Updated on December 18, 2022
The world’s most favored beverage is coffee. It is consumed all across the world, and there are countless coffee shops that offer a variety of beverages made with coffee. Numerous studies indicate that the number of admirers of this beverage will only keep increasing in the years to come.
High-quality coffee with unique flavors, such as caramel, citrus, fruity, or even flowery (exotic coffees), is referred to as specialty coffee. Commercial coffee focuses on flavors from cacao, chocolate, and nuts, maybe from different beans and from different suppliers.
There are several potential explanations for this, including the delightful flavor of coffee, the stimulating effects of caffeine, or the pleasant social setting that is coffee with friends and family. People adore coffee, for whatever motive. Due to this, coffee is quite expensive. The global coffee industry generated millions of dollars in the 20th century; in the 21st century, coffee has overtaken petroleum as the second-most valuable traded good (gas).
Naturally, as coffee becomes more popular, the market is swamped with inferior coffee, commercial types that just represent the potential of coffee. So, in this article, we’ll discuss the differences between specialty coffee, which you can get from specialty coffee shops made by a barista, and commercial coffee, which is typically found in supermarkets. We’ll also discuss whether specialty coffee can be delivered to your door using your preferred brewing method.
The community of coffee enthusiasts places a high value on specialty coffee. Whether it’s planting, roasting, or brewing better coffee, many people devote their lives to producing high-quality coffee. The biggest distinction is that single-origin and single estate coffee solely contains arabica coffee beans, whereas commercial coffee is primarily made of robusta coffee beans.
Specialty vs Commercial Coffee – The differences
The most well-known type of coffee bean is arabica. This is the one—a flawless bean—that comes to mind when we think of coffee beans. Arabica beans are oval in shape, whilst Robusta beans are chunkier and spherical.
Arabica contains far less caffeine than robusta. Although beneficial, caffeine has one significant drawback: it has a harsh taste and increases acidity. Because of this, arabica coffee, especially single-origin and single estate coffee, has a considerably softer, sweeter, and gentler flavor. The taste is unaffected by the caffeine, which is still more than enough to wake you up.
There are various sub-varieties of Arabica. Some of them are only found in specific nations, while others can grow more easily wherever. Ethiopia, where coffee originated, is proud to have the most naturally occurring kinds of the coffee plant. You can get a better idea of how a particular coffee could taste by learning a little bit about the types.
The Geisha Arabica varietal is well-known and originates from Panama. Throughout the previous century, this variety was completely unknown, and it wasn’t until quite recently that it was rediscovered. With prices reaching as high as $2,000 per pound of roasted Geisha coffee beans, the taste is so distinctive that it went from being unknown to becoming the most expensive coffee bean in the world.
These beans are the ones that are used in commercial coffee the most frequently. Robusta beans are typically prevalent in blends, pre-ground coffee, and similar goods. For instance, 100% robusta beans are used in instant coffee. But why are robusta beans utilized if they are significantly less flavorful than arabica beans?
Although they are worse in terms of flavor and aroma, they do have one very significant advantage: they are more lucrative. Robusta requires less maintenance from farmers and can withstand more harsh temperatures without becoming strained. Harvests are typically more abundant. This form of coffee can therefore be cultivated in other, more difficult tropical settings rather than being restricted to elevated locations, humidity, etc. Black gold can be obtained with the appropriate care and a lot of shadows.
You can taste coffee thanks to Robusta. Although less refined, less flavorful, and more bitter, coffee is still coffee. In addition, robusta beans contain a lot of caffeine, which is one of the main reasons many people drink coffee in the first place.
But we have to set aside robusta beans when it comes to making decent coffee. Only Arabica beans will give nuance in flavor; this bean variety can be compared to wine in terms of its level of flavor refinement. Only Arabica beans provide the flavor that makes you fall in love with coffee.
And specialty coffee is typically made with arabica beans. Essentially, specialty coffee is premium coffee of a considerably higher caliber than other types. It is frequently grown at higher altitudes, which boosts the natural sweetness of the beans, and it is farmed by professionals who have spent their whole lives farming coffee. The information is frequently transmitted from one generation to the next.