Latest Trends in Coffee
Quality coffee is getting a lot more popular than it used to be. Once upon a time, everyone drank high acid store brands. Now, more and more consumers are concerned about the quality, production methods, and type of coffee they buy, and interest in using specialty coffees to make unique home, gourmet coffee brews is rising.
From Fair Trade organic coffee to low acid beans, unusual varieties and home espresso machine purchases, we're getting a lot more interested in coffee. Much is being published about health concerns, fluctuating costs to the consumer and there has been an explosion of gourmet coffee stands opening in suburban neighborhoods. Let's take a look at some of the latest trends.
Gourmet Coffee Gets More Attention
Seventeen percent of the adult population consumed a gourmet coffee drink on a daily basis in 2008, up from fourteen percent in 2007 and still rising. Gourmet coffee is becoming more popular, and coffee shops to facilitate peoples' tastes are showing up in more and more locations. You can even find gourmet coffee in some McDonalds! The chain sells Newman's Own Organic coffee, and has been marketing its own brand of gourmet brew, as well as cappuccinos and lattes, alongside the traditional hot cup of plain coffee.
You'll find gourmet coffee at Burger King, too. The fast food chain's BKJoe brand is roasted specially for it by the second largest roaster in the world. Target now sells its own brand of single origin and gourmet beans, and major convenience store chains, like 7-11 and Store 24 are including gourmet coffee bars in their newer stores. About half of young adults currently drink coffee, with the majority of new coffee drinkers in the 18-24 year old demographic. This is the fastest growing group of coffee consumers, growing at about five percent a year. The group that drinks the most coffee in the US is still seniors, however, with nearly three quarters of adults over the age of 60 reporting that they have a cup every day.
Specialty Drinks Are Popular
It's not just your basic brew that's being consumed, either. Coffee drinkers are choosing lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, and iced and frozen coffees at a higher rate than ever. Iced coffee can be made at home or obtained at fast food chains, and many are offering plenty of other specialty drinks, too. High quality cappuccino makers and espresso machines can be found for home use, making it simpler than ever to produce high end gourmet beverages in your own kitchen. Flavored coffee is getting a real boost, as well.
One of the products that's increased gourmet and specialty drink consumption has been the single serve coffee system. These machines produce a lot of trash, but offer the ability to make just one cup, extremely easily. They're being installed in many offices because of this, and have come into kitchens, as well. Instead of the old coffee pot, which sits all day and becomes bitter, people have the ability to have a fresh cup to their specifications in a few minutes. The only real downside is the extra packaging.
Ecological And Ethical Concerns
We're asking where our coffee comes from, as well as how it tastes. Traditional coffee growing methods have been shown to be environmentally unfriendly and dangerous to workers. Heavy deforestation, extensive use of pesticides and fertilizers, and unsafe conditions for workers who receive very low pay while working long hours are all common in conventional production. While very few used to question these practices, more people are wondering about the origins of their coffee. This has led to an upsurge in the popularity of coffee that has been grown under certain conditions and received certain certifications.
Coffee which is certified organic has been grown using sustainable practices and no chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and is required to be grown in a way that preserves animal habitat and reduces erosion. Shade grown coffee is produced among the trees, allowing more rain forest to stand while coffee is grown, and is said to have a richer flavor than coffee grown in the sun. Fair Trade certifications assure buyers that the workers who grow and harvest the coffee have been treated ethically and paid fair wages, while Bird Friendly coffee is a type of organic coffee certified to be less harmful to native bird populations in the countries where it is grown. All these coffees cost somewhat more than conventional low cost coffees, but little more than high quality types. Nearly every coffee shop offers some type of organic or Fair Trade coffee, and most have several.
Overall, the thing to notice is that people now care more about their coffee than ever before. From specialty drinks to readily available gourmet coffee type, eco-friendly coffee to fair pay for workers, there are all kinds of considerations. We want to be sure we're getting a high quality, delicious cup, and many of us care where it comes from. Many of us are buying an espresso machine or other specialty device and choosing to make more of our coffee at home, while others are making the coffee shop a social center.
Coffee might soon be more popular than it's ever been, with people across every demographic becoming more selective, but more enthusiastic about their beans. You can even buy coffee green and roast it yourself for the flavor you desire. If you haven't been paying attention to coffee lately, maybe it's time you did. There are lots of options available, so there's sure to be one for you.
Shop for brand name Discount Coffee or Espresso Machines at Amazon.Com below:
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DeLonghi EC155 Espresso Maker List Price: $140.00 Sale Price: Too low to display Used From: $79.99 Average Rating:   |
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The DeLonghi Espresso Maker has a patented dual-function filter holder for use with ground espresso, this unique filter mixes air into the brewing process to produce a perfect crema. Distinguished by it's caramel color, the crema is the essence of authentic espresso... |
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Mr. Coffee ECM160 4-Cup Steam Espresso Machine List Price: $39.99 Sale Price: $34.06 Used From: $31.99 Average Rating: |
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Makes delicious espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes. Powerful milk frother. 4-Cup capacity: 20-ounce. Per shot. Removable drip tray. Easy to pour decanter. Removable frothing aid. On/off indicator light. |
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DeLonghi BAR32 Retro Pump-Driven 35 ounce Espresso Maker List Price: $210.00 Sale Price: Too low to display Used From: $63.00 Average Rating: |
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DeLonghi is proud to present this unique and popular BAR32 Retro Pump-Driven 35 ounce Espresso Maker. Just a few of it's features include pump driven, makes coffee in mug-size or smaller cup-sizes, brews standard or with pods... |
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Capresso 303.01 4-Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Machine List Price: $100.00 Sale Price: $59.95 Used From: $50.00 Average Rating: |
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Experience the full taste of espressos, cappuccinos and lattes. The Capresso 4-Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Machine features an exclusive Coffee/Steam Selector that makes it easy to control both brewing and steaming, allowing the user to adjust coffee strength to their personal taste... |
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Urnex Cleancaf Coffee Maker & Espresso Machine Cleaner and Descaler 3 Pack Sale Price: $6.49 Average Rating:  |
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Cleancaf® Brand Cleaner and Descaler is an essential component to maintaining great tasting coffee at home. Cleancaf® is designed to remove flavor-tainting stale coffee oil residue from home machines... |
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Tags: Cappuccino, Coffee, Coffee Beans, Espresso, flavored coffee, Gourmet Coffee, iced coffee, lattes, mochas
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