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People who are not familiar with whole coffee beans and coffee often ask what so special about coffee beans in the first place when jar of regular coffee can be easily purchased and is much more convenient. That would be absolutely true if you’re all about convenience. But good taste is a whole other matter.

The fact of the matter is that there are over twenty different types of coffee beans. However, they are primarily divided into two broad types. Regular coffee drinkers might already be familiar with the various types of coffee beans available and their various flavors.

60%-70% of the world’s consumption of coffee comes from the Coffea Arabica coffee bean. It is also the type of coffee bean that most people enjoy drinking the most. The Caffea Arabica coffee bean is also a very expensive bean due to the strict growing conditions that are required when growing this coffee variety.

Coffee Arabica plants need a certain altitude in which they can thrive which should be at least a few thousand feet above sea level. These plants should also be grown in a temperature between 65- 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Coffee Coffea Canephora makes up between thirty to forty percent of the world’s coffee consumption. This type of coffee is also commonly called Robusta. This type of coffee bean is thought to be of an inferior quality because of its bitter taste. Coffee Cofera or Robusta can be grown at around 85 degree Fahrenheit and in almost any place. However because of its bitter taste its not very popular among most people.

Coffea canephora are often used as fillers for coffea Arabica beans, which because Arabica is expensive, are often mixed with these lesser quality coffee beans. So most of the time when you buy coffee beans it’s coffea Arabica mixed with Robusta in order to bring it within the reach of common people.

Whether you prefer Arabica based coffees or go for the Robusta varieties, the freshest and best tasting cup of coffee will always be made from freshly ground coffee beans. You can certainly buy a large can of supermarket coffee that is already ground up, or you may actually buy coffee beans from the same supermarket and grind it right there using their coffee grinder. But within a week or so, your ground-up coffee beans are going start tasting stale.

The best alternative is to purchase only small batches of whole coffee beans and grind them at home as you need them. Coffee grinders are widely available and fairly inexpensive, so it’s worth the money to buy coffee beans and grind them yourself.

How great is the smell of roasted fresh coffee beans brewing as it works its way up the steps and into your bedroom? It starts to seep into your nostrils and all of a sudden you perk up a little bit. Instead of waking up grumpy, you already have a smile on your face in anticipation of the perfect cup of coffee.

Everything starts somewhere and for coffee it is with the bean. While tastes may vary, everyone will have their favorite. You may be a nuts and bolts guy and love Maxwell House or you may be fancy pants and prefer a brand like Volcanica so you can get the Blue Mountain Blend. Regardless of what bean you like, there is nothing better than the flavor that roasted fresh coffee provides for you.

For the perfect cup of coffee, you’ll want to start with whole roasted fresh coffee beans that you grind yourself. By the way, you should only buy small quantities of whole beans, maybe enough for 1 or 2 months at a time and keep them in an air tight container to preserve freshness.

If you prefer to buy your coffee on the way into work, you more than likely stop at the same place each and every day. There is no shame in this as the power of the perfect cup is something that is undeniable. Be it Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts, Wawa or McDonald’s, your favorite is often a cup that you will drive miles out of your way to make sure you are getting what you want.

If you brew your own coffee, an obvious consideration is your coffee maker. This is something that you can spend as little or as much as you want, depending upon what is important to you. There are those who merely need to get the coffee into their system to function so these individuals will buy just about any machine to get the magical black juice. However, if you are a true lover of coffee, you are at least going to make sure you get a machine with the optimal brewing temperature of 200 degrees.

On your quest for the perfect machine, do a lot of research and don’t believe everything you read. If you want an honest opinion, go to a neutral reviewing site or check out forums that are aimed at coffee lovers. Even after all of that, you are still going to want to taste a cup before you buy it. Most decent sellers will have machines of various types up and brewing so you can try the coffee from the machine.

There is no measure too far out for the perfect cup of coffee. If you don’t subscribe to this theory, then you’re probably not a die hard coffee lover, you are just using it for its magical powers. Then again, maybe you just haven’t had the perfect cup of roasted fresh coffee yet!