The most complex thing when running a café or bar is to choose the coffee blend, the one capable of satisfying customers’ tastes and the most demanding palates. That is why it is important to propose different blends since for Italians drinking coffee is a real ritual, allowing them to take an energy break.

Which coffee to buy for coffee bars

The two known coffee qualities for bars are definitely Arabica and Robusta. On Portioli’s website, you can discover a wide range of blends in different formats with different % of Arabica and Robusta coffees to suit customers’ tastes.

In general, a good quality of Arabica coffee comes from Central, South America and Africa, with Brazil being the world’s leading coffee producer followed by Colombia. This variety of coffee originates at higher altitudes and having less caffeine is more susceptible to attack by bacteria and weathering, thus more delicate than the Robusta variety. A blend with a majority Arabica is characterized by a sweet and slightly acidic taste, fruity and floral notes, and an aftertaste of white or milk chocolate.

The best qualities of Robusta coffee, on the other hand, come from Africa and Asia. This variety of coffee originates at lower altitudes, and due to its high caffeine content, which acts as a natural defence the Robusta quality turns out to be more durable than the Arabica variety. A blend with a Robusta majority, therefore, turns out to be intense and full-bodied, with notes of dark chocolate, spices, and dried fruits.

Robusta and Arabica Coffee – Characteristics

The Robusta variety unlike Arabica grows well at lower altitudes, from above sea level up to 600/800 meters and as the word itself says, is very hardy, that is, less susceptible to parasitic, diseases and climatic shocks. It does not require much care and does not present difficulties even in hot-humid climates.

Resisting well to humidity and temperature changes, Robusta has high productivity and accounts for about 1/3 of world coffee production today. Turning to the shape of the beans, those of the Robusta variety of coffee are harder and rounder with a linear groove than those of Arabica, which are instead elongated, oval, with a more irregular and sinuous groove. Robusta (scientific name Coffea Canephora) is to be found mainly in West Africa and the Asian continent.

Robusta variety coffee has almost twice as much caffeine as Arabica and therefore has a bitter taste. A Robusta variety coffee is mainly characterized by great body is darker and creamier but less aromatic than an Arabica variety coffee. A Robusta coffee has a chocolatey flavour with a lingering aftertaste. Its caffeine content is usually between 1.7 percent and 3.5-4 percent.

Blends with Robusta and Arabica – Differences

Arabica blend or Robusta blend: what is the difference? Many people often do not know what the real difference between these two types of coffee is. First, if you love a coffee with a strong taste and intense aroma, you surely prefer a blend with a higher % of Robusta coffee, which is characterized by a higher amount of caffeine and known for its great body. Alternatively, if you are a lover of a coffee with a delicate, smooth, sweet and sometimes sour taste then the blend with a % of Arabica coffee is the one for you, since unlike the former it contains about a third of the caffeine present in the Robusta blend.

Single-origin coffees offered by Torrefazione Portioli, such as complement Robusta and Arabica blends:

– Ethiopia Single origin – for all those who prefer a balanced, fortified acidity with finely chocolaty aromas

– India Single origin – for all those who like intense, spicy and refined flavours

– Brazil Single origin – for all those who like sweet, honeyed and slightly biscuit flavours

– Honduras Single origin – for all those who prefer elegant, sweet flavours with floral notes

These are tasty and original blends, designed by Portioli for bartenders who wants to pamper the customer with a truly special product and drink.

Coffee for bars – The importance of roasting

Roasting is a key and delicate process that requires the knowledge, precision and passion of experienced professionals. In fact, each quality of raw coffee has its own peculiarities, related to its origin. For this reason, we perform a customized and single origin roasting, which aims to enhance and exalt its organoleptic characteristics. A sort of coffee identity card is thus defined.

What varies, however, is the grind, which is different depending on the use and thus the extraction of the blend. The grind of blends for bars will differ from the grind for blends to be used with the mocha, but also from those made for filter machines.

There is no shortage of experts in tasting this beverage who, like true espresso sommeliers, know how to identify the perfect cup from certain characteristics:

– Visual appearance – the cream should be golden, hazelnut or amber and in any case not too dark. In fact, a dark cream indicates coffee over-extraction

– Taste – balanced flavours so that none of the components overpower the others. This should be persistent, but not aggressive and depending on whether it is Arabica or Robusta it will be more or less sweet or bitter.

As you can see there are many characteristics of the best coffee for bars and thanks to Portioli’s experience, you can always count on a blend designed to surprise and delight the palate. Discover your favourite variety on our website!