I've read about coffee beans and espresso beans. What's the difference? Aren't these just two names of one and the same beans? Do they differ from each other?

And another question: do I need special beans to make cappuccino?

I think there is no difference in beans. The difference is in preparation methods.

What you have is espresso roast, not espresso beans.\r\nActually its fairly common for companies to use robustica beans rather \r\nthan arabica for espresso. Although robustica is a lower grade bean it has\r\n a much higher caffeine content.

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Bob Tyndall\r\n\r\nBlackJava and GreenMountain Coffee\r\nOwners of Keurig Single Cup Coffee Brewers.

Does it mean that robustica beans are espresso beans, and arabica are just coffee beans?

\r\n\r\nNo.\r\n\r\nThere are two types of coffee beans. Arabica, which is grown at high alltitudes and is the best quality.\r\nThen you have Robustica coffee beans which grow in the low lands are of a poorer quality.\r\nHowever, they are higher in caffeine so a lot of the roasters will use them for their espresso roast.\r\nThe pre packaged coffee's you buy at the food chains mostly use Robustica becasue it is cheaper. And it has the higher caffeine.\r\nI read some where and I can't remember where, that even though you may see pre packaged coffee that says they use 100% Arabica, this is not necessarily so. The goverining regulations say that to say you have 100% arabica you only need 40% Arabica and the rest can be robustica.\r\n\r\nHere is some info\r\n\r\nArabica vs. Robusta\r\n\r\nAlthough there are over twenty species of coffee plant, only two account for the majority of commercial coffee sold worldwide: arabica and robusta. The story of arabica and robusta coffee beans is really a story about quantity vs. quality.\r\n\r\nRobusta coffee beans constitute the majority of low-quality mass-produced pre-ground coffee blends and freeze-dried coffee found in jars and cans. You can buy a lot of robusta coffee beans for your money, but they tend to be bitter and bland. One coffee critic compared the chief flavor constituent of robusta coffee beans to that of "a brown paper bag."\r\n\r\nYes, the flavor difference between arabica and robusta coffee beans is enormous! In contrast, arabica coffee beans are the world's most flavorful beans. The list of arabica beans reads like a "Who's Who" of the coffee world: Costa Rican Tarrazu, Guatemalan Hueheutenango, Kenyan AA, Sumatra Mandheling, and Tanzanian Peaberry, just to name a few. \r\n\r\nArabica coffee beans also contain only half the caffeine of robusta, which means you can enjoy more cups throughout the day without getting the jitters. If you're looking for quality over quantity, arabica coffee beans are the choice for you.

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Bob Tyndall\r\n\r\nBlackJava and GreenMountain Coffee\r\nOwners of Keurig Single Cup Coffee Brewers.

Now I know a lot about Arabica and Robusta beans, but I still do not know if there is any difference between espresso and coffee beans

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Coffee, coffee...\r\nMore coffee!

\r\n\r\nThere is no such thing as an espresso bean. Espresso is the roast. Like French is the roast.\r\nIt may be that some beans are better to roast for espresso than others.\r\nYou would have to ask a roaster.

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Bob Tyndall\r\n\r\nBlackJava and GreenMountain Coffee\r\nOwners of Keurig Single Cup Coffee Brewers.