 1:5 with a little foam.
Flat White - An espresso similar to a café au lait with textured milk.
Macchiato - An espresso made with a small amount of frothed milk, similar to a cappuccino only
stronger.
Breve - An espresso served with half milk and half cream.
Antoccino - A single serving of espresso served with steamed milk in a 1:1 ratio.
Cafe Bombon - Popularized in Spain, this drink is an espresso made from sweetened condensed
milk.
Caffee Gommosa - An espresso poured over a single marshmallow.
Cortado - An espresso cut with a small amount of hot milk to reduce acidity.
Espressino - A drink made from espresso, steamed milk and cocoa powder.
Galao - Originally from Portugal, this drink is an espresso mixed with frothed milk and served in a
tall glass.

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Café au lait - A strong coffee made with boiled milk in a 1:1 ratio.
Ca phe sua da - A coffee drink native to Vietnam that literally means "iced latte". It is prepared by
mixing black coffee with a quarter of sweetened condensed milk and poured over ice.
Egg coffee - A Vietnamese drink made from egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk and Robusta
coffee.
Eiskaffee - A German drink made from iced coffee and vanilla ice cream.
Kopi susu - Coffee made from sweetened condensed milk that is allowed to cool so that the
coffee grounds sink to the bottom of the glass.
Vienna Coffee - Coffee or espresso made with whipped cream and milk added on certain
occasions.
Espresso con panna - Coffee with whipped cream.
Black Tie - A double espresso combined with traditional Thai iced coffee and sweetened
condensed milk.
Chai Latte - An espresso blended with spicy tea and steamed milk.
Café Liqueur - Coffee brewed with 25 ml of liqueur. Sometimes served with cream.
Irish Coffee - Coffee combined with whisky and cream and sometimes sweetened with sugar.
Caffè Moka - Similar to a café au lait but syrup is added.
Mocha - Coffee brewed in an Italian coffee maker, which passes water through the coffee using
pressurized steam.

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What are the differences between Arabica and Robusta coffees?
Coffee trees are tropical shrubs of the genus Coffea, of the Rubiaceae family. The species Coffea arabica and
Coffea canephora are those whose fruits are used to prepare coffee.

What is Arabica?
Arabica (Coffea arabica), the oldest known species of coffee, is cultivated on mountain plateaus or volcano
slopes, at maximum altitudes of 1,000 to 2,000 m, where annual rainfall reaches 1,500 to 2,000 mm, and where
the mildness of the day alternates with the cold of the night in an average temperature range between 15 °C and
24 °C.

Arabica coffee trees flower after each rainy season, after which the fruit takes about nine months to ripen. In one
year, a typical Arabica coffee tree usually produces less than 5 kg of fruit, yielding barely 1 kg of beans.

Most of the world's Arabica crops are "washed," or treated with water. The beans, which are generally larger,
longer and flatter than those of Robusta, and less rich in caffeine, have a delicate tangy aroma.
Arabica accounts for about 70 percent of the world's coffee, but because it is more susceptible to disease, pests
and frost, it is difficult to grow and, in fact, more expensive.

What's Robusta?
The Robusta species (Coffea canephora) is very different from the Arabica. It is also strong in taste and is
resistant to disease and insects. However, strength does not make the best coffee, and its taste is less prized than
that of Arabica.
As a result, Robusta accounts for only 30% of world coffee production, despite a lower price. Commercially,
Robusta is used in blends, where its strong character is appreciated, and in soluble or instant coffee, where
processing reduces its strong taste.
In addition, Robusta coffee trees are easier to grow. They are currently cultivated throughout the tropics, but the
vast majority come from West and Central Africa, South-East Asia and Brazil, where they grow at altitudes of 0
to 700 m.

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Robusta can withstand heavy rainfall of 3000 mm or more, but the trees should never stagnate in the water. On
the other hand, Robusta's shallow roots allow it to grow where rainfall is unpredictable or even scarce.
Similarly, it survives very high equatorial temperatures, although it prefers to grow between 24°C and 30°C.
Robusta coffee trees flower rather irregularly, and take 10 to 11 months to produce ripe fruit. The cherries are
generally picked by hand, except in Brazil where the flat relief and wide open spaces lend themselves to
mechanical harvesting.
Robusta is mainly processed by the "dry method", and its berries are small and rounded. They can also be
distinguished by small dots on either side of the bean's furrow.

What are the differences between Arabica and Robusta coffees?

There are a number of notable differences between the two species of coffee:

1.Robusta was "discovered" about 100 years after Arabica.

2.Robusta is grown mainly in the Eastern Hemisphere, while Arabica is mainly grown in South
America.
3.Arabica is grown at maximum altitudes of 1000 to 2000 m, while Robusta grows at altitudes of 0
to 700 m.
4.Robusta survives very high temperatures, although it prefers to grow between 24 °C and 30 °C.
Arabica is more fragile and prefers temperatures between 15 °C and 24 °C.
5.Robusta produces more coffee per hectare than Arabica.
6.Robusta is stronger, ripens faster and produces more coffee than Arabica. These factors explain
why Robusta is sold at a lower price than Arabica.
7.Robusta beans are generally smaller, thicker and rounder than Arabica beans.
8.The leaves of the Robusta coffee tree are larger than those of the Arabica.

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9.Robusta flowers should be pollinated with pollen from a plant with a different genetic make-up.
Arabica is self-pollinating.
10.Robusta has 22 chromosomes and Arabica has 44.
11.Robusta contains 2.7% caffeine compared to 1.5% for Arabica, almost double the amount.
12.Robusta has a more bitter taste than Arabica. This bitter taste is partly due to the higher
caffeine content.
13.Robusta is rich in chlorogenic acid which also has a bitter taste. It contains about 7 to 10%
chlorogenic acid while Arabica contains between 5.5 and 8%.
14.Arabica has a sugar content about twice that of Robusta.
15.Due to its higher caffeine and chlorogenic acid content, Robusta is also more resistant to pests
and diseases than Arabica.

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What are the best coffees in the world?
The coffee we consume comes from two plants of the Coffea genus: Coffea arabica and Coffea
robusta. In each of these two species there are many varieties, each with its own taste qualities.
As a general rule, arabica reveals a sweet, suave, fragrant, fruity, often acidic flavour. Conversely,
Robusta is full-bodied, tonic, with a less pronounced aroma but stronger in caffeine.
This article reviews the world's best coffees by country of origin.

Africa
Ethiopia
Among the very great vintages of African coffee are the "Moka" from Ethiopia and in particular its "Sidamo"
variety, but also the "Yirgacheffe", "Djimmah" and "Harrar" grown in small terraced plantations in the south
of the country.

Kenya
Also in East Africa, "Kenya AA" is also very popular. Kenyan coffee is known for its biting, fruity, even
lemon or citrusy taste, due to its high acidity, as well as for the very uniform appearance of its beans (small,
round and of an intense blue-green colour).

Democratic Republic of Congo

In Central Africa, the province of Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, produces "Kivu" Arabicas,
which describe themselves as fine, perfectly balanced coffees with body and acidity.

Reunion Island
Finally, let's not forget the coffee of Reunion Island, the "Bourbon pointu". It is a typical coffee that is
naturally low in caffeine, with a moderate body and a delicate flavour that reveals aromas of red and exotic
fruits and flowers. The Bourbon Island, as the French colony was called, gave its name to the oldest and best
variety of Arabica.

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 America
Jamaica
Coming from the American continent, we can mention the very great vintage "Blue Mountain" from
Jamaica, very expensive and as much adored as decried. It is a coffee produced in small quantities; it cannot
be prepared as an espresso.

Panama
The "Geisha" from Panama, produced in very small quantities, reveals fruity notes with aromas of jasmine,
mango, apricot and banana.

Colombia
The Central Cordillera is the most productive region from a quantitative and qualitative point of view: it
includes the famous "Medellin", one of the most balanced coffees in Colombia, combining density of body
with average acidity and taste.
The other great name of this region is the Libano which, in its "Supremo" form, is a real pleasure for the
eyes, its large beans roasting very evenly. It is a coffee with a sweet and slightly acidic taste.
"Popayan" and "San Agustín" are renowned coffees from the southern part of the Central Cordillera, as is the
coffee from the Nariño region. The "Nariño", complex and elegant thanks to its amber roasting, reveals a
fruity acidity, natural notes and a nutty aftertaste.

Brazil
In Brazil, the vast state of Minas Gerais produces the excellent "Sul de Minas" while the region of Santos
exports top quality "Bourbon Santos".

Mexico
The "Maragogypes" of Mexico are characterized by their beans that are twice the size of normal, fragrant and
balanced beans. Among them are "Chiapas", "Huatusco", "Orizaba" and "Oaxaca Pluma". The "Veracruz" is
distinguished by its sweet, cocoa and toasted aromas.

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Guatemala
In Guatemala, "Antigua" is tangy and full-bodied with a hint of chocolate, while "Huehuetenango", grown on
small farms, is increasingly recognized for its acidity and unique flavors.

Costa Rica
The "Tarrazu" of Costa Rica, with large, bluish-green beans, is characterized by a powerful and very fragrant
taste.

Nicaragua
The "Matagalpa" and "Jinotega" from Nicaragua are famous for their large beans, their slightly salty acidity,
their fairly pronounced body and their good aroma.

Asia-Oceania
India
On the Asia-Oceania side, the "Malabar" of India is exposed for several weeks to the monsoon
which gives it a nice yellow colour and a slightly peppery taste.

New Guinea
The "Sigri" from New Guinea is a powerful coffee of superior quality.

Hawaii
The relatively unknown "Hawaii Kona" is often compared to Jamaica's "Blue Mountain". Some
experts detect a spicy, cinnamon-like flavour in "Kona" that is not found in Jamaican coffee.

Indonesia
In Indonesia, one of the greatest coffee vintages is the "Kintamani" from Bali with notes of honey,
gingerbread and lemon juice.
In Sumatra, the "Mandheling", with its rich, deep taste and velvety, low-acid coffee, deserves the
title of "the thickest coffee in the world", according to many connoisseurs.
In Sulawesi, the unwashed "Toraja" coffees from the region of the same name are the top of the
range of Indonesian vintages. They have the dense body and mellow texture of Indonesian
coffees, as well as an earthy and mushroomy taste, which is very slightly fruity due to their acidity.

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Other more specific varieties exist such as "Kopi Luwak". It is one of the best coffees in the world,
among the most sought-after. This coffee is mainly produced in the Indonesian archipelago,
Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi, the Philippines and East Timor. It is produced in very small
quantities.
"Kopi" is the name of the coffee in Indonesian and "Luwak" is the name given to the civet, a wild
animal that ingests the coffee berries that pass through its digestive tract, digesting the cherry and
inducing chemical transformations in the bean that remove any bitterness.
This very rare coffee has a lot of body, a great richness of flavours, a very low acidity and a great
sweetness with hints of chocolate and caramel. One kilogram can be traded for over $1,000 US
dollars.

Thailand
In Thailand, another equally expensive coffee based on the same principle is the "Black Ivory". It is
an Arabica whose cherries are eaten by elephants and pass through their digestive tract.
As in the previous case, digestive enzymes infiltrate the beans and break down the proteins into
amino acids which play a decisive role in the organoleptic properties of the coffee since they help
to develop its bitterness. Neutralizing them makes it possible to produce a beverage with a very
smooth taste.
In addition, the size of an elephant's stomach makes it a "little cooker". The food stays there
between 15 and 30 hours and the coffee cherries ferment naturally with aromatic compounds such
as bananas or sugar cane which will give an inimitable and incomparable taste to the final
beverage. This coffee is as rare and expensive as "Kopi Luwak". It has a floral and chocolaty taste,
very smooth.
In addition, the "Black Ivory" is produced within a foundation that is committed to the conservation
and safeguarding of elephants. Thus, a small part of the sales helps finance a veterinarian
specialized in elephants who provides free care and allows to buy medicines for all the elephants
in Thailand.

The final word

It is common to think that the best arabica vintages come from the Caribbean (in particular the
legendary "Blue Mountain" from Jamaica).
But there are also some very good ones in Central America (Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica) as
well as in East Africa (Kenya and especially Ethiopia), the cradle of coffee where the famous Moka
grows.
So many different flavours to discover...

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