Food & Beverage

Pandemic pushes home coffee consumption, sustains interest in gourmet products

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July 29, 2021

At-home coffee consumption jumped from 73% to 81% during the pandemic over foodservice coffee consumption, according to research from The NPD Group.

Sales of espresso machines, French presses and cold brew makers grew by double-digits in the year ending May 2021 compared to the same period a year ago, according to a press release on the research.

Coffee accessories, like temperature-controlled mugs and milk frother wands, also experienced double-digit growth. Sales of frothers, for example, increased by 120% this May compared to a year ago, according to NPD.

The interest in preparing gourmet coffee at home preceded the pandemic, the report said, as sales and use of pod-style, French and other presses and pour-over coffee makers have increased over the past three years.

"Consumers' palates are more sophisticated now when it comes to coffee. They've invested their time and money in bringing a gourmet coffee experience into their homes," Joe Derochowski, home industry advisor at The NPD Group, said in the release. "Even when they're back to work or school, they'll continue to get a return on their investment. Manufacturers can benefit by offering great taste, which is always key, the ability to adjust the taste, and versatility in enabling consumers to get that coffee house experience at home."

In the year ending May 2021, coffee servings ordered at commercial foodservice declined by 7% from a year ago, and for a pre-pandemic view, it decreased by 11% from two years ago.

Consumers also cut down on visits to their favorite coffee house and gourmet coffee chain. Visits to these types of outlets declined by 6% in the period compared to a year ago, and 8% from two years ago.

Still, coffee shops, independent and chains, have been among the strongest performing restaurant channels over the long term, and as the country emerges from the pandemic, visits improve, according to the report.

When purchasing coffee at foodservice outlets, consumers prefer specialty coffee beverages over regular coffee. Specialty coffee servings orders at foodservice outlets overall represent 44% of orders, and regular coffee, 40%. Specialty coffee holds 71% of servings ordered at coffee shops, and regular coffee represents 29% of servings.