Do you consider yourself a coffee aficionado? You’re not alone! Coffee experts tell us Trusted Source Coffee Facts | British Coffee Association Coffee is the most popular drink worldwide with around two billion cups consumed every day. www.britishcoffeeassociation.org that coffee is the most popular drink on the planet, with around two billion steaming cups of delicious bitter, caffeinated yumminess consumed every single day.
Even better, we are now enjoying it canned, cold, blended with ice, frothed, loaded with butter, and even enjoyed from vending machines – it really is the era of coffee!
If coffee is indeed your spirit animal, you need to know about the latest coffee trends. If this is you, you’ve come to the right place! Here’s the lowdown on all the different trends in coffee right now:
There are multiple new types of coffee to try every year, keeping this wonderful world of beverages consistently exciting! Here are the latest coffee trends to consider next time you want to make or order a brew:
Dalgona coffee has its name because a Korean toffee inspires it with a light honeycomb texture. The way that Dalgona coffee is made mimics this texture because of the ingredients and the way that it is made.
To create a Dalgona you simply whip hot water, sugar and instant coffee together in equal parts. Experts recommend using the very best instant coffee you can afford for the best-tasting Dalgona.
You can use a hand whisk or an electric whisk to make the coffee, which takes up to five minutes to form into the right texture. You then pour the mixture over ice, or milk (or both). You can watch a tutorial on how to make a Dalgona coffee in this handy video.
The Nitro Cold Brew process creates a yummy coffee that treated to boost the natural flavour and texture of the coffee. The process was actually used by beer brewers originally, mixing nitrogen with 12-24 hour brewed cold brew coffee using a special type of pressurised valve. Doing this adds tiny bubbles into the coffee that doesn’t make the product fizzy but instead enhance how it tastes overall.
Snapchilling is a technology created by David Dussault, creating a coffee that is like a cold brew, but better. It works by brewing a coffee shot, then quickly chilling it and then canning it as a cold beverage. The process is said to preserve the coffee flavors without diluting them through chilling them slowly, which is thought to happen with a cold brewing process.
The vegan milks industry is set to be worth nearly $55 billion USD by 2028 Trusted Source Dairy Alternatives Market Size, Share and Growth | Fortune Business Insights The global dairy alternatives market is projected to grow from $22.25 billion in 2021 to $53.97 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 13.30% during forecast period www.fortunebusinessinsights.com and coffee shops understand this trend is set to stay. For that reason, you’re likely to see even the smallest, independent coffee retailers offering at least one vegan milk option. Soya, oat and coconut milks tend to be the most popular options, although oat in particular lends itself to making a good frothy foam, so it can be a barista favorite to use in place of dairy milk.
Ready-to-drink coffee is taking off in a big way across the world and is set to be worth over $40 billion dollars by 2027, according to statistics Trusted Source RTD Coffee Market, Size, Share | Fortune Business Insights The global Ready to Drink (RTD) Coffee market size was valued at USD 22.44 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 42.36 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.31% during forecast period. www.fortunebusinessinsights.com . From dairy-free cold espresso to sweetened ready-to-drink vanilla lattes, there’s everything and anything for the consumer on-the-go who wants their coffee fix without waiting for a coffee shop to prepare their favorite drink.
Coffee itself, despite being a natural product, has quite a vast environmental impact. Before it was grown for processing it added to the ecosystem of wherever it grew naturally. However, as the demand for beans grew, plantations were made and other flora and fauna was and is still removed to make room for farming.
To grow such huge amounts of coffee, lots of water and pesticides are used, creating very little biodiversity. Coffee processing can also cause terrible pollution runoff, which has a knock-on effect on local villages, ecosystems, and water systems.
Air miles, plastic, energy, and other resources are also major factors in the environmental impact of coffee.
With more of an awareness of the environmental impact of coffee, and the want for more conscious products, sustainable coffee is in demand.
Sustainability in coffee is actually one of the most popular coffee trends but sustainability can be a bit of a buzzword, and unfortunately, a lot of greenwashing is occurring within coffee marketing. So how can the consumer know that they are buying sustainable coffee?
For truly sustainable coffee, the product has to consider the planet, the people involved in all aspects of its growth and production, and the money involved in its production. So, todays coffee market has to be satisfied and sustained while also ensuring that the product can continue to be made in an ethical way without the next generation’s coffee resources being absolutely ruined.
The good news is that any business with an understanding of the latest coffee consumer trends will want to shout about any sustainability efforts they have made. Stamps, labels, signs and word of mouth should indicate exactly how the coffee you are being served is sustainable. If you’re not sure, ask the coffee shop what their sustainability incentives are and they should be proud to tell you.
We mentioned canned snap chilled cold coffee above as a coffee type trend, but what you might not know is that canned coffee has been around for a long time. It was invented in the 1960’s in Japan, which is why Japan is one of the very best places to get your hands on all kinds of amazing canned coffee products.
Now, coffee in a can is available worldwide in all kinds of flavors from the fridge to drink cold or to be poured out and heated at home. However, certain canned coffee is available to select in a heated vending machine, so you get it hot and ready to enjoy straight from the machine.
Instant coffee is really seeing a rise in the quality that it comes in. Forget flavorless brews these days – consumers and businesses want more.
Consumers are starting to invest good money in micro-ground coffees, latte mixes and other instant coffee options for their favorite homebrews. Businesses like offices and warehouses can also go beyond watery instant brews in the kitchen, with products like the WAKA Coffee Colombian Single Serve business packs, impressing office workers and potential customers alike while also keeping costs down.
One of the most popular trends in the coffee industry is the rise in cafe culture. Taking over from bars and alcohol-based hangouts, coffee shops provide the teetotal socialite with somewhere better to hang out with friends. The coffee industry is thriving, so there really is no time like the present for opening up a new neighborhood cafe serving a fantastic range of barista brews.
As well as cafe culture, another trend has emerged within the coffee industry because of the Covid-19 pandemic: online coffee barista tutorials. Those with coffee expertise, whether the beans, the making of coffee, or even just in foam art, saw a gap in the market for people desperate to learn in lockdown. Suddenly, there were classes available in all kinds of coffee subjects, and the trend continues now. Why limit your learning or teachings to only local people? Online tutorials offer you an entire world of possibility that doesn’t go away if, say, a pandemic prevents you from going to work like normal.
As well as cafe culture and online teaching, coffee shop trends including; linking with local shops to ‘join forces’, adapting to new selling scenarios, offering coffee subscription boxes, offering international coffee specials and supporting the sustainable and conscious coffee movement.
Coffee is of course a natural drink, derived from the coffee plant, which creates cherry-like fruit-bearing coffee beans inside. While overall this is not an unhealthy drink on its own with water, when you start adding sugary syrups and full-fat milks, the healthiness of the brew can be lost.
Healthy coffee is set to be on trend with things like plant milks used to make it, and healthy extras like turmeric, vitamins or even collagen added for that extra nutritious boost.
By 2022 the subscription box industry is set to be worth £1 billion in the UK alone, according to the Royal Mail service. Trusted Source Key Trends For Success In The Subscription Box Market | IMRG 6 in 10 subscription box businesses intend to invest in new or existing services in the next year: there is a huge opportunity for businesses looking to make an impact in the industry. www.imrg.org Coffee lovers don’t have to miss out on the trend, as there are all kinds of coffee subscription boxes available for the coffee lover. From coffee-infused products, different coffee types worldwide, and even wannabe barista boxes, there really is something for everyone.
If you’re interested in coffee subscription boxes, the best thing to do is try different introductory offers and see which box goes beyond the initial novelty. Consider, if at full price, it represents good value to you. Do you like the products that you get in the box? Will you use the products that come with the box? Eventually, you will find a box to suit you, and hopefully, one you look forward to every month or quarter.
Before now, coffee at Wholefoods was probably the central place you might go to get ethically sourced coffee. Now, though, conscious coffee consumption is a widespread trend that is set to stay. As a society, we care about our coffee being made fairly and in a way that doesn’t destroy the planet. Coffee chains and independents are slowly starting to recognize that it isn’t just their respective governments that are pushing for environmental awareness from businesses. Coffee consumer habits have changed and consumers want to see features like ethical procurement processes, social movement collaborations, reusable or compostable cups, and of course, non-plastic straws.
Homemade coffee saw a rise in interest before the Covid-19 pandemic, but the lockdown situation many of us faced certainly saw homemade coffee become much more than a spoon of instant and some hot water.
Many people found themselves enjoying trying out the Dalgona trend (mentioned above) that actually started out on Tik Tok.
Experimenting with the Dalgona continues to be a popular homemade coffee pastime, along with many people investing in a more professional coffee-making kit in order to boost their homemade coffee abilities. Grinders, espresso machines, pour-over drippers, foamers, french presses, cold brew makers, and even siphons are all finding their way into the coffee aficionados kitchen at home. However, you don’t have to spend a fortune on a good device, but buy one of the best espresso machines under 500 dollars and still get a great cup of coffee.
True coffee lovers are also investing time and money into getting the very best coffee beans available to buy, treating a freshly brewed cup of high-grade coffee like a flute of vintage champagne or a glass of expensive wine. Kopi Luwak Arabica Coffee, for example, is revered as being so good it is a ‘bucket list’ coffee, making many a true coffee lover likely to indulge in grinding some at home at least once in a lifetime.
Homemade coffee isn’t just a caffeine hit anymore, it’s a culture, a hobby, and even a lifestyle for many.
The drive-thru concept was created in the 1930s as a way to deliver fast food and other products to consumers in a novelty and easy way. Coffee was available through the drive-thrus of the big fast-food chains, but coffee chains quickly followed suit, ensuring their customers could be catered for by this popular consumer experience.
Coffee Drive-Thrus are becoming more and more common, as we all demand more convenience and ease in getting hold of the world’s favorite beverage.
The Covid-19 pandemic especially has boosted the want and need for coffee drive-thrus, with chains like Costa Coffee opening more than 300 new drive-thru outlets Trusted Source The Growth Of Drive-Thru Coffee | Perfect Daily Grind How has drive-thru coffee grown in recent years? What is its relationship with third-wave and specialty coffee? perfectdailygrind.com to respond to the global health situation.
The world of coffee is always changing, giving us coffee lovers an exciting selection of beverages to experiment with, try, and hopefully add to our list of favorites. With all the new options available, there is also likely to be a number of new coffee lovers being created, boosting the brew economy each and everyday for the better.
It’s an exciting culture to be part of, especially as it moves in the direction of improved ethical and sustainable practices for more guilt-free coffee consumption. The biggest question is, with all the inspiration above, which of the latest coffee trends will you try first?
