Agriculture: Plant, Harvesting, Processing, Fertilization, and Diseases. (#)

„Arabica coffee is grown at altitudes over 2,000 (usually 4,000-6,000) feet above sea level and is typically harvested by hand when the cherries are perfectly ripe.  Robusta has continued its share in the market due to its disease resistance and ability to grow below 2,000 feet.  Robusta beans are inferior to Arabica beans in flavor, and they are often used in inexpensive instant coffee blends.  Robusta coffee has almost twice the caffeine of Arabica coffee.  Italians often will use a very small amount of Robusta coffee to increase crema and to tone down the acidity of the Arabica coffees.“
http://www.coffeeresearch.org/agriculture/ main.htm - Cached

BBC News | BUSINESS | Quality focus boosts coffee growers (#)

„Something special A three year pilot for the Cafe Mojsa project has given a clear indication that coffee from the Bolivian Yungas region has the potential to please the palate, and conscience, of the world's more discerning consumers. Arabica coffee beans gain better prices A combination of altitude, soil and a well-timed rainy season mean the high quality Arabica coffee beans grown in the Yungas are unusually large and have a greater concentration of sugars. They are also organically produced without the use of fertilisers and every bean is handpicked. "We are starting to produce excellent coffee," said Julian Toro, technical adviser on the pilot project in Calama.“
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1937731.stm - Cached

The Coffee Review - the world's leading coffee buying guide (#)

„The amount of caffeine in coffee depends on a number of factors including botanical variety, origin, and a couple controllable factors such as degree of roast, type of grind, and brewing method. For example, arabica beans, the primary variety used in specialty coffees, contain approximately half the caffeine of robusta beans, which are more common in grocery store canned coffees. Other things being equal, darker roasted coffees have lower levels of caffeine. Finer grinders and slower brewing methods tend to lead to greater extraction, which results in higher caffeine content as well.“
http://www.coffeereview.com/article.cfm?id=20 - Cached

Arabica, The Coffee Lover's Choice (INeedCoffee.com) (#)

„Those within the industry would, if asked, never dispute the fact that beans from the Arabica plant make for a better cup of coffee. Simple industry statistics show that 80% of all commercially produced coffees are created from arabica beans alone. That sounds pretty good, but then did you know that only 10% of those beans are good enough for specialty coffees? That means that 90% of arabica beans are not considered good enough for specialty coffee.“
http://www.ineedcoffee.com/01/02/arabica/ - Cached

BBC NEWS | Business | East African coffee growers fight back (#)

„Coffee prices reached their lowest level for almost 40 years at the start of 2002. Kenya produces some of the world's top grade Arabica coffee beans but quality and output have fallen because the poor prices have persuaded farmers to turn to other crops. "If the quality of the coffee produced in the regions improves, then farmers will get better prices," Mr Kawuma said. The EAFCA hopes it can improve coffee growing practices which have deteriorated as earnings have fallen.“
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2225803.stm - Cached

CoffeeGeek - Bean There - Pt 4: Roasting & Blending Espresso (#)

„In general, most washed arabica coffee beans have a clean bright taste while dry processed ‘natural' coffees are valued for their sweetness and body. Coffee made from only washed beans might be delicious for vac pot or press coffees but the same blend concentrated to a one ounce espresso might come across as sour or acidic. A single variety natural coffee might produce an espresso on the other end of the spectrum, rather heavy and lifeless.“
http://www.coffeegeek.com/opinions/terrym/ 05-26-2002 - Cached

What Is Coffee? - National Coffee Association (#)

„It also has the advantage of being able to withstand warmer climates, preferring constant temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees, which enables it to grow at far lower altitudes than arabica.  It requires about 60 inches of rainfall a year and cannot withstand a frost. Compared with arabica, robusta beans produce a coffee which has a distinctive taste and about 50-60% more caffeine.  Robusta is primarily used in blends and for instant coffees.“
http://www.ncausa.org/public/pages/ index.cfm?pageid=67 - Cached

CoffeeGeek - Regional: Central and South America, Colombian coffee (#)

„ espresso really the fineness of the grind rather than a variety. If you wish to make espresso from Colombian coffee, just select a good grade (100% arabica beans or a blend with predominately arabica beans), and choose a roast type. I happen to prefer medium roast for my espresso but many folks like darker roasts for espresso. A good local roaster can probably help you with this (selecting a roast type).“
http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/worldregional/centralsouth/ 1705 - Cached

Arabica vs Robusta: No Contest (INeedCoffee.com) (#)

„In fairness, although most robusta coffee is of a lower grade and inferior to Arabica, there is a premium crop that is the top of the line for robusta beans. Premium robusta is primarily used in specialty espresso blends, and is never found in canned coffee. Though it only constitutes 5-15% of the blend, it is used because these beans add body to the taste and make a nice creama in the shot of espresso.“
http://www.ineedcoffee.com/02/06/arabica/ - Cached

India Coffee- Indian Coffee, monthly magazine-Cover Story (#)

„The Nilgiris are also home for some of the best-grown 'Kents' arabica. The high peaks, mild climate and hanging mists ensure slow ripening of coffee beans which are bold and bluish green, truly representing high grown arabicas. In the cup the Nilgiri coffees exhibit full body, sharp acidity, striking aroma with mild flavour.“
http://www.indiacoffee.org/newsletter/10/ coverstory.html - Cached

Coffee Buying (#)

„3.  Washed Arabica coffees should be even and bright.  The beans should not have an uneven or dull color.  If they do, it is likely have been dried or processed incorrectly.  If the green beans look faded, the cup quality will be faded.“
http://www.coffeeresearch.org/coffee/buying.htm - Cached

Amazon.com: Gourmet Food: Colombian Supremo (#)

„Colombia is the largest grower of the richer, more flavorful Arabica coffee beans. After tasting coffee from hundreds of regions in Colombia, we selected the region of Bucamaranga for its consistent, excellent cup qualities. Great coffee comes from great coffee beans.“
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/ b0000dgj61?v=glance - Cached

Peet's Coffee & Tea (#)

„Peet's coffees are made purely of arabica beans. There is a wide range of quality among arabicas due to differences in altitude, soil, weather, and processing. The finest arabicas are grown at elevations of 4,000 to 6,000 feet in rich volcanic soil and harvested with selective picking practices.“
http://www.peets.com/.../ coffee_growing.asp?sid=a6842ce81c445f14b5ac67faec34539d - Cached

CO-2 Decaffeination Method for Coffee (#)

„CAFFEINE is a small, bitter-tasting alkaloid. High-quality Arabica coffee beans (the source of most specialty coffees) are typically 1 percent caffeine by weight, whereas cheaper and more bitter Robusta beans have twice that amount.“
http://www.sweetmarias.com/ decaf.co-2method.html - Cached

Café Forum | Indonesian Coffee Companies (#)

„Sulawesi-Toraja Arabica Coffee Beans - Komplek Bahan Bangunan Blok F4 No.12A, Jl. Mangga Dua Raya, Jakarta Pusat, DKI 10730 - Tel: 62-21-6019120 - Fax: 62-21-6120375, 6009766, 6010972 - Email: info@LestariGroup.virtualave.net - Url: LestariGroup.virtualave.net/welcome.htm “
http://www.lucidcafe.com/cafebystate/ inaforum.html - Cached

illy caffè North America (#)

„illy uses only the finest Arabica beans available, and Arabica coffee is naturally lower in caffeine than the cheaper and lower quality Robusta variety. An average 1 oz. illy espresso will contain approximately 60 milligrams of caffeine.“
http://www.illyusa.com/faqs/coffee.htm - Cached

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee (#)

„Beans were brought to the island in 1728 by the governor at that time, Sir Nicholas Lawes. The arabica beans flourished and now coffee is a major export. Japan is the largest importer of Blue Mountain coffee (90%).“
http://coffeetea.about.com/library/weekly/ aa020403bluemount.htm - Cached