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Coffea arabica is a species of coffee indigenous to Ethiopia. It is also known as the "coffee shrub of Arabia", "mountain coffee" or "arabica coffee"

It is still considered to produce the best coffee of the commercially grown coffee species. It contains less caffeine than any other commercially cultivated species of coffee. Wild plants grow to between 7-12 m tall, and have an open branching system; the leaves are opposite, simple elliptic-ovate to oblong, 6-12 cm long and 4-8 cm broad, glossy dark green. The flowers are produced in axillary clusters, each flower white, and 1-1.5 cm diameter. The fruit is a berry 10-15 mm long, maturing bright red to purple, containing two seeds (the coffee 'bean').

The first written record of coffee, made from roasted coffee beans, comes from Arabian scholars who wrote that it was useful in prolonging their working hours. The Arab innovation, of to making a brew from roasted beans, spread first among the Egyptians and Turks and later on found its way around the world.

Espresso is made from coffee beans that have been roasted, finely ground, and quickly processed into a 1- to 2-ounce single serving cup of coffee. To process the roasted coffee beans into a cup of espresso, generally, a pump-driven espresso machine is used. Coffee beans for espresso are often a blend of coffee beans from various countries (and sometimes species) of coffee plants. The two most popular species of coffee plants are Arabica (Coffee Arabica) and Robusta (Coffea canephora). Higher-grade coffee blends often only include coffee from the Arabica plant species, using this as a marketing tactic.

Traditional Coffee Grind Drawer-Italian Alps

Arabica trees require more care in growing and are therefore usually more expensive. Arabica beans are generally considered to be superior to Robusta beans, mostly because top-quality Arabica beans have a much better aroma and much better acidity (brightness or sparkle in the cup). However, higher-grade Robusta beans are often included in espresso blends for espresso, to aid the production of "crema" especially in countries where espresso is the default coffee beverage: France, Italy, and Spain. The grind for espresso is generally achieved using a burr grinder, a type of grinder that uses two flat or conical burrs to grind the coffee to a fine, even powder without heating it. However, the beans are not ground as finely as in Turkish coffee, because the resulting powder could block coffee flow and impede crema formation.