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If you're an average American, you buy your coffee in a supermarket and choose the level of brew, mild to dark brew, of your favorite brand of coffee. You brew it in a drip coffee maker and you thoroughly enjoy that first cup in the morning.

Perhaps you're a person who stops for a specialty coffee on the way to work. You may prefer an expresso, cappuccino or a Latte. It's a matter of taste and preference. Whatever your choice, it's true that coffee is enjoyed the world over.

If you want to buy the best coffee, however, you will want to know about the two basic coffee beans. The robusto bean is the bean used in most supermarket, pre-ground and canned coffee. The arabica bean is more expensive and is grown in higher altitudes within certain temperature ranges.

Arabica beans grow slower and are harvested 4 to 5 years after planting. They offer a more complex flavor, perhaps because they're grown at a higher altitude. They're grown all over the world and they come in different varieties. Specialty coffee shops typically serve or sell arabica bean coffee. They differ in levels of quality and taste according to their environment and variety. Arabica beans have about half as much caffeine as robusto beans. The growth cycle, quality and taste account for the higher cost of this coffee bean.

Robusto beans are typically bitter and offer less flavor. They grow faster and can be harvested in two to three years from planting date. They're more hardy and don't require a precise temperature range and level of rain. There are different levels of quality to roubusto beans also and they are more economical to grow. Growers are not overly concerned about the degradation of the flavor while these coffees sit on the supermarket shelves.

If you buy coffee at specialty coffee shops, you should always ask when the bean was roasted. They are best when used one to two days after being roasted. If you're feeling brave, ask them if they roast the beans on the premises or bring it in pre-roasted.

Back to the supermarket coffee that most of us consume. Canned, pre-ground coffee is rated by the level of roast or the method of processing. The choices are mild, medium or dark roast. You'll also see French roasts, expresso blends, balanced blends and decaffeinated coffee. My personal preference is Columbian dark roast. It has a slight winey taste and is a flavorful satisfying cup of coffee. Different brew levels exist for your pleasure. Light, medium or dark roast is a matter of personal taste.

I buy my coffee in a supermarket and brew it at home. I have a coffee grinder, but more often I wait for a sale on brand name coffees and buy them canned and pre-ground. That works for me. I'm a coffee lover, consuming at least 5 cups per day. I wouldn't be able to support a "specialty coffee" habit.

Arabica might produce a better cup of coffee, but for most of us, supermarket coffee tastes wonderful, first thing in the morning!

Sources:
http:netfirms. com/coffee/robustovsarabica.ht ml
http://coffeefaq.com/site/no de29

Learn more about this author, Mona Gallagher.
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