Am i the only person who prefers Robusta over Arabica?

[Guest]

Am i the only person who prefers Robusta over Arabica?
Of course I drink upwards of 8 cups of coffee a day... maybe ive goner crazy

 

[cindy]

you not gone crazy...i have more than 8 cups before 8 in the morning.

robusta...HMMM...depends, you might like the added caffienne or maybe the acidic taste.

:lol:

 

[lbrault]

Oh yeah Robusta

The advertising cartel of south american coffee producers would have us all believe that only Arabica beans are good. Anybody who has had good Vietnamese Robusta will never go back, although I still enjoy Aribica now and then. It's all good if the time is right. I drink Passiona naturally low-caff coffee in the evening, it's better than decaff and quite good taste even compared to the premium blends.

 

[Alun_evans]

I guess it all depends on the individual. Having drunk my fair share of robusta from Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodi and India...I would have to say Arabica wins hands down

 

[rena]

keep it for 7 years

I know a man who sell coffee, Robusta and Arabica. Before he bake and ground it, the coffee is stored for years. It can be up to 7 years. It's stored to reduce the acidity. Then it'll become a good and healthy coffee. Arabica has more acid than Robusta.

 

[Alun_evans]

There was a very good, and detailed article on acidity in Roast Magazine a while back. Actually talking about perceived acidity in Robusta vs. Arabica is not quite as simple as you would think. Processing methods etc play a part, as do the roast processes. Acidity as such (and I do not have the mag in front of me so I am going from my failing memory here)

The main "acids" in a typical cup are-

Lactic Acid
Acetic Acid
Citric Acid
Malic Acid
Phosphoric
Quinic Acid
Chlorogenic
Palmitic Acid
Linoleic Acid

Perceived "acidity" can be both a good and a bad trait. For instance in espresso too much acidity is not desirable, while in other preperations it is a positive trait. Some of the acid types- Malic for instance- are also found in grapes- wine preperation.

Anyway...I am off track here. Robusta generally has more, not less of these acids tahn arabica. A wet processed Arabica, will have up to twice as much compound acid per dry weight, tahn dry processed arabica from the same collection area. The grind (finer=more), the brewing time (longer=more) and the tempertaure (hotter=more) all play a big factor in acidity in a cup of coffee.

Robusta vs. Arabica- at the end of the day preference will nearly always be in part a cultural one (ie- in Indonesia the last 100 years have been robusta-robusta-robusta for local consumption). But I guess with the big differences in Arabica and Robusta, from a DNA and genetic point of view-means Arabica is always going to have the flavor, aroma, body advantages even over a washed and well prepped Robusta. :grin:

 

[freshroast]

You don't drink a ton of coffee to alot of people standards I usually make myself 2 cups of coffee for the drive to work then another 2 more cups in a thermos I bring then later that morning when the espresso machine is ready I drink a 16oz latte (2 more cups) than later in the day so I am awake on my drive home I drink another 16oz latte (2 more cups of coffee). So that makes about 8 to 10 cups of coffee a day

 

[Alun_evans]

Actually I did not see Rena was from Indonesia...woops! Case in point I guess. In a country there Robusta has been a staple, arabica is often mentioned by first time drinkers as being "weak"...meaning lacking the caffeine ompff that they are used to from Robusta.

 

[rena]

Well, I don't have to be an Indonesian to prefer Robusta in the morning and Arabica in the afternoon I guess it's all depend on taste and when we feel like to drink one. For sure I like the aroma of arabica and indulge the taste of robusta. So far a cup of Robusta is helping me to work in the morning.

 

[Alun_evans]

Indeed Rena. A recent ICO survey of Indonesian Consumers found a whopping 97.5% preferred Robusta...again historical. Anyway it is good to see now that Indonesian consumers are moving towards higher quality Arabicas though. The surge in Cafes in Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya and of course your home town are all partly responsible for maturing the market and moving it towards a more Arabica minded market place. Indeed there is nothing wrong with drinking robusta...its just Arabica is a much more complex. flavoursome and interesting alternative- especially here where we are spoilt rotten for choice :grin: I must make a trip to bandung soon...seems the place is on the verge of a major cafe explosion.

 

[lbrault]

Please define quality

Anyway it is good to see now that Indonesian consumers are moving towards higher quality Arabicas though.

I don't mean to be rude but isn't this a very arrogant statement?

Millions of people prefer Robusta to Arabica and feel that it is a superior coffee, with a far more pervading aroma and better overall oomph than Arabica. For years I searched for the "perfect" coffee, trying Kona and Blue Mountains and all the self-crowned "best coffees", only to find the flavor I was lacking to be elusive until I found Asian coffees, specifically Trung Nguyen blends, which make liberal use of Robustas.

I applaud all those who are willing to "confess" their preference for Robusta flavor despite all this brainwashing we get that only Arabica is "superior".

Coffee is always subjective, and when millions of people disagree with your tastes, I think all you can say is, viva la difference... isn't it wonderful that the whole world doesn't prefer just the cup of coffee I like?

 

[lbrault]

hmmm no edit button

I just wanted to add that since I am an importer I test all types of coffees, anything anybody tells me is great. I have unused quantities of wonderful Arabicas everywhere, but when I get up in the morning I still am likely to choose a nice cup of Culi Robusta ($4.95/pd) brewed in a Vietnamese single-cup filter as the first cup of the day, preferring to drink the Arabicas later in the day. For every good coffee there is a time and a season...

 

[Alun_evans]

I think you need to be a little careful here...there is a fine line between debate and pushing your product (Vietnamese Robusta). From a pure scientifc point of view, there is little denying that there are major differences in dna structure between Robusta and Arabica that relates to differences in the the cup. The differences in the cupping between an arabica and a Robusta (even a high quality, washed Robusta) are so huge that I am not even going to go into this. The robusta growing countries (Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Uganda, Congo) are all huge consumers of Robusta- not because they chose the taste of Robusta over Arabica, but because it they grow good quality arabica- its nearly all exported. It is true that Robusta has more caffeine than Arabica- therefore as a wake-up coffee it maybe does the job. I do get annoyed though- I live in a country reknown for its robusta- have probably cupped over 200 robusta samples- so although from far off- so its not like I am commenting from an armchair in North America or anything.

 

[bean_there_Bunn_that]

I think you both have valid points. In Australia Robusta is not popular. I struggle to even find it in my local supermarket. The local roasters I go to do not sell it either. I just posted a piece earlier about this. I do not think it is some plot by the men who grow arabica to push the men who grow robusta out. My guess is the flavor of the world has changed and now people who drink the coffees like Arabica better? But with this in mind I recently had one week in Bali where I only drank the Bali Robusta. It was different than what I am used to. I am not saying I would drink it everyday but maybe the holiday atmosphere made it seem special. SO being a peace maker and a coffee lover I think right- :-D -right.

 

[equus007]

Robustotussin

This argument almost always boils down to what you want out of your coffee. If all you are looking for is a kick in the pants first thing in the morning hit the robusto or better yet just go get some red bull and crank the hell out of your nervous system for three hours. While many will probably disagree with me I think the main difference taste wise is in the variety of flavors attainable with arabica v. robusto. Arabica is just much more versatile and provides a greater range whereas w/robusto you are either tempted to burn the tar out of it or to blend it with arabica beans to "bring out the flavor"(personaly I think you are simply adding flavor to a less flavorful brew).