There are 60 coffee plants but only 25 grow beans that are for commercial use. The best among them are: the Coffea Arabica & the Coffea Robusta.

Coffea Arabica

Coffea arabica is a species of coffee indigenous to Ethiopia. It is also known as the "coffee shrub of Arabia", "mountain coffee" or "arabica coffee". The most selected coffee plant for centuries. It is a shrub with glossy, flat evergreen leaves. Arabica contains less caffeine than any other commercially cultivated species of coffee. There are many well-known varieties belonging to it such as typically "the Bourbon" (in Brazil), prized for its large beans. They grow up on mountainous lands having a temperate climate (68°F). Fertile soil and a warm climate are essential to growing coffee blends. In the 1800's other varieties were introduced to supply the lack of "coffea Arabica" quality destroyed by diseases. Gourmet coffees are almost exclusively high-quality mild varieties of coffea arabica.

Coffea Robusta

Coffea robusta is a species of coffee which has its origins in western Africa. It is grown mostly in Africa and Brazil. It is also grown in Southeast Asia where French colonists introduced the crop to Vietnam in the late 19th Century and now has exports second to Brazil. For its disease-resistant property, it is easier to care for than Coffea Arabica and is less expensive to produce. Arabica beans are considered superior, however robusta is a very aromatic coffee and is used in espresso blends to promote the formation of "crema". Robusta has about twice the amount of caffeine compared to arabica. Approximately one third of the coffee produced in the world is robusta.