Peaberry Vs Regular Coffee Bean

By looking into the beans you are examining before purchasing them, there are a few factors to consider before buying a coffee bean to ensure the best tasting cup. 

You can also find guidance by buying these beans in-person or through websites that offer advice on what type of bean goes with what kind of drink. 

In this article, we will be looking at one specific type of coffee bean: peaberry. We will learn and compare the bean to the regular bean. 

After reading this article, we hope that you will better understand the bean and decide to get one or not.

What is the peaberry bean?

The peaberry is a coffee bean bigger in size than the regular bean. It has two sides or two “hulls.” As a result, the peaberry itself has four sides.

The regular bean only has two sides. Because it is more significant, the peaberry has a more robust flavour when brewed. 

As a result, the peaberry has a cocoa-like taste. It is most commonly used to make espresso but can also be ground and make regular coffee.

The process of making a peaberry is when the beans are still in the cherry, they grow together in the same shell. 

The bean that the coffee bean produces will combine with another bean and form one big seed instead of two smaller seeds like regular beans do. It is how the peaberry bean is created.

The peaberry is not a very common bean to see because of its rarity. Less than 1% of all coffee seed stocks contain peaberries. 

Only the Kona region in Hawaii has the proper climate and growing conditions to produce this rare coffee bean.

Where does the peaberry bean come from?

Peaberry beans come from the Kona region in Hawaii. The Kona coffee beans are known for their fuller-bodied, more robust flavours.

The beans are harvested during August and September, when the fruit is at peak ripeness. It takes about four to six weeks for a coffee bean to ripen from growing to harvest. 

It is how it is collected: The Kona peaberry beans are tiny and fragile, so they can only be harvested by hand.

The beans are only picked once; hence they are limited and precious. They are handpicked and sorted twice to ensure the highest quality.

The Kona coffee, more commonly known as the peaberry bean, is made from two seeds in one shell. The beans and husks from this process have one seed on top and two seeds on the bottom, giving it four sides or a peaberry.

The taste of peaberry beans

The taste of peaberries is different from the regular one. Because it is larger, it contains more flavour, giving a more rounded taste to the coffee.

The peaberry also has a cocoa-like flavour and gives off a more decadent taste when brewed through the espresso. You can use the peaberry as an espresso shot, but it is not as common in lattes.

About Regular beans

The regular coffee bean is a normal type of coffee bean with two sides or two “hulls.” It can be found in many places worldwide and is very easy to sell.

The bean can make espresso and regular coffee, but it is not as strong in flavour as a peaberry bean. The regular bean can also be ground and brewed like peaberry.

Where do regular beans come from?

Regular beans are found in many different places around the world. The bean is also elementary to find and sell, so it is more common than the peaberry.

The harvests of these beans come from all over the world. Most of the time, the beans are grown in Brazil, Indonesia and Columbia. 

Peaberries vs Regular Coffee Beans

To start, we will compare the taste of the two types of beans.

Peaberries are richer than an ordinary bean because their flavour profile is softer, sweeter and has a light floral or fruity taste. 

The beans from this type of brew are denser, making them a better choice for espresso-based beverages with very low or no milk. 

Regular beans are milder in both taste and taste intensity. They have a cocoa-like flavour, whereas the peaberries tend to have a floral or fruity taste. 

The regular bean also has a more substantial body and provides better texture in espresso-based drinks, but it is still not as strong as a peaberry bean when used in lattes and other beverages.

Peaberries are the stronger of the two, both in terms of taste and body. The peaberry has a more intense flavour and body when brewed in espresso. 

The flavour is also more pronounced, so you can tell that it’s a peaberry. It’s effortless to tell which beans are peaberries because they’re much easier to spot than other beans.

Peaberries are much easier to spot when brewing coffee because of their look and flavours. The pink colouring on the beans used to make espresso also helps you differentiate them from other beans because it's such a unique colour. 

It’s almost like gold, which is a beautiful colour. It also adds to the flavour, making it easier to tell which beans are peaberries.

Which one is better?

We really can’t tell you which one is better. We’d recommend trying both and see which one you like best. The peaberry does provide a more robust flavour and taste, but that’s not to say that it’s better than the regular bean. 

The regular bean has a more subtle flavour and is less pronounced than a peaberry. The taste is also not as powerful when brewed over espresso, making it more appealing than peaberry. 

I like the regular bean better because of its subtle flavour, but I enjoy the peaberry when brewing in espresso.

The takeaway

If you end up trying either of these beans, try it in an espresso-based drink. The best comparison we can give is that it’s like the difference between orange juice and Champagne. Both are good in their way, but you wouldn’t typically drink them together. 

It's the same with the peaberries and regular beans. It's best to take advantage of its more potent flavour when brewing in espresso so that you can see how much it has over a regular bean. 

I hope you have enjoyed this information about peaberries and its differences from regular beans. Let me know in the comments below if you have ever tried any peaberries before and your thoughts. Thank you for reading!