arabica versus robusta

We manufacture our own 100% organic Arabica coffee capsules right here in Australia. Buying capsules should not be just about price. Our coffee pods are better, for a competitive price, than poorer quality pods. Here's one reason why.

Robusta is often considered a dirty little secret within the coffee industry, especially in Australia. In Europe and other regions, Robusta does not carry the same negative connotations.

Robusta is a key ingredient for instant coffee, energy drinks, coffee pods and capsules.

Why Most Capsule Producers Use Robusta

Most coffee pod sellers favour Robusta for three reasons.

1. Robusta generates between 2 and 3 times more caffeine per gram than arabica. But don't mistake caffeine for flavour. It's just pure caffeine payload and has nothing to do with taste. So coffee pod producers are stuck in thinking that higher caffeine helps them overcome the small 5g dosage limitation of pods. Sadly no.
2. Robusta is cheaper than arabica coffee beans, considerably so. Hence, this provides a golden opportunity for many coffee brands to exploit it by using inferior, low-cost ingredients to maximize their profits.
3. Robusta has an intense flavour. However, it's a flavour that could be more pleasant and desirable. Robusta tastes like wood, tar, rubber and spice. It's harsh and unpleasant for coffee drinkers. Robusta is often a reason drinkers add sugar or sweeteners to their brew. The harshness from Robusta is often incorrectly described as having a "bite" or "kick". Sadly, this bite is mistakenly passed off as "intensity" by coffee pod and capsule brands. Harsh flavours have no place in Australia's high standard of cafe culture of sweet-tasting coffee flavours.

Why We Don't

Arabica is grown at higher altitudes. Arabica coffee is farmed using minimal to no use of pesticides or chemicals. 

Pesticides are unnecessary, too expensive or unavailable in many remote coffee-growing highlands. In other words, there is no nearby Bunnings.

Arabica produces significantly more sweetness and delicious acidity than Robusta. Indeed, it's this sweetness and acidity that is critical for Australian coffee drinkers adding milk or dairy alternatives to their coffees.

Robusta is grown at lower altitudes where pests are rampant, and extreme temperatures play havoc with growing conditions. Robusta coffee farmers must drown their crops in chemicals to fight off agricultural pests and diseases, particularly Roya. It's also why organic-certified Robusta never exists in the coffee market.

When you know how to roast coffee properly for intense flavour, amazing sweetness and exotic aroma, there is no place for Robusta.

Our organic coffee pods are sweet, clean and delicious because we use 100% high-grown arabica coffees. Surprisingly, you can also drink them black without sugar.