The two most widely grown kinds of coffee are arabicas and robustas. Robustas are hardy but harsh and earthy. Native to Zaire, this coffee is grown in many countries at low altitudes and is used in inexpensive blends and instant coffee.

Arabicas, by contrast, produce mild, pleasantly acidic-tasting coffees that are flavorful and aromatic. Native to Ethiopia, they grow primarily in the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, and flourish at altitudes of 2,000 feet and higher. Because of their higher quality and more refined flavor, Gevalia only uses arabica beans for its coffee. Arabica coffee seeds are often planted in a nursery on the plantation. They grow for about a year, until they reach 18 to 24 inches, and then are transplanted to the coffee grove in rows 10 to 12 feet apart.

A fine arabica tree can take three to five years before its first harvest. The initial stage of development occurs when the tree blossoms reveal a five-petal white flower with a scent reminiscent of jasmine or an orange blossom. After the flower falls off the branch, small clusters of fruit, or "cherries" replace it. First green, these cherries gradually turn red. Each cherry usually contains two beans, however, when only one bean is present, it is called a peaberry. These beans are actually the seed of the coffee tree.

Arabica coffee can only grow in a select band of the world, mainly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, from 25 degrees north to 25 degrees south of the Equator. Most coffee trees are actually large shrubs 5 to 12 feet in height. Untended, they can reach heights of 30 feet or more.

Arabica coffees flourish in mountainous regions with ample shade and sun, where mean temperatures are around 70 degrees, annual rainfall is 75 inches and the humidity is high. The average minimum temperature should be no lower than 55 degrees, the average maximum temperature no higher than 80 degrees.

Adding to the challenge, most of the world's finest coffees grow in non-native terrain. While coffee trees are quite adaptable, they require constant care and maintenance. Hilly locations are best, due to limited sunlight. High-grown mountain coffees benefit from cloud cover and mist, which serve as natural sunshields. When these weather conditions do not exist, farmers plant shade trees to protect their fragile coffee trees.

Only through the combined alchemy of rich soil, favorable climate, skillful agriculture, and vigilant quality control does the coffee tree approach the state where it is ready to be harvested.