US – Two-thirds of Americans (66%) drink coffee every day, up nearly 14% since January 2021, according to a report prepared by Dig Insights on behalf of the National Coffee Association (NCA).
The report said the margin roughly at 517 million cups of coffee each day represents the largest increase since NCA began tracking data.
The next most popular beverage cited by Americans was bottled water, with 54% reporting they drink it every day, followed by tea (48%), tap water (42%), soft drinks (38%), and juice (23%).
Coffee’s popularity is supported by both younger and older populations, with younger groups increasing their consumption and older groups remaining wide adopters of the drink.
Coffee drinking increased 14% since January 2021 among people ages 18 to 24, while 72% of people ages 60 and older drink coffee daily.
Additionally, the report showed drinking coffee at home remains strong following the pandemic, while support for coffee prepared away from home is on the rise, despite falling short of pre-pandemic levels.
Roughly 84% of coffee drinkers reported they had coffee prepared at home in the past day, compared to 80% in January 2020.
At home, NCA said, coffee consumption remains above pre-pandemic levels, indicating a share of Americans are still working from home.
The most popular way to prepare coffee at home, according to the respondents, is by using a drip coffee maker, with 41% of coffee drinkers reporting they use this method, followed by single-cup systems (27%), cold brewing (13%) and espresso machines (8%).
Consumption of espresso-based beverages, typically prepared away from home, also rose by 30% since the start of the pandemic.
Although coffee consumption away from home has increased by 8% since January 2021, away-from-home consumption has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, the report showed.
Interestingly, various trends indicate the tide could be turning from away-from-home coffee purchases to a new form of coffee drinking.
Since July 2021, the number of Americans who reported drinking coffee after breakfast increased by 15%, indicating more Americans who are back at work are having coffee during commutes or breaks, NCA reported.
Americans also reported a growing interest in specialty coffee drinks, with 43% saying they chose a specialty coffee drink in the past day which represents a 20% increase since January 2021 and also the highest level since NCA started tracking.
The leading trade association for the US coffee industry said that consumers are on the lookout for innovative coffee beverages that add diversity to their coffee drink repertoire.
The Association commented that Beverage developers can meet growing demands for coffee drinks by creating products that align with consumer demands for sustainable products, innovative flavors, and functional benefits.
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