What is Robusta? The bean behind the strength in your coffee

What does Robusta taste like?

Robusta typically tastes stronger and more bitter than Arabica, with notes often described as earthy, nutty, woody, or chocolatey. Pure, poorly processed Robusta can taste rubbery or "burnt," while high-quality Robusta can be surprisingly clean with a pleasant, dark sweetness.

Because its flavor profile is less nuanced than Arabica, Robusta rarely shines as a single origin in filter coffee, but it can make an espresso more intense and full-bodied.

When does Robusta make sense?

Robusta is not our main focus, but it's worth knowing when it actually elevates a cup:

• Espresso with extra crema: A small proportion of Robusta provides thicker, more stable crema.
• Strong blends: Robusta adds bite and body, especially to milk-based drinks, where the coffee needs to be noticeable through the milk.
• High caffeine need: If you want the most caffeine, Robusta delivers.

However, if flavor nuances are the focus, such as floral, fruity, or sweet tones, Arabica is the obvious choice. If you want to delve deeper into this, you can read our article on what Arabica beans are.

How we view Robusta at Copenhagen Coffee Lab

At Copenhagen Coffee Lab, we roast all our beans in our own roastery in Copenhagen and always ship coffee that has been roasted within the last 10 days. Our focus is specialty coffee, where taste, origin, and freshness come first, and therefore we primarily work with carefully selected Arabica.

This doesn't mean that Robusta is "wrong." It means that we choose the beans that provide the cleanest and most interesting cup for our way of roasting and brewing.

Do you want to taste the difference yourself? Explore our espresso beansand filter coffee, or see the entire selection of freshly roasted beans.