Extra charge for 100% Arabica coffee

[JennysUncle]

On the Oosterdam this past March the Explorations Cafe espresso bar had a sign up offering "100% Arabica" coffee for an extra charge. I had thought that any good coffee was all Arabica, but apparently not. The special coffee was described as being from the "Golden Bean" in Sydney. The ordinary coffee was Torrefazione Italia, which had been a Seattle roaster but now is a secondary brand of Starbucks. No one seemed to be paying the surcharge.

[Krazy Kruizers]

So I gather that you also didn't pay the extra surcharge and try it?

Didn't see anything like that on our Zuiderdam cruises.

[sail7seas]

I hope someone who sampled it posts here. I'd like to hear their opinion about any difference in taste.

[Donny-Joe]

Torrefazione is a premium, expensive brand. It is an Italian-style, espresso oriented coffee, and like lots of other premium espresso blends it probably contains a small amount (10-15%) of Robusta coffee, because high-quality Robusta adds complexity and depth to espresso.

 

Insisting on 100% Arabica is pretty low-grade coffee snobbery. Next-level snobs have known about Robusta in Italian-style blends for years.

 

Here's one of many articles about why Robusta is used as a component in espresso. It's not to save money.

 

http://muddydogcoffee.com/blog/coffee/the-emerging-robusta-renaissance/

[POA1]

On the Oosterdam this past March the Explorations Cafe espresso bar had a sign up offering "100% Arabica" coffee for an extra charge. I had thought that any good coffee was all Arabica' date=' but apparently not. [/quote']

 

The up charge was probably because the coffee was from a boutique roaster, Golden Bean.