Coffee Consumption Facts from the USA.
What do coffee drinkers elsewhere in the world like and what are the trends that are developing elswhere? Well, thanks to a survey by the National Coffee Association of the USA, we have very recent 2022 data that helps us to see what is happening in the USA. It makes for interesting reading and we wonder if this offers an insight into South African coffee drinking trends going forward ?
The latest coffee consumption data from the National Coffee Association in the USA found that 66% of Americans drank coffee on the day prior to the survey and that a staggering 517 million cups of coffee are consumed in the USA each day!
Given tea was consumed by only 48% of respondents, and soft drinks by only 38%, it makes coffee the most consumed beverage after water.
How does South Africa’s coffee consumption pattern compare to that of the USA?
Our view is that favourites like cappuccino, flat white and latte have a higher percentage consumption in South Africa than in the USA, and that drinks like espresso, americano and macchiato all have a much lower percentage consumption. Of course, soluble (instant) coffee is probably the type of coffee most consumed in South Africa.
What we find interesting is that in the USA, despite the Starbucks espresso based coffee revolution, drip (filter) coffee still outranks coffee made with espresso coffee machines and coffee capsule machines in the USA. Although as the survey notes, this could be a result of more “at-home” coffee brewing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The real surprise though is cold brew coffee! Could this become more of a mainstream coffee choice in South Africa?
Then probably like many South Africans, Americans love their morning coffee! More than 80% of Americans start their day with coffee! We know that most of it will be filter coffee but it’s exciting to see how espresso based coffee consumption is increasing.
The trend towards specialty coffee is noticeable with a full 20% increase in consumption since 2021. Things may be tight eonomically, but Americans are demanding higher quality coffee and are enjoying going out for it. This is also changing the sales of coffee machines in the market as consumers seek out better quality coffee and no doubt office coffee machines will become even more popular. In South Africa, this is translating to greater demand for automated office coffee machine rentals.
Finally, we’re happy to see that no matter how old you are, Americans are showing us that you are never too old to enjoy a cup of great coffee! Why not watch a great story about a man who set out to thank everyone involved in the making of his coffee each morning… quite a few more people than you might think!
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