Coffee is enjoyed and consumed by many around the world today. The beans used to make most of the coffee we enjoy today originate from two main species of coffee plant: The Coffea Arabica plant which produces Arabica coffee beans and the Coffea Robusta also known as the Coffea Canephora plant which produces Robusta coffee beans.

The Arabica coffee plant originated from south-western Ethiopia and is commonly grown in regions such as Latin America, Arabia and Asia. The Arabica coffee bean is more flavoursome than other coffee beans and is used in many of today's coffee blends. Depending on the region of growth the Arabica coffee bean comes with different tastes and aromas. This makes it a highly versatile coffee bean with its different flavours so prominent in the modern coffee drink. It is because of its superior flavour that it is such a key ingredient in most coffee blends.

The Robusta strain is thought to have originated from Uganda and is most commonly grown in Africa and Brazil. In contrast to the Arabica coffee plant the Coffea Robusta plant thrives in hot whether conditions. Robusta coffee beans contain approximately double the amount of caffeine as Arabica coffee beans meaning it is often used to give modern coffee blends an extra kick. Although the Robusta coffee bean is not as flavoursome as the Arabica bean, its slightly bitter twang and crema properties make it a popular ingredient for the modern coffee blends. The thick foam produced by the Robusta coffee bean is an essential component of the modern espresso.

Before being sold to the consumer beans go through a great degree of preparation and processing. Coffee beans have to be picked, de-fruited, dried sorted and in some circumstances aged. The coffee beans must then be roasted before consumption. The Beans are normally sold ready roasted, however pre-prepared coffee beans are also sold to allowing a home roasting process. This creates the opportunity to experiment with the roasting process which does affect the final flavour and aromas of the coffee.