Arabica

Arabica coffee beans are considered by some coffee lovers to make milder, less bitter coffee. They are generally more costly to source because the plants they grow on are not as hardy as the Robusta coffee bean plant and it is trickier to transport the coffee from the farmer down the mountainside to the ports.

Arabica best grows in mountainous climates while Robusta grows in more varied climates. The Arabica coffee plant is more vulnerable to pests and needs low pH soil, light shade, evenly distributed rain and a temperature of around 20 C (68 F) to thrive. 

Arabica was first grown in the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia, southeastern Sudan, Yemen and Kenya, hence the name Arabica – meaning “from Arabia”.  It is now grown in many regions of the tropics including Indonesia, Brazil and Colombia.

So next time you see that a coffee contains Arabica beans, you’ll know that you hold a precious commodity in your hands.

When you talk about gourmet coffee, you are almost always talking about coffee sourced from high quality Arabica beans.

Specialty coffees are usually blends of Arabica beans chosen for certain characteristics such as aroma and level of acidity. And there are also very well known specialty Arabica coffees such as Kona and Colombian Supremo that use all the same beans.

Of course, not all coffee beans of the Arabica species meet the standards set for gourmet coffee by coffee associations around the world. Therefore, if you are looking for the perfect cup of coffee, it makes sense to find out where the beans in your blend come from.

Many of our brands contain Arabica beans in the blend. Here are just a few examples-

NESCAFÉ GOLD BLEND®  is a distinctive blend of Arabica and Robusta beans

NESCAFÉ CAP COLOMBIE®  is made exclusively from Colombian Arabica beans, chosen for their aromatic tones and light roasted undertones that retain their aroma while delivering a smooth flavour.

NESCAFÉ ALTA RICA®  is a special blend of exclusive Latin American Arabica beans chosen for their full and dark roasted bold flavours.

NESCAFÉ ESPRESSO®  is made from a blend of Arabica beans, fully roasted for a dark and intense flavour to bring you the authentic Italian espresso experience with fine crema.

We're committed to sourcing all our coffee beans responsibly, so you can be assured that every cup of NESCAFÉ coffee is a quality product produced with respect to society and the environment.

Find out more about NESCAFÉ’s responsible farming initiatives.