Although canned lattes and cold brew are popular options in this market sector, demand for functional RTD coffees is also growing – including coffee leaf seltzer. As the name suggests, these drinks are made using leaves from coffee plants, which means they contain no caffeine.

So how is coffee leaf seltzer made and what does it taste like? And more importantly, can it help coffee producers diversify their income? To find out more, I spoke to Josh Tarlo, founder of Headstand, and Carlos Pola, a producer in El Salvador. Read on to find out what they had to say.

You may also like our article on coffee leaf tea.

How do you make coffee leaf seltzer?

Before explaining coffee leaf seltzer, it’s important to acknowledge the cultural significance of coffee leaf tea. In countries like Sumatra, Ethiopia, Jamaica, India, Java, and Sudan, people have been preparing coffee leaf tea for hundreds of years.

In Ethiopia, for example, coffee leaf tea (referred to as kuti by local Harari communities) is made by boiling coffee leaves in water for around 30 minutes. People also add sugar or salt to taste, too.

Josh Tarlo is the 2018 UK Barista Champion and 2013 Canadian Brewers Cup Champion. He tells me how he started Headstand – a UK coffee leaf seltzer brand.

“I had heard about coffee leaves being brewed like tea and I was interested,” he says. “In 2018, I spoke to Carlos Pola, who I was buying coffee from, and asked him about making coffee leaf tea so I could use it as part of my signature drink round at the World Barista Championship.

“When I tasted it I knew I needed to use it, it was delicious,” he adds.

However, he explains that it wasn’t until the pandemic that he decided to add coffee leaf tea extract to carbonated water. 

“One day it clicked that coffee leaf tea would make a delicious no added sugar seltzer,” Josh says. “I then realised that we can develop a market for it and help diversify producers’ income. 

“I spoke to Carlos again and we came up with different ways to process the leaves,” he adds. “After some trial and error, we created a method and I developed Headstand as a brand.”

Josh explains how Headstand makes its coffee leaf seltzer.

“We import vacuum-packed leaves and steep them in cold water for 24 hours,” he says. “From there, we strain the leaves and mix the leaf extract with flavourings, and then carbonate and pasteurise the drinks.”

What does it taste like?

There are some comparisons between coffee leaf tea and green tea. Coffee leaf tea generally tastes sweeter than green tea, contains less caffeine, and has a higher level of antioxidants – which can have a number of health benefits.

When added to a seltzer – a carbonated beverage made by adding carbon dioxide to water – coffee leaf tea can work as a natural sweetener. In turn, coffee leaf seltzers can be a refreshing low-calorie beverage option.

Coffee leaf seltzers can also be flavoured. Headstand, for instance, sells yuzu and ginger flavoured drinks, which also includes other natural ingredients such as chamomile, ginseng, and L-theanine. The brand also recently launched three loose coffee leaf blends which are brewed similarly to tea.

“Because coffee leaf tea is a new concept for many consumers, we need to educate them about what it is and what it tastes like, as well as its health benefits and how it can benefit coffee producers,” Josh tells me.

How big is the market for coffee leaf seltzer?

As the craft RTD coffee market grows and diversifies, it’s likely that coffee leaf seltzer will become more popular in the coming years. 

Carlos believes there is a lot of market potential for coffee leaf seltzer. 

“Josh and I have been carrying out experiments with processing methods for a long time now, and some of them have been great successes,” he explains. “Coffee leaf tea was a new and different experience for us.

“It’s a refreshing and healthy drink, as well as a way for coffee producers to diversify their revenue,” he adds.

That’s not to say however, that there aren’t challenges when exporting coffee leaves. Carlos stresses the importance of understanding the different regulations and permits needed to export them to different countries. 

“The biggest issues we face are knowing which permits to apply for, monitoring any regulation changes, and paying higher costs for air freight,” he says. “Overall, it’s been a big learning curve.”

Despite these obstacles, it’s clear there is space in the RTD market for coffee leaf seltzer. Consumers – particularly younger generations – are continuously demanding more convenient coffee products. Moreover, they are increasingly placing more importance on health and wellness when purchasing RTD coffee drinks.

“Whether it’s plant milks or functional drinks, what we consume and how it affects the wider supply chain matters to a lot of people,” Josh explains. “I see coffee leaf seltzer as part of a movement that is changing our food systems for the better.”

How can producers benefit?

Although coffee (and potentially other cash crops) is usually the biggest income generator for the majority of coffee producers, selling coffee leaves can be a boost in revenue for some – as long as they have the right level of support and resources.

As all coffee plants produce plenty of leaves, farmers are already able to start selling a new product and diversify their income. There are, however, still some challenges which producers would need to overcome to sell their coffee leaves effectively, including:

• Knowing how to process and dry leaves correctly for export
• Understanding the logistics of exporting coffee leaves to different countries
• Knowing when and how to remove leaves from branches without damaging the plants (similar to coffee flowers which can also be upcycled)

A way to better support the coffee industry?

Josh believes that selling coffee leaves could be a viable way for more producers to increase their income.

“In terms of popularity, coffee leaf seltzer could become the next kombucha or CBD-infused coffee drink,” he says. “But more importantly, it presents an opportunity to help increase the standard of living for coffee producers around the world. 

“What’s more, selling coffee leaf seltzer is a way for coffee shops to express their values around sustainability and create a more ethical supply chain,” he adds. “Covid-19 showed us how fragile our supply chain system can be, and so many coffee producers experienced a very challenging time. 

“Ultimately, it means we need to create new ways of strengthening and adding value to the whole supply chain – from producers to consumers,” he concludes.

Demand for RTD coffee beverages has never been so high, and is only going to increase in the coming years. And with health and wellness becoming a bigger focus in this market segment, it’s inevitable that consumers will want more options.

Coffee leaf seltzer certainly has potential to become more popular, especially in the specialty coffee sector. But with the numerous logistical hurdles associated with exporting coffee leaves, it may take some time.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how specialty coffee can push for a circular economy model.

Photo credits: Josh Tarlo, Headstand

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It’s clear that specialty coffee sees plenty of potential with the quality of these varieties. In turn, the market for high-quality low-caf coffee is slowly but steadily growing. 

Another coffee variety which is naturally low in caffeine is AC1. First discovered in Ethiopia, the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC) has carried out extensive research on this coffee to better understand its market potential. And there have been some promising results, too.

To learn more about AC1, I spoke to Dr. Julio Mistro, a researcher at IAC, and Kenean Dukamo, head of coffee at Ethiopian exporter Daye Bensa. Read on for more of their insight.

You may also like our article on Laurina coffee.

Where does AC1 come from?

Like other low-caf varieties, AC1 is naturally low in caffeine. Comparatively, AC1 contains around 0.76mg of caffeine per gram of coffee, while arabica contains an average 8 to 12 mg/g.

So where does AC1 come from?

Around 60 years ago, a group of agronomists and researchers from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation travelled to Ethiopia. The group collected 621 variations of arabica seeds, which were shared with research institutes around the world. These included the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) in Costa Rica.

Dr. Alcides Carvalho – a researcher at the IAC at the time – requested some of the seeds sent to CATIE, which were planted at Fazenda Santa Elisa in Campinas, Brazil in 1973. Some 26 years later, IAC researcher Maria Bernadete Silvarolla identified three arabica plants which produced coffee with very low caffeine content. These were the AC1, AC2, and AC3 varieties.

Dr. Julio Mistro leads the research project on Fazenda Santa Elisa. 

“AC1 is a tall plant with less angular branches [than other coffee plants], and produces relatively low yields,” he says. “The variety is moderately tolerant to coffee leaf rust, but is very sensitive to higher temperatures and dry conditions.”

Research on the AC1 variety

In a 2011 study titled Characterisation of AC1: A naturally decaffeinated coffee, IAC researchers compared AC1 to Mundo Novo. This variety is a natural cross between Bourbon and Typica which is popular in Brazil. Researchers chose Mundo Novo because of its relatively low caffeine content (between 1% and 1.2%).

Researchers compared a number of factors between the two varieties, including the development of:

• Cherry growth
• Sugars
• Organic acids
• Amino acids
• Phenolic compounds

Although AC1 cherries are smaller than Mundo Novo, there are many similarities in chemical composition between both varieties. Ultimately, this has led researchers to conclude there is potential for the AC1 variety in the global coffee market.

Is there a place in the market for low-caf varieties?

While naturally low-caffeine varieties are a relatively new discovery in the global coffee industry, decaffeinated coffee is immensely popular. According to research firm SkyQuest, the value of the global decaf coffee market will reach US $28.86 billion by 2030.

Although moderate caffeine consumption is safe for most consumers, there are many reasons why people choose to drink decaffeinated coffee. These include allergies and health concerns – especially about the processes used to remove caffeine from green coffee.

These concerns largely stem from past processes which used chemical solvent methyl chloride to remove caffeine. When consumed in high amounts, methyl chloride can potentially be toxic – which has led many companies to stop using this chemical solvent altogether.

Different decaf processes

Today, there are a number of safe ways to decaffeinate coffee, with each one having its own impact on coffee flavour and quality. The most common method is the Swiss Water process, which has been in commercial use since the 1970s.

The Swiss Water process uses fresh water containing soluble compounds from green coffee (apart from caffeine, which is removed using a carbon filter). This mixture is referred to as green coffee extract (GCE).

Green coffee is then soaked in this mixture for up to ten hours, which allows the caffeine compounds to transfer from the green beans to the GCE. This leaves around 0.01% caffeine content.

For many specialty coffee professionals, the Swiss Water decaf method preserves most of the coffee’s inherent characteristics. Moreover, it’s one of the safest and most natural ways of removing caffeine from green coffee.

Other methods include:

• The Mountain Water Process, developed by Descamex
• Carbon dioxide method
• Descafecol’s sugarcane method

Given that the various decaffeination processes can affect coffee quality and flavour profile in different ways, there is certainly more market potential for low-caf varieties. As these coffees are naturally low in caffeine, they don’t need to be chemically treated or modified. This means there is potential to preserve quality and flavour as much as possible.

Could AC1 become more popular?

With interest in low-caf varieties like Laurina and Aramosa growing in the specialty coffee sector, is there the same potential for AC1?

Although more research is needed to answer more definitively, it’s clear that low caffeine levels can be detrimental to the growth of AC1 and other low-caf coffees. This is because caffeine acts as a natural repellent against insects and pests, so coffee plants which contain less caffeine can die more quickly. In turn, despite growing interest from specialty coffee roasters and consumers, there is little incentive for producers to plant low-caf varieties.

“The IAC doesn’t recommend commercial production of AC1, and we have never distributed seeds for commercial planting,” Julio tells me. “AC1 needs different treatment compared to other varieties in Brazil, including more fertiliser application and irrigation, as well as more intensive weed, pest, and disease control methods.

“Even with these strict measures, which also cost more money, yields would still be low,” he adds. “We would need to carry out more complex studies to better understand how to scale AC1 production sustainably.”

Using low-caf varieties to diversify production

In light of the challenges associated with growing AC1 and low-caf varieties, agronomists are using these coffees to determine future market potential.

“The IAC has cross pollinated AC1 with other prominent Brazilian arabica varieties, including Catuaí, Mundo Novo, Obatã, and Ouro Verde,” Julio explains. “We then developed new cultivars with not only high yield potential, but with caffeine levels between 0.03% and 0.10%.”

Julio adds that the IAC is carrying out regional trials to select which plants could be best for commercial production.

“It will take around six or seven years to conduct these tests successfully,” he says. “We are open to collaborating with companies that are willing to invest in the final phase of the programme.”

In June 2023, the IAC reported it had planted several of these low-caf varieties on farms across Brazil, with results already seeming promising.

“The aim of the programme is to develop varieties that are more productive than Laurina, but have even lower levels of caffeine,” he tells me. “On average, Laurina contains about 0.6% caffeine, but produces very low yields and is highly susceptible to several diseases.”

Kenean Dukamo, who placed second at the 2022 Cup of Excellence Ethiopia competition, tells me that while he doesn’t grow AC1 or other low-caf varieties, there is certainly interest in doing so.

“We would be open to growing a coffee variety that is naturally low in caffeine, so we could sell it as an alternative to decaf,” he says.

Innovation is rampant in specialty coffee, and this includes expanding and diversifying the market for low-caf varieties like AC1. While it’s clear that more research is needed to better understand how to scale production of these coffees, roasters and consumers alike are increasingly showing interest.

But ultimately, for producers to grow more naturally low-caffeine varieties as sustainably as possible, it’s important they receive the right level of support and guidance.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on whether low caffeine varieties could replace decaf.

Photo credits: Julio Mistro, Kenean Dukamo

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North America, meanwhile, consumed almost 31,000 60kg bags in the same year – making it the third-largest market after Asia and Oceania in 2021.

For a long time, we have largely considered the European and US coffee markets to be very different from one another for a number of reasons. However, as specialty coffee becomes more and more popular in both regions – and given that specialty coffee brands tend to market themselves quite similarly – an important question emerges: how different are they?

To find out, I spoke with two coffee professionals. Read on to find out what they had to say about coffee consumption trends in Europe and the US.

You may also like our article on whether specialty coffee culture is dominated by the US.

Comparing European and US coffee consumption

Before we break down the differences between the European and US coffee markets, let’s first examine how much coffee they consume.

Let’s start with the US. Across the country, coffee consumption has been growing over the past few years. According to data from the National Coffee Association, between January 2021 and March 2022, the country’s coffee consumption increased by 14%. This represented the largest increase since the NCA began collecting data on US coffee consumption – marking a 20-year high.

As per the NCA’s Spring 2023 National Coffee Data Trends report, 65% of US Americans reported drinking coffee in the previous day. This amounts to around 491 million cups of coffee every day. 

Similarly, the NCA and Specialty Coffee Association’s latest joint 2023 National Coffee Data Trends Specialty Coffee Report concluded that 59% of US Americans had consumed specialty coffee in the past day. This represents a 2% increase on July 2022 – despite rising inflation rates.

Europe, meanwhile, accounts for around one-third of global coffee consumption. According to data from CBI, the European Union has one of the world’s highest average annual per capita coffee consumption rates: an estimated 5kg of coffee per person per year.

Importing & roasting coffee

Alongside consumption, Europe is also the largest coffee importer in the world. In 2021, Europe collectively imported more than 3.62 million tonnes of green coffee – representing an average annual increase of 1.6% between 2017 and 2021. Germany in particular is Europe’s biggest green coffee importer, accounting for around 34% of total annual imports.

Both Europe and the US are major coffee roasting markets. In Europe specifically, Italy and Germany are the two largest coffee roasting markets, followed by France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden.

As for the US, the value of the coffee roasting market is expected to grow by 6.6% over the next seven years.

Filter first: Coffee consumption in the US

As it’s only several hundred years old, the US has a much less historic relationship with coffee than most European countries. Although coffee was technically introduced to the US in the 17th century, it wasn’t until the mid-1940s that coffee culture really started to develop.

However, that’s not to say that the US doesn’t have a diverse and vibrant coffee culture today. 

Findings from the Spring 2023 NCDT report state that 41% of US consumers prefer to use automated filter brewers to make coffee at home. This makes it the most popular preparation method, preceding both capsule (or pod) machines and cold brew, respectively.

In terms of espresso-based drinks, lattes are the most popular beverages, followed by cappuccinos. Surprisingly, espresso also holds second place with the cappuccino, with 16% of US consumers choosing to drink espresso – a beverage traditionally associated more with European countries.  

Specific to the US market, flavoured coffee drinks are popular among consumers – with 32% of people drinking them in the past week according to the NCDT report. In order of popularity, some of these flavours include:

• Vanilla
• Mocha
• Caramel, toffee, butterscotch, and hazelnut
• Irish cream
• Pumpkin spice

More reliance on technology

Generally speaking, the US market is much faster at adopting new coffee trends and technologies compared to other countries and regions, including Europe.

Bill Murray is the President and CEO of the National Coffee Association. 

“The US coffee market has almost recovered from the impact of Covid-19, which changed where Americans drank coffee, but not how much they drank,” he says. “In some cases, the pandemic even cemented new trends, like the new popularity of drive-thru and delivery services, as well as the use of apps.”

The 2023 Spring NCDT report found that use of drive-thru and app-based pick-up and delivery services remain higher than pre-pandemic levels. For instance, around 59% of past-day coffee drinkers who purchased beverages from a coffee shop, convenience store, or service station used a drive-thru service. Compared to January 2020, this represents an 11% increase.

Similarly, 29% of people who consumed coffee the previous day used an app to order their beverages – amounting to a 5% increase on January 2020.

The diversity of European coffee culture

There are dozens of countries in Europe, all of which have vast cultural differences. The continent’s coffee culture is incredibly difficult to generalise, giving it a rich diversity and plenty of unique coffee consumption trends which vary heavily from country to country.

As with the US, merchants and traders brought coffee to Europe in the 17th century. However, following this, many coffee houses started to open across the continent. They served as important social and cultural meeting places – and continue to do so today in certain countries.

European coffee culture has had a huge impact on the global coffee sector. Arguably one of the most significant events is when Italian Angelo Moriondo filed a patent for the first-ever espresso machine in 1884. Following this, the espresso machine became immensely popular throughout Italy, as well as the rest of Europe – and can now be found in almost any coffee shop in the world.

In comparison, the US has historically favoured filter coffee (although espresso-based drinks are clearly becoming more popular). With that in mind, however, filter coffee is also immensely popular in Nordic countries – which have helped to drive innovation in the global specialty coffee sector for years now.

Looking at different European coffee markets

Thanks to its diverse range of countries, it’s difficult to generalise coffee consumption trends in Europe.

Looking at Greece specifically, the country is home to around 34.3 coffee shops per 10,000 people – which is the second-highest number in western Europe. 

Petros Malousis is the Development & Operations Manager at CoffeeLab in Greece. He tells me more about Greek coffee culture.

“The coffee-drinking habits of Greek consumers are completely different in relation to other markets,” he says. “For example, Greeks love freddos, and I don’t think that will ever change.”

Alongside a thriving specialty coffee scene, Greece also has a more traditional coffee culture. Kafeneia (traditional Greek coffee houses) are still popular, with many people preferring to drink Greek ibrik coffee – also known as ellinikó. Ibrik, or cezve, coffee is also popular in countries like Croatia, Serbia, Cyprus, and Turkey – although the latter is only partly located in Europe.

“We have seen many larger multinational chains try establishing themselves in Greece, but not many have succeeded,” Petros adds.

In comparison, Switzerland consumes more coffee than Greece, but only has about 2.5 coffee shops per 10,000 people. Norway, meanwhile, spends the most money on coffee per capita per year.

Other European countries like Spain, Italy, Austria, Germany, and France are also renowned for their individual coffee cultures. In Italy, for instance, espresso is so culturally significant that the country has applied for UNESCO heritage status more than once over a period of several years. 

Moreover, most espresso bars in Italy charge around €1 (US $1.07) for a single espresso. This is largely due to price regulations, but also because specialty coffee shops and roasters have struggled to establish themselves in Italy.

Do coffee trends in Europe and the US cross over?

So, espresso has been more prominent in Europe for some time. Filter coffee, meanwhile, has been more associated with the US – both in and out of the home.

Historically, in recent years, coffee consumption trends between the US and Europe have been converging.

For example, many consumers in both markets are becoming increasingly focused on convenience. The pandemic certainly accelerated this trend, with many coffee shops in both the US and Europe adopting cashless payment and automated ordering systems.

At the same time, demand for ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee is also becoming more popular in both markets, particularly among younger generations who favour both convenience and quality. Additionally, cold brew has also become a mainstay in the US and Europe – although notably more in the former.

The rise of specialty coffee

Perhaps the biggest change over the last decade or so, however, has been the growing demand for higher-quality and more sustainable coffee in both Europe and the US. 

“The demand for 100% arabica coffee and single origins has grown a lot in recent years in Greece [as well as other European markets],” Petros says. “Specialty coffee is here to stay, with consumers aged between 18 and 34-years old becoming increasingly interested.”

In the US, Bill doesn’t expect growth of the market to slow down any time soon either.

“Consumers have access to a wide array of coffees and beverages to meet their changing tastes and needs,” he explains. “We also expect that more health-conscious consumers will become more interested in coffee and its unique health benefits.

“These factors will only continue to drive the already record-high consumption of coffee in the US,” Bill concludes.

Despite the fact there are distinct cultural differences in coffee consumption between the US and Europe, convergence in some areas appears to be universal. A growing demand for convenience and higher-quality coffee is shared across the two markets.

Despite this, it still seems that espresso retains its crown in much of Europe – while the US’ filter coffee culture persists. However, whether or not this will continue to be the case remains to be seen – as does how both markets will evolve.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on filter vs espresso in the US and Europe.

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At the same time, consumers’ interest in coffee education has also increased over the past few years – helping to bridge the knowledge gap in specialty coffee.

It’s fair to say that more informed consumers are a big part of achieving true sustainability in the supply chain. However, it’s also understandable to question just how interested consumers actually are in specialty coffee education. In turn, we also need to ask whether coffee shops and roasters should be focusing their efforts elsewhere.

To find out, I spoke to coffee educators Silvia Graham and Dani Bordiniuc. Read on to find out more.

You may also like our article on whether coffee consumers’ focus on education will continue beyond Covid-19.

Understanding specialty coffee’s relationship with education

The overarching aim of coffee consumer education is to inform consumers about what specialty coffee actually is, as well as how to prepare it to a high standard using a number of different brewing methods.

Simply put, specialty coffee scores 80 points or higher on the 100-point Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) scale. This score is determined by a certified Q grader. It’s based on several factors such as acidity, sweetness, bitterness, body, and uniformity, as well as whether any defects are present.

Other less quantifiable aspects of specialty coffee include more traceable and transparent supply chains, as well as more ethical and sustainable business practices – including direct trade. Moreover, especially with roasting and brewing coffee, there tends to be more emphasis on craft and skill in specialty coffee.

Silvia Graham is a co-owner of the Barista School in Romania. She is also the National Coordinator at the SCA Romania Chapter. 

She explains that some consumers may not be fully aware of broader definitions of specialty coffee.

“I can be surprised by the lack of knowledge, confusion, and misunderstanding that surround specialty coffee, thus decreasing its value,” she says. “Roasters and coffee shops both need to play their part in educating consumers more.”

Looking specifically at those who work in specialty coffee, there are a number of more formal training programmes and opportunities. Some of these include:

• Professional barista training, such as latte art classes
• Sensory analysis training, including Q grader qualifications
• Roasting workshops

What are the different types of specialty coffee consumer education?

There are many different forms of coffee consumer education. For example, coffee drinkers can pay to attend courses, workshops, and seminars, and can also take part in cupping sessions (which are usually free). Although these platforms are typically more expensive and time-consuming than other educational resources, they are usually more effective.

Other educational resources, meanwhile, include social media posts, blogs, and articles. While these are free, and therefore more accessible, they are less hands-on than classes and workshops. This can mean their effectiveness varies somewhat.

Dani Bordiniuc is a barista, coffee content creator, and coffee consultant. He is also the creator of Brewing With Dani, an educational platform designed for home baristas and coffee enthusiasts.

He tells me that one of the most effective ways to educate coffee consumers is through direct interactions. At the most basic level, this can simply involve a barista engaging with a customer in a coffee shop.

Essentially, this type of communication allows for a two-way exchange of information, while creating a more personal connection at the same time.

From his experience, Dani explains he usually begins his one-on-one educational sessions with a few questions. He says this helps to gauge the level of knowledge of the consumers, as well as the type of equipment they use at home. 

“The first priority of specialty coffee consumer education should be getting the fundamentals right,” he tells me. “For example, consumers need to understand the importance of using fresh coffee, as well as water quality and grind size uniformity, before diving into the specifics.”

By starting with the more basic aspects of brewing coffee, Dani says consumers can develop a stronger foundation on which to build their coffee knowledge.

The importance of informative and relatable education

As a means of increasing its effectiveness, both Silvia and Dani agree that consumers need to relate to the information they receive from specialty coffee educational resources. This can be done through a number of ways, such as providing analogies, alluding to personal experiences, and telling stories.

“Based on my experience as a barista and coffee shop manager, sensory experiences and curiosity play significant roles in educating consumers,” Dani says. “The approachability of specialty coffee educators is also key – language used should be simple and relatable.

“By slowly exposing consumers to different flavours and types of drinks, they will become more curious, inquisitive, and open to trying things outside of their comfort zone,” he adds. “It’s a pull rather than a push.”

However, there is also the danger of overwhelming consumers with too much information at one time. In line with this, it’s important to provide the appropriate amount of information to pique their interest, while answering all the necessary questions at the same time.

Furthermore, feeling intimidated can also be a big part of why some consumers aren’t open to knowing more about specialty coffee. In turn, industry professionals and educators need to make sure that consumers feel welcome and comfortable when taking part in classes or cupping sessions.

“Any change takes time,” Silvia says. “A consumer won’t change their mind if they are dictated to, but if you provide information in a relatable way that grants them the space to make their own decisions, you will be able to make a difference. 

“A habit is very hard to change, and as the last link in a long supply chain – baristas should remember this when educating consumers,” she adds.

What are the benefits of providing coffee consumer education?

Ultimately, there are many benefits to consumer education – both for consumers themselves and for specialty coffee overall. 

For consumers specifically, having access to high-quality and more formal educational opportunities broadens and deepens their knowledge of the coffee they drink. In theory, this enables them to make more informed choices – and potentially buy higher-quality, more sustainable coffee. 

Moreover, it also increases the chances that they will keep buying specialty coffee in the future.

Naturally, this only serves to support the specialty coffee sector in the long term. By focusing more on coffee consumer education, coffee shops and roasters can generate more sales and continue to grow. At the same time, they can build more trust between themselves and the consumer. In theory, this will also lead to repeat custom, too.

How much do consumers actually want to be educated about specialty coffee?

Many customers value convenience and speed of service over other factors – such as coffee quality – as well. This could mean their interest in specialty coffee education is somewhat limited.

In turn, many specialty coffee shops and roasters may need to target more niche demographics – including millennials and Gen Z. The latter, in particular, has an estimated US $360 billion in disposable income. Moreover, they are more likely to spend on sustainable and ethical purchases, as well as investing in education.

However, we also need to acknowledge that there are limits to the growth of the global specialty coffee industry, and thereby specialty coffee consumer education. In order to remain sustainable and pay higher prices to producers, specialty coffee needs to be marketed as a premium product which comes with a higher price tag.

Inevitably, this ostracises many consumers who may not be willing to pay more for (or can’t afford to buy) specialty coffee. What’s more, we also need to be realistic about quality standards for specialty coffee, and account for the fact that not everyone is interested in drinking higher-quality coffee. 

In turn, it’s highly unlikely that these people would be open to paying for or taking part in specialty coffee consumer education, too.

Is specialty coffee education accessible enough?

Investing in coffee consumer education can be a successful business venture for some coffee shops and roasters. However, there are important factors to consider when it comes to the accessibility of specialty coffee.

As roasters and cafés pay more money for higher-quality coffee, they also need to charge customers higher prices. Naturally, this can exclude some people who simply can’t afford to buy specialty coffee.

Moreover, given the recent economic downturn and rising inflation in many countries around the world, it’s fair to assume that many people who are interested in specialty coffee have less disposable income to spend on premium products. Similarly, they may have even less money to invest in coffee education.

Looking beyond traditional markets

It’s fair to say that in some countries around the world, the specialty coffee market is much more developed. For example, places like North America, Western Europe, Japan, and Scandinavia all have prominent specialty coffee culture. 

As a result, coffee consumer education in these countries is relatively well developed, too. However, in other parts of the world, the focus on specialty coffee education is noticeably smaller. But that’s not to say that their respective specialty coffee markets aren’t growing at pace.

Across Latin America, for instance, consumption of specialty coffee is increasing in certain countries. Using Brazil as an example, research from the SCA states that Brazil’s specialty coffee market share doubled between 2016 and 2018 from 6% to 12%. 

Similarly, the specialty coffee markets in Colombia and Mexico have also grown in recent years – indicating potential to improve coffee consumer education.

Elsewhere, in India, while the market is relatively young, specialty coffee is growing rapidly. Younger generations are now more likely to drink coffee than their predecessors, and there are many emerging specialty coffee brands in the country, too.

Eastern Europe and Baltic countries are also starting to see a rise in specialty coffee consumption. While they currently may not be predominantly specialty coffee-consuming markets, the potential for growth is certainly there.

Is there too much of a focus on traditional markets still?

At the same time, however, it’s important to acknowledge that the general format and structure of specialty coffee education is largely focused on more “traditional” consuming markets. These are mostly countries in Europe and North America, as well as Australia, and New Zealand.

Ultimately, this means that in less traditional markets, unless consumer coffee education is catered more towards market trends in the specific country, it may not be as effective and informative.

As specialty coffee continues to grow and expand into new markets, it’s likely there will be an increasing need for consumer education.

However, equally as important, we also need to understand that not everyone shares the same interest in coffee consumer education. Therefore, specialty coffee brands need to know when and where it’s appropriate to offer educational resources, as well as to which demographics of consumers.

Moreover, given its relatively small market size, the growth of specialty coffee consumer education may also be somewhat limited. This is an important factor that specialty coffee businesses should keep in mind as they look to expand their reach, too.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on online education in the coffee sector.

Photo credits: Dani Bordiniuc, Silvia Graham

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There are many reasons why building trust is essential, but perhaps the most crucial is that it increases brand loyalty. Customers who trust a company are far more likely to continue buying its products and recommend the brand to other people.

To understand why trust is so important for coffee businesses, I spoke with Christos Sotiros, Category Executive & Master Barista at Nestlé Professional, and Anthony Douglas, 2022 World Barista Champion and training manager at Axil Coffee Roasters. Read on for more of their insight.

You may also like our article on whether specialty coffee consumers actually want to be more connected to farmers.

What does “trust” really mean?

In PwC’s 2022 Consumer Intelligence Series Survey on Trust, the accounting firm found that a staggering 91% of US consumers would continue to buy products or use services from a company that gained their trust. Moreover, 14% of people surveyed said they would buy “significantly more” products from a brand that they trust.

The same study shows that a lack of trust can be a deal-breaker for many consumers. In fact, 44% of people surveyed stopped buying from companies that they don’t trust.

Another study conducted by Zeno in 2020 revealed that consumers were four to six times more likely to buy from companies with a “strong brand purpose”, as well as trust and champion them as brands.

However, what does “trust” really mean, especially in the context of the coffee industry?

In simple terms, trust is the belief that a customer has in a business to deliver on its purpose. Furthermore, when a consumer trusts a brand, they have faith that the company operates with their best interests in mind – including manufacturing and selling quality products or providing excellent service.

Christos explains for coffee shops and roasters, maintaining coffee quality and demonstrating care and attention to detail are an essential part of building trust.

“Along with great customer service, coffee businesses need to add value to their products,” he says. “Specialty coffee consumers are looking for high-quality coffees that are both traceable and sustainable.”

Forging trust between baristas and consumers

In many cases, building trust between a coffee brand and its customers is largely the responsibility of the business owner. 

However, during his winning 2022 World Barista Championship routine, Australian barista Anthony Douglas focused heavily on why building trust between baristas and customers is so important.

“A big part of trust is delivering on expectations,” Anthony explains. “The World Barista Championship is a great platform for coffee professionals to develop these skills.

“After all, a big part of the WBC score sheet is based on whether or not the judges experienced the same flavours and service as you said they would,” he adds.

In his routine, Anthony mentioned that in order for customers to understand and appreciate the full extent of specialty coffee, sensory experiences need to match the expectations that the industry sets.

“A customer’s experience in a coffee shop needs to be reflective of green coffee quality, processing techniques, roasting, and method of brewing,” he tells me. “The more that baristas can represent this level of quality, the easier and more motivating it is for customers to expand their knowledge of specialty coffee.

“At the core, consumers are looking for their expectations to be met,” he adds. “When their expectations are met or exceeded, it creates trust and comfort, and opens people up to be more curious and to explore.”

How can lack of trust have a negative impact on coffee businesses?

A lack of consumer trust can have a number of negative effects on a coffee company. Perhaps the most obvious is that a customer may decide to start buying from other competing brands.

If people don’t feel as though a coffee shop or roaster can meet certain standards and requirements, it’s likely that they will look for other alternatives.

Moreover, a lack of trust can also damage a coffee company’s reputation. Social media has made it easier than ever for customers to share details of their experiences with companies, whether good or bad.

If a coffee business loses the trust of customers, they’re more likely to post negative reviews or comments online, which can deter other people from purchasing their products.

Accounting for different needs and expectations

Anthony tells me that he has been working at Axil Coffee Roasters since 2013, and has seen just how important consumer trust is for a coffee business.

“When there is a lack of trust between customers and a coffee business, it closes people off,” he says. “It also makes it harder to deliver a great experience as the customer is already in a negative frame of mind, and it ultimately reduces the incentive to return to the coffee shop or roaster. 

“One of the best ways to build trust is to create sensory and customer experiences which accurately reflect the quality of the coffee you’re serving,” he adds.

Clear and concise communication between baristas and customers is key to creating a positive experience, and indicating to consumers what they can expect from their coffee in terms of flavour, quality, and mouthfeel.

However, baristas need to acknowledge that each customer is different, and will therefore have different needs and expectations. These are often informed by:

• Age
• Personal preferences
• Cultural background (for example, when it comes to customer service, Italian consumers are likely to have very different expectations to US coffee drinkers)
• Interest in and knowledge about specialty coffee

By accounting for these differences, baristas are able to gauge a customer’s needs more accurately and effectively.

“We have seen significant differences in coffee drinking habits between different countries, cities, and consumer lifestyles,” Christos tells me. “Targeting specific age groups with particular menu items could have a positive impact on coffee shops.”

For example, research has shown that younger demographics tend to value more premium and sustainable coffee products, while older consumers are more “traditional” coffee drinkers.  

Furthermore, convenience is also key for many consumers, so offering high-quality ready-to-drink beverage options can help to retain customer loyalty.

Building trust on expectations

As a coffee business owner, it’s important to understand that customers already have a set of expectations when they walk into a café or choose to purchase a product. It’s vital to meet these expectations, but it’s even more important to exceed them whenever possible.

First and foremost, however, it’s crucial that coffee business owners ensure that their employees are in agreement with the company values. According to a Harvard Business Review study, people working at “high-trust” companies reported 74% less stress, 50% higher productivity, and 29% more satisfaction with their lives overall.

Ultimately, creating an internal culture of trust helps to extend this to the customer experience. When baristas and other employees feel more valued and respected, they are likely to perform better at their job – meaning that they provide better customer service.

Price is another key point to consider when it comes to building trust. Generally speaking, customers expect to get what they pay for, so if a cup or bag of coffee has a more premium price, they will expect to receive a higher-quality product.

In line with this, specialty coffee shops and roasters need to make sure that their prices reflect the quality of the products they sell, as well as the quality of the experience they are providing.

The role of the barista

A large part of a barista’s job customer-facing. Anthony explains that this means the responsibility of building trust with the consumer largely lies with them.

“If the ultimate goal is to build trust and deliver on expectations, then more emphasis needs to be placed on moulding those expectations accurately in the first place,” he says. “For example, a barista can develop their skills to taste and describe coffee flavour and quality, so that they can better convey this information to other staff members.

“In turn, these staff members can then better educate consumers with informational cards and recommendations on how to drink certain coffee beverages,” he adds. “I see this being a much bigger focus in the years to come, and I look forward to seeing how creative coffee brands will be with these efforts.”

It may seem simple, but building trust with consumers is essential to any direct-to-consumer coffee business – whether they’re a coffee shop, roaster, or equipment manufacturer.

By taking the time to understand the unique expectations of different types of customers – and aiming to exceed these expectations – coffee companies have a much higher chance of improving brand loyalty and forming long, trusting purchasing relationships.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on why specialty coffee must remember that convenience is everything.

Photo credits: Melbourne International Coffee Expo, World Coffee Events

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In the years since, the definition of convenience within coffee has arguably changed. We’ve seen innovation after innovation, from the rise of instant coffee products in the 20th century to the growth of ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages and capsules. Ultimately, all the evidence shows that convenience has only continued to increase.

So this leads us to a pertinent question: what impact does this have on the coffee industry overall? To find out more, I spoke with the Vice President of Coffee Enterprises Spencer Turer.

You may also like our article on the evolution of convenience store coffee.

Convenience in the coffee sector today

Although convenience has been important to coffee drinkers for centuries (albeit in different forms), consumer demand for convenience has arguably never been as high as it is now.

“Historically, the launch of pods like the K Cup [and Nespresso], as well as single-cup brewers, led to a significant change in the coffee industry,” Spencer tells me. “Consumer demand shifted from brewing a pot of coffee to preparing it by the cup in a more convenient manner.

“More recently, the explosive popularity of ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee packaged in bottles and cans means consumers can drink high-quality beverages without the need for a barista to prepare them,” he adds.

In recent years, there has been a growing number of RTD coffee beverages available on the market including cold brew, as well as milk-based drinks. In fact, research from Food and Beverage Insider found that in 2017, 19% of new global coffee product launches were RTD beverages.

And there’s no doubt that this figure has increased in the years since as more and more coffee brands launch their own RTD products. For example, Lavazza released an organic RTD coffee range in early 2022, and Tims China is set to launch its RTD products in convenience stores across the country.

“As well as this, the number of coffee shops offering on-tap beverages has increased, which provides businesses with new ways to quickly serve high-quality drinks,” Spencer says. 

These products include cold brew, as well as nitro cold brew and nitro lattes, which are both infused with nitrogen to create a smoother and creamier texture.

Capsules and single-serve coffee products have also become more popular over the past few years. Although coffee capsules were first launched by Nespresso in the late 1980s, more and more competitor brands started to enter the market at the beginning of the 21st century as pods proliferated.

Furthermore, as part of this wider growth in demand for convenient coffee options, instant coffee consumption has stayed high, too. In the US, Statista estimates that the global instant coffee market will be worth around US $147.6 billion by 2025. Alongside this, we have seen more and more specialty coffee brands start to sell instant coffee options, with Blue Bottle – a pioneering name in specialty coffee – launching its own in early 2022.

Do people expect more convenient coffee options after the pandemic?

Despite the fact that convenience has been an important purchasing factor for coffee drinkers for many years now, the pandemic undoubtedly accelerated this shift.

A recent study by Deloitte found that in the months since the Covid-19 pandemic, as many as 80% of consumers value convenience more than ever. More than 80% of people surveyed also noted that they expected more flexible shipping and pick-up options – including at coffee shops.

In early 2020, the majority of out-of-home coffee businesses were forced to adapt to new ways of serving customers. In the same year, a UK survey from World Coffee Portal found that 70% of coffee shops in the country switched to takeaway service only, while 67% limited their trading hours, and 57% reduced their menus.

“Social distancing measures meant that coffee shops and roasters had to innovate and change how they operate,” Spencer explains. “We saw more of these businesses offer delivery and pick-up services during the pandemic.

“Some coffee shops also had to stay open with fewer employees, which ultimately forced them to reduce their menu options, as well as to increase their speed of service,” he adds. “In turn, customers started to expect smaller menus, less interaction with staff, limited opening hours, and slower services.

“However, within the specialty coffee sector, our goal was to counteract these potential issues by continuing to serve high-quality beverages,” Spencer continues.

As Covid-19 measures have eased in most countries around the world, there has largely been a return to “normal” standards of service – but demand for convenience remains high.

In line with this, many larger coffee chains have highlighted takeaway and delivery services as key components of their recovery following the pandemic, as well as drive-thru and mobile sales.

How are consumer expectations evolving?

It’s evident that coffee consumers certainly value convenience, but just how important is it to them?

A 2021 study from ecommerce platform Linnworks found that almost half of people surveyed said convenience is more important than price when deciding where to shop. In addition to this, following the pandemic, the same study found that 76% of people claimed that convenience was the biggest influencing factor for them when shopping online. 

“Instant gratification has become the norm as more people are trying to optimise their time and multi-task,” Spencer says. “But at the same time, people are now also scheduling in more time to rest and recharge.

“Coffee shops need to understand the needs of their customers, especially when it comes to speed of service, availability of products, and beverage quality and consistency,” he adds. “Consistency in coffee quality and service can make or break a coffee shop – if the quality of coffee changes from day to day, or even shift to shift, then there is a risk of serving lower-quality coffee to customers.”

However, Spencer emphasises that some aspects of the rise in demand for convenience could have a negative impact on coffee quality.

“Significant waiting times have become somewhat acceptable in most coffee shops,” he says. “However, with mobile and online ordering becoming more common, the quality of beverages could slip if the drink is sat on the counter for too long.”

Understanding the long-term implications for the coffee industry

It’s no understatement to say consumers’ focus on convenience has never been higher. In turn, this means more and more coffee businesses are now looking for ways to cater to this demand.

Whether this includes providing contactless pick-up services, using mobile ordering apps, or offering more RTD beverages, there are a number of ways in which coffee shops and roasters are adapting to the rise in demand for more convenience.

However, Spencer highlights that coffee quality is still important – and notes that it should never be an afterthought.

“Convenience is not always synonymous with high quality, and we as an industry are still working on how to improve the consistency of quality with convenient coffee beverages and products,” he says.

Spencer adds that the growing consumer demand for convenience can lead to more coffee shops relying on automation and technology.

“This can challenge the concept of hand-crafted beverages prepared by baristas, but I believe that each coffee shop has its own needs, and therefore its own solutions to adapt to rising demand for convenience,” he tells me. “But ultimately, people still want to go out to coffee shops and socialise, and enjoy being a customer.

“Convenience is a critical consideration for any coffee business, however, it needs to be factored in along with customer service, coffee quality, and the atmosphere and location of a coffee shop,” he adds. “Coffee businesses must understand the relationship between patience and value for each customer they serve, and then develop their brand accordingly.”

For the majority of coffee consumers, convenience is one of the most important purchasing factors. Naturally, this means coffee businesses must adapt in order to remain competitive.

However, when it comes to adapting to these demands, there is no “one size fits all” approach for coffee shops and roasters. Finding a suitable solution to cater to this rise in demand – whether that’s selling capsules or offering mobile ordering services – ultimately depends on the needs of each individual business, too.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how coffee subscriptions have changed in recent years.

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Many are wondering if this market consolidation is the beginning of a wider change for the industry, and if specialty coffee may soon become dominated by a few holding companies, rather than being spread between a much broader range of brands.

However, it’s clear that Covid-19 shifted how coffee businesses operate, which ultimately influences the motives behind acquisitions. With more and more companies in the coffee industry now seeking guaranteed opportunities for growth, acquiring specialty brands could be a way forward.

To understand why coffee company acquisitions are becoming more prominent, and what this shift could mean for the global coffee sector, I spoke to several industry experts. Read on to find out what they had to say.

You may also like our article on opening & managing multiple coffee shops effectively.

What are mergers and acquisitions?

Mergers and acquisitions are commonly grouped together when talking about the transfer of business ownership or consolidation within the market. But what are the differences?

At its simplest level, a merger is an agreement between two companies to join together and form one company. This is done for a number of reasons, including establishing a broader market reach or gaining more market share.

Acquisitions, meanwhile, are when one company buys some (or even all) of another company’s shares. In this case, companies might retain their own names and branding, or the original operation might become absorbed and rebranded accordingly.

There are many reasons why companies choose to purchase shares in other businesses, or allow other companies to acquire stakes in their business. Similarly to mergers, the biggest reason is to expand or diversify their reach or customer base, or to enter new markets using another brand’s pre-existing expertise.

Alternatively, companies may acquire other brands to gain access to new technologies or intellectual properties. Not only can this help a business to keep up with competitors, it can also help them to quickly hire staff and access resources needed to launch new products and services.

Recent major acquisitions in the coffee sector

Over the past decade, there has been a run of significant acquisitions in the coffee industry – including both larger chains and smaller specialty coffee brands.

One of the most significant examples was in 2019 when Coca-Cola acquired UK coffee chain Costa Coffee for around US $5 billion. The acquisition was driven by a number of factors, but possibly because US consumption of carbonated soft drinks hit a 30-year low in 2017.

In 2021, Coca-Cola HBC (the world’s third-largest bottler of Coca-Cola products) purchased a 30% equity share in Caffè Vergnano – one of Italy’s oldest coffee roasters.

Another example is Nestlé, which purchased a majority stake in Blue Bottle Coffee in 2017 – a specialty coffee roaster in the US and Japan.

Corporate interest in specialty coffee brands has seemingly been increasing over the past decade.

In 2012, German conglomerate JAB Holding Company acquired San Francisco’s Peet’s Coffee – a pioneer of the specialty coffee industry. Subsequently, three years later, Peet’s purchased Stumptown Coffee Roasters – another prominent specialty roaster in Portland, Oregon. JAB Holding also acquired the coffee and food-to-go chain Pret A Manger in 2018.

Broadly speaking, these acquisitions of coffee brands are a means of expanding into new markets (such as specialty coffee) by leveraging existing expertise and established brands. For instance, Starbucks and Blue Bottle offer different products to two very different consumer bases, providing them with reach within two important (and profitable) market segments.

Acquisitions can also help existing brands move into new international markets, too. For example, international food and ingredients company ofi completed the acquisition of 116-year old Canadian coffee roasting and packaging company Club Coffee earlier this year. Ultimately, this gives the company the chance to expand in North America (one of the biggest global coffee markets) while retaining Club Coffee’s expertise and established brand image.

Has Covid-19 changed things?

While there has clearly been interest in acquiring coffee brands for well over a decade, Covid-19 has certainly influenced growth strategies for many companies.

Towards the beginning of the pandemic, a staggering 95% of out-of-home coffee businesses were forced to close operations for several months. Naturally, this resulted in a huge spike in home coffee consumption, as consumers started to prepare more café-quality beverages at home.

Undoubtedly, larger companies wanted to capitalise on this shift in coffee consumer behaviour, but doing so was by no means easy.

Umberto Doglioni Majer is President and Chief Executive Officer at Vea Ventures, a holding company  which owns several coffee machine brands, including Carimali, Elektra, and Bellezza. 

He explains that it can be difficult to scale a specialty coffee brand’s reach quickly because of the inherent challenges that come with it, such as sourcing high-quality and traceable coffee.

“[Specialty coffee companies] can be considered growth companies,” he says. “This term describes smaller brands which bigger companies can acquire as platforms to build on.

“However, returns on an investment like this don’t usually happen quickly,” he adds. “It can take years [to turn a profit].”

Umberto says that many larger companies are now seeking growth opportunities with a better chance of success. In his experience, he says this means acquiring shares in brands that are more established, with a proven record of profitability and a loyal customer base.

“Factors such as the pandemic, rising inflation, and crashes in the stock market have led to an increased interest in acquiring more established companies,” he tells me. “This is because these brands will already have better profit margins and larger consumer bases.”

Can specialty coffee brands remain competitive if the market consolidates?

The current economic climate for smaller coffee businesses is challenging to say the least. The C price recently reached a 10-year high, shipping is incredibly expensive, and profit margins for roasters have tightened in the past few months.

This has made it more difficult for smaller roasters and coffee shops to remain profitable, and less buying power means they may struggle to compete with more established brands which have been acquired by a multinational.

So what can they do to compete?

In some cases, smaller coffee companies can merge themselves. For example, Fairwave is a collective of specialty coffee brands who decided to merge following on from the pandemic. These companies include The Roasterie, Messenger Coffee Company, and Spyhouse Coffee Roasters.

However, the consolidation of brands doesn’t only happen through acquisitions and mergers – it can also take place through strategic partnerships and shared services initiatives. 

One example is The Curate Coffee Collective, which is a shared roasting facility in Portland, Oregon. Since 2020, the facility has been open to roasters of all sizes, and offers them access to equipment and office space, as well as educational resources. 

However, this model isn’t that common within the coffee industry – particularly in the specialty sector.

Spencer Turer is the Vice President of coffee consultancy Coffee Enterprises.

He points out that despite how difficult it can be for smaller coffee brands to remain profitable, mergers and acquisitions may not always be the best solution – especially with larger companies such as multinationals.

“The backbone of the specialty coffee industry is still largely formed of small regional companies,” he explains. “If these roasters and coffee shops have the skills, knowledge, and expertise – and are successful at what they do – then why should there be a reason for them to merge or be acquired by a bigger company?”

While mergers and acquisitions with larger brands can certainly help smaller coffee brands to grow and reach new consumer bases, there are also understandably concerns over how quality control can be scaled and maintained.

In the months and years that follow the Covid-19 pandemic, we will see just how prevalent mergers and acquisitions will be in specialty coffee – especially if the world moves towards a period defined by a global economic downturn. 

It’s clear that consolidation through acquisitions and mergers will nonetheless continue to be part of the conversation about how the industry evolves and scales into the future. This then raises questions about how smaller regional businesses can remain profitable.

Ultimately, for smaller coffee shops and roasters, the most important thing is understanding how you can continue to appeal to your customer base. In some cases, this might mean innovating in line with third wave coffee trends, but in others, it may mean just listening to what consumers want from you – and catering to that accordingly.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on changing your business’ coffee strategy after Covid-19.

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Naturally, this led many consumers to start brewing more coffee at home. According to a 2022 National Coffee Data Trends report from the National Coffee Association, a record 85% of the US population were drinking at least one cup of coffee per day in 2020.

So, in response to this boom in home coffee consumption, some coffee shops and roasters started offering remote educational courses to people interested in making café-quality beverages. 

But as Covid-19 restrictions continue to ease around the world, we have an important question to ask: will the demand for these courses continue? To find out, I spoke to three coffee professionals for their insight. Read on to learn more about what they told me.

You may also like our article on how access to coffee education changed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Covid-19 and home coffee consumption

In late March 2020, it was estimated that some 20% of the global population were ordered to remain at home to slow down the spread of Covid-19. As coffee shops around the world closed, many consumers turned their focus to preparing their own coffee at home.

We saw a number of changes in home coffee consumption in the pandemic. Alongside a shift to online sales, we also saw more people buy from local roasters; as well as being driven by convenience, more people became invested in who they were buying their coffee from.

What’s more, sales of home brewing equipment also increased as consumers attempted to replicate café-quality coffee themselves.

Jake Holmes is the Managing Director of Mission Coffee Works in London, UK. He tells me that the company experienced a significant increase in the sales of home brewing equipment during the first few months of the pandemic.

Alongside these, one of the more prominent trends throughout the pandemic was the rise of ecommerce sales – including coffee subscriptions – as customers were unable to visit coffee shops and roasters in person.

“[At the start of the pandemic], we quickly adapted our business model and focused on ecommerce,” Jake tells me. “At the same time, there was also an increase in the sales of brewing equipment; people definitely had a keen interest in making coffee at home.”

As such, more consumers started to experiment with different brew methods and origins. Subsequently, consumer preferences started to shift, with some people buying higher-quality beans and investing in better equipment.

However, consumers also realised that having good coffee and equipment wasn’t important if you didn’t have the knowledge to accompany them. This meant many turned to online coffee resources; in fact, internet searches for “how to make coffee” and “coffee brewing tips” undoubtedly increased during the pandemic.

Why was there a boom in online coffee education?

The sharp rise in home coffee consumption during Covid-19 arguably shifted consumer preferences and introduced more people to specialty coffee. Many people became more interested in learning about different origins, processing methods, and roast profiles.

As a direct response to this, many roasters and coffee shops launched online educational platforms for consumers.

Dani Bordiniuc is a professional barista, as well as a coffee content creator and consultant. He is also the founder of Brewing With Dani, an educational platform which focuses on home barista online workshops. Prior to the pandemic, the classes were held in person.

“I was sceptical [to shift to online learning] in the beginning because I enjoy the personal connection with my students,” he tells me. “But I was surprised by how well it worked [for everyone].

“Moving online allowed me to reach more people,” he adds.

Dani says that at the start of the pandemic, many of the course participants purchased entry-level home espresso machines. However, he notes that despite investing in quality equipment, some struggled with more of the technical skills, including dialling in and tasting espresso, steaming milk, and pouring latte art.

“The course attendees were very curious,” he explains. “What started as my own project documenting my personal journey in coffee quickly transformed into an educational resource for other people.”

Will the industry keep this up?

So, with Covid-19 restrictions continuing to ease around the world, is there still an opportunity for coffee shops and roasters to maintain consumers’ interest in online coffee education?

Mila Green is the manager and head barista at Detour Coffee in Ontario, Canada. She thinks social media will continue to be a useful component of online learning as far as coffee is concerned.

“Posting on social media is a great way to keep up momentum for online coffee education,” she says. “Video formats are popular nowadays, such as TikTok, where you only have 30 seconds to grab consumers’ attention and interest.

“As coffee professionals, this pushes us to be more creative and show more consumers how to brew high-quality coffee, as well as answering any questions they might have,” she adds.

Instagram is another social media platform that’s proven popular with home coffee consumers. Over the past few years, more and more coffee influencers have begun sharing educational content via the platform and connecting with people who are interested in learning more about coffee.

“Via Instagram Live, you can chat with your followers, post polls on your stories, or use IGTV to engage with people – whichever way works best for your followers,” Mila tells me.

As well as social media, YouTube is another key platform for figures and coffee brands to lean on. For instance, the founder of Square Mile Coffee Roasters, James Hoffmann, has some 1.4 million followers of his coffee YouTube channel, which covers a wide range of topics.

For many consumers, educational coffee content on social media and other digital platforms can help to make the specialty coffee sector more accessible and easier to understand – improving awareness across the board.

Looking to the future

It’s clear that online coffee education saw a big upturn during the pandemic, but there are understandably concerns over whether this trend will continue as more people return to visiting coffee shops in person. 

Mila, however, believes that online coffee education will remain popular.

“I think that it will continue post-pandemic, but possibly in a different way to what it was before,” she explains.

She says that prior to the pandemic, most coffee businesses held more formal educational classes in person, and the target audience were mostly prosumers.

However, since then, the type of consumer interested in coffee education has diversified – meaning less informal educational opportunities are still an option.

“Now, more people are asking us questions about our equipment and about our retail coffee options,” Mila adds.

However, there is a risk that because coffee shops and roasters around the world are largely switching back to normal opening hours, the number of people interested in online coffee education could steadily decline. 

Furthermore, while some people still work remotely, many people have returned to offices and other workplaces, even if hybrid working is becoming more popular. This could mean consumers have less free time to participate in online coffee courses, as well as brewing their own café-quality beverages at home.

Jake, meanwhile, believes that consumer education will remain an important focus for some coffee businesses.

“Since the pandemic, consumers have been far more engaged and much more knowledgeable about coffee,” he says. “People now expect more from their coffee, so I think consumer coffee education is here to stay.”

Dani agrees, saying: “Curiosity is key, but we have to be careful to not overwhelm people with information, but rather give them the tools they need to continue asking questions. 

“I think it’s important that we all do our part to help with this,” he concludes.

As the world moves on from Covid-19, more and more coffee brands are returning to something resembling normal service. While this could mean that the uptake of online coffee courses could fall, some people in the industry are hopeful that coffee consumer education will continue in other forms.

At the very least, the proliferation of coffee content on social media means there are more platforms than ever before through which coffee businesses can share their knowledge and expertise. 

And with people now more accustomed to learning online, it’s likely that coffee consumer education will continue to be popular for years to come.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on online education in the coffee sector.

Photo credits: Brewing with Dani

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Today, the region includes 13 sovereign states and another 18 “dependent nations” – several of which are coffee-growing countries. 

While the majority of Caribbean coffee is exported to other countries, there is a growing number of local roasters catering to the domestic market. Unfortunately, many of them deal with significant challenges.

To find out more, I spoke with roasters in Puerto Rico, Barbados, and Roatán. Read on to learn about Caribbean roasters and the difficulties they face in the coffee industry.

You may also like our article on breaking down Caribbean coffee production.

Understanding cultural differences in the Caribbean

Although the number of Caribbean coffee roasters is certainly growing, we must first acknowledge how diverse the region is.

The Caribbean includes more than 700 islands – with a huge amount of climatic and geopolitical variance between all of them.

Much of the region’s history has links to colonialism and slavery. The first countries in the Caribbean to be colonised fell under the rule of the Spanish and Portuguese in the 15th century, followed by the Dutch, British, and French in the 17th and 18th centuries.

With colonial rule came the influence (albeit often forcibly at that time) of European cultures on native Caribbean people. And while colonial rule has thankfully come to an end in the region, many of these long-lasting European influences are present to this day.

However, with a range of different historic colonial influences across these islands, and huge variance in how they have developed in the decades since, it is difficult to generalise the Caribbean, as well as its coffee culture. As such, we need to treat each island or country as its own respective part of the Caribbean.

Coffee roasters in the Caribbean

Dominic Wyndham-Gittens is the co-owner and Director of Coffee at Wyndhams Coffee in Barbados.

Barbados was one of the first Caribbean islands to be colonised by the British in 1625. Many Jewish Britons settled here after the Dutch began their colonial rule of the island in 1667. 

During this time, many settlers grew sugar and coffee. Today, there is no coffee production on the island – but there is a steadily growing coffee roasting scene.

Despite its rich history of coffee production, the Caribbean roasting sector is still relatively new for a number of reasons. One of these is the high costs of importing coffee to the region.

“The Caribbean can be a very challenging place to be a commercial roaster,” Dominic says. “But we’re passionate about coffee and we think it’s worth it.”

He tells me he pays a 45% import duty tax when exporting coffee to other Caribbean islands, plus 17.5% value added tax (VAT). However, he adds that coffee exports to the US, UK, and Canada are duty tax-free.

The Caribbean’s high import taxes were instated by Caricom, a Caribbean trade organisation, as a means to protect the integrity of the region’s products – including Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee.

However, Dominic says high taxes make it difficult for small businesses to compete with bigger companies. 

“It has taken us 23 years to get where we are,” he explains. “It can take up to seven years for us to accomplish one thing that [larger companies] can do in only a couple of years because we’re located on a small Caribbean island.”

Supply chain challenges

Although there is an increasing number of roasters in the region, many of them face a great number of challenges. For smaller roasters who focus on high-quality coffee, sourcing green beans can be incredibly difficult as it is prohibited by law for them to import coffee into the Caribbean.

Instead, national governments (such as Puerto Rico’s) import commercial-grade, partially-roasted coffee from countries including Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately, this coffee is usually purchased by larger companies to be sold in supermarkets – sometimes misleadingly labelled as Puerto Rican coffee. 

Eduardo Trabada and Gabriel Beauchamp are the founders of Baraka Coffee in San Juan, Puerto Rico. They tell me that because the island is an unincorporated territory of the US, Puerto Rican coffee roasters also face difficulties related to the Jones Act.

This legislation stipulates that all goods shipped to the island – including coffee – must be transported on US-flagged vessels. Not only does this create more logistical issues, it also increases costs.

“It’s inefficient and time consuming,” Eduardo says. “This, along with high taxes and fees, makes importing and exporting goods to and from the island very expensive.”

In order to bypass some of these problems, Baraka Coffee sells 100% Puerto Rican coffee, which is roasted to order in small batches and sold directly to consumers.

However, sourcing single-origin coffee in Puerto Rico also comes with its own challenges. In 2017, Hurricane María led to widespread devastation on the island – destroying many coffee plants.

“Sourcing consistently high-quality Puerto Rican coffee has not been easy for us since we started roasting back in 2014,” Gabriel explains. “It’s expensive and is only available in limited quantities.”

He tells me that in order to stay competitive, Puerto Rican roasters have little choice but to absorb these higher operating costs. Ultimately, despite technically operating in the US, these businesses unfortunately make far less than their mainland counterparts.

As a way to work around a few of these issues, some coffee businesses choose to import roasted coffee. This requires special permits, as well as an added tax of US $2.50 added on for every pound purchased – meaning that Puerto Rican roasters don’t always reap the benefits of buying roasted coffee.

Similar issues are also prevalent in other parts of the Caribbean. Roatán is a Caribbean island off the coast of Honduras. As the island is governed by Honduran authorities, laws and regulations on importing coffee can differ from others, such as Barbados and Puerto Rico. However, roasters still face a number of the same challenges.

José García Quijada is a co-owner of Roa Reserve, a company which roasts, brews, bottles, and sells cold brew in Roatán. He tells me while the manufacturing process takes place on the island, logistical issues mean that the roastery is based in San Pedro Sula on the Honduran mainland.

“If our roastery was in Roatán, it would be difficult to ship coffee back to our clients in mainland Honduras,” he explains. “This is largely because of higher logistics costs, which ultimately would negatively affect the growth of the company.

“There are also risks associated with shipping, such as weather conditions and the time it takes for the coffee to arrive,” he adds.

He says there are a few roasters on the island, but that it’s not easy to roast on a larger scale to reach other markets and grow your brand – largely because of these logistical challenges.

“It’s important to have products that represent the island,” he adds. “Opportunities do exist in Roatán, but there are few specific markets for products like cold brew, so we are trying to fill that gap.”

How is tourism influencing Caribbean coffee culture?

The Caribbean has been a popular tourist destination for many years. Many islands depend on tourism as a critical source of income, so it’s no surprise that this influences the region’s coffee industry, too.

“Tourism in Puerto Rico has helped shape the way we think about coffee,” Gabriel explains. “There are now more diverse menus – especially in more metropolitan areas – which offer everything from traditional espresso-based drinks and cold brew, to iced coffee, plant milks, and more.”

As the region’s warm climate is more suited to iced beverages, cold brew, and coffee cocktails, many Caribbean roasters are starting to adapt in kind. Ready-to-drink (RTD) options are also becoming popular – Roa Reserve currently serves six different cold brew options, as well as using its cold brew concentrate in cocktails. 

Similarly, Baraka Coffee Roasters collaborated with Ocean Lab Brewing Co. to produce a coffee stout, which is infused with Puerto Rican coffee sourced from the village of Adjuntas.

However, while coffee culture is developing in places like Puerto Rico and Roatán, Dominic says that other islands, such as Barbados, are developing at a slower pace.

“Barbados attracts a different tourist crowd; most of the island’s visitors are slightly older,” he says.

Looking ahead

Despite the many challenges they encounter, roasters in the Caribbean remain passionate about the future for the region’s coffee industry.

In Roatán, a partnership with Honduran economic development platform Próspera is set to launch the first sustainable economic hub on the island. The project aims to provide small businesses on the island with support and infrastructure needed to grow their brands – including roasters.

In Puerto Rico, meanwhile, Baraka Coffee Roasters launched Re:Colecta, an initiative which partners with local artists to create coffee-inspired artwork. All of the profits are donated to coffee pickers.

Eduardo and Gabriel say that the project is helping local producers to hire more labourers, as the donations provide more of an incentive to work on coffee farms – potentially helping to secure the future of Puerto Rican coffee production.

As for Barbados, Dominic tells me that more roasters need to be supported and encouraged to develop the island’s coffee sector.

It can be difficult to collectively define the footprint of coffee roasting in the Caribbean, but it’s clear that the region poses a number of logistical and structural challenges for those seeking to operate. However, it remains clear that each island’s unique take on coffee culture is helping some brands to innovate and develop.

With time, investment, and perhaps the reform of certain legislation, more Caribbean roasters’ coffee could well be available on the global market in the coming years.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article exploring Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee.

Perfect Daily Grind

Photo credits: Baraka Coffee Company, Roa Reserve, Wyndhams Coffee

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However, there are a number of variables to consider when brewing filter coffee, including brew temperature, extraction ratio, and grind size. One extraction variable that can often be ignored is agitation. 

Agitation is the process of disturbing or disrupting the coffee bed, either by pouring water directly onto it, or by stirring or swirling the mixture. Just how much you should agitate while brewing filter coffee is a topic of debate among coffee professionals, but it plays an important role in extraction.

To learn more about how agitation influences filter coffee brewing, I spoke to four coffee championship winners. Read on to find out what they told me. 

You may also like our article on achieving even extraction with filter coffee drippers.

What is agitation?

There are several different types of agitation which can be used when brewing filter coffee. These include stirring or swirling the slurry, as well as various methods of pouring water onto the ground coffee – such as pulse pouring. 

Each method of agitation will affect extraction differently, which ultimately influences the overall flavour profile.

Stirring is one of the most common forms of agitation in filter coffee brewing. This method involves using a spoon or other utensil to mix the coffee grounds and water, often for a specific amount of time. 

However, different stirring techniques can have differing effects on extraction. For example, stirring the slurry in a figure of eight pattern is a method commonly used by baristas to evenly distribute the grounds in the water.

Swirling the brewer is another way to agitate the slurry that can improve the consistency of extraction. This method is more commonly used by less experienced baristas, as it is easier to and quicker to do than stirring.

Pulse pouring is also another form of agitation. This process involves pouring water onto the ground coffee in short bursts, which can be an effective way to experiment with your filter coffee brewing. 

Pulse pouring can be highly controlled, too, as you can adjust the number of “pulses” as well as the volume of water added with each pulse.

How much agitation is best for filter coffee brewing?

In Everything But Espresso, coffee professional Scott Rao explains that “agitation always accelerates extraction and usually improves the uniformity of extraction”. So what is the optimal level of agitation for filter coffee?

Ultimately, extraction is a result of several variables, including grind size, origin, roast profile, water temperature, and brew time. Agitation, meanwhile, has its own effects on extraction. 

Agitation is an essential part of brewing filter coffee. Without it, the water molecules would not be able to extract enough volatile compounds from the ground coffee – resulting in weak and sour-tasting underextracted coffee.

However, too much agitation means that too many volatile compounds could be extracted, which may lead to a hollow and bitter-tasting coffee. 

Your chosen brewing method is also another variable to consider. Water distribution plays an important role in immersion brewing as the coffee grounds are fully submerged in the water throughout the total brew time. By evenly submerging all of the coffee grounds in the water as quickly as possible, you are more likely to achieve even extraction.

However, with pour over brewing, the brewer needs to periodically pour water over the coffee grounds, as opposed to adding all of the water at once. This gives you more control, but also means that agitation occurs naturally at certain points.

Agitation in immersion brewing

To achieve the best results with immersion brew methods, the coffee grounds must be fully submerged in the water for as much of the total brew time as possible. Common immersion brew methods include the French press, the syphon (also known as the siphon or the vacuum pot), and the AeroPress.

Agitation plays an important role in the saturation of coffee grounds as it helps to break up any dry clumps. This means that the water molecules are then able to saturate the grounds, resulting in more even extraction.

Regine Wai is the 2022 Malaysian Brewers Cup Champion. She explains that while agitation is necessary for any immersion brew method, it can be more difficult when using a syphon. This is because the water temperature continually increases in the brewing chamber, as it is placed over a gas burner or other heating device throughout most of the brewing process.

“When I brew with a syphon, I use a bamboo stick to agitate my brew,” she says. “Not only does this mix the coffee grounds with the water to release the flavours, it also helps to control the temperature. 

“By agitating [the slurry] a few times you can reduce the [brew temperature] by a few degrees and have more control over the extraction process,” she adds. “Of course, this also depends on the brew recipe and extraction variables you are using.”

How does agitation affect brewing with pour overs?

Most pour over brewers, such as the Chemex or the V60, rely on gravity to draw the water through the coffee grounds. However, the amount of agitation you need will differ depending on the type of brewer you are using.

When brewing a pour over, some coffee professionals believe that a quick stir can help to break the “crust” that can form at the surface of the slurry. This allows water to move through the bed of coffee grounds at a quicker rate – minimising the risk of overextraction. 

However, if you stir for too long or too vigorously, the fines can migrate to the coffee bed, which can prolong the total brew time or even cause channelling. 

In order to minimise any risk of under or overextraction, baristas and home brewers can pulse pour into the centre of the coffee bed throughout the entire brew. This is a more repeatable technique for coffee professionals and consumers – no matter their experience level. 

But for many coffee professionals, preparing a pour over can be more complicated than immersion brewing, which means you need to be careful with the amount of agitation you apply.

Stathis Koremtas is the 2022 Hellenic Brewers Cup Champion. He tells me that agitation is one of the main factors which increases the rate of extraction.

“You have to ask yourself if you want to increase the extraction rate because it will affect the flavours you extract,” he says. “Ultimately, it depends on the coffee you’re using.”

He adds that there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the amount of agitation. Ultimately, it comes down to the coffee you’re brewing.

Achieving consistent results

No matter which coffee you’re brewing, consistency is always essential, and agitation is important when it comes to achieving this.

Gabriel Carol is the 2017 and 2018 Romanian Brewers Cup Champion and the owner of PAGA Microroastery in Bangkok, Thailand. 

He tells me that when he visits coffee shops, inconsistency in brewing techniques is one of the biggest problems that he notices.

“Sometimes a barista will brew the same coffee, but in different ways,” he says. “This means that sometimes I get a great-tasting coffee and other times an average coffee, even if both were made using the same beans.

“It’s a result of human error and a lack of training,” he adds. “I’ve seen baristas pour water in different ways; some apply a lot of agitation, while others apply barely any.”

Techniques like pulse pouring into the centre of the slurry can be used to overcome these inconsistencies, as well as stirring and swirling in a particular pattern for a specified amount of time. 

However, each coffee is different and will require a different approach to agitation.

Mariam Erin is the 2021 UAE Brewers Cup Champion. She provides some guidance on how to alter your agitation technique according to different variables, such as processing method and roast profile.

“I prefer to control the pour flow rate and focus on overall brew time,” she tells me. “For example, for a natural coffee that is roasted medium to dark, I will use a faster flow rate so I can extract fewer bitter-tasting compounds, and increase the acidity.

“However, for a washed light roast, I will pour slower in four or five stages,” she adds. “This way I can enhance the body and balance out the increased acidity.”

When it comes to brewing filter coffee, the most appropriate agitation technique is largely dependent on the beans you are using and your experience level. There is no right or wrong method; each has potential to bring the best out of your coffee.

However, it’s still important to take care when agitating your coffee bed. By stirring, swirling, or pulse pouring in a precise and measured way, you’ll be more likely to achieve even extraction with more desirable flavours and characteristics.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on brewing larger volumes of coffee at home.

Photo credits: Stathis Koremtas

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