More people are brewing coffee per household – but does that really matter?

Covid-19 fundamentally changed coffee consumer behaviour. At the height of the pandemic, 95% of coffee businesses temporarily closed, forcing more people to brew at home. 

Despite a return to normality in many countries, with most coffee shops and roasters now operating as usual, home consumption still remains high. According to the National Coffee Association’s 2024 report, 83% of past-day consumers stated they had a coffee at home – up by 4% compared to January 2020. While out-of-home consumption has grown since January 2021, it’s still considerably lower than in the previous year.

At-home consumption has been a huge driver of market growth in recent years. The “prosumer” market has boomed as an increasing number of consumers are willing to spend more on premium coffee and equipment. Sales of bean-to-cup machines and capsules have also reached new heights since the pandemic – all indicating that more people per household are brewing coffee.

To find out what this means for the wider industry, I spoke to Bill Murray, President and CEO of the National Coffee Association, and Vanusia Nogueira, Executive Director of the International Coffee Organisation.

You may also like our article on what roasters learned from Covid-19.

How Covid-19 shifted home coffee consumption habits

Bill Murray has been the President and CEO of the National Coffee Association (NCA) for over ten years. He has observed that while the home has long been the most popular place for coffee consumption, evidence suggests the market was steadily growing even in the years preceding the pandemic. Data published by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) at the end of the last decade showed that European retail coffee sales had increased 140% since 2010.

Covid-19, however, supercharged growth as the number of people brewing coffee at home surpassed all expectations. “Past-day at-home consumption hit a record 85% in January 2021,” Bill says.

This shift was also seen in many other markets around the world. As more and more consumers wanted to replicate café-quality drinks themselves, sales of whole bean coffee and premium equipment skyrocketed.

Vanusia Nogueira is the Executive Director of the International Coffee Organisation, and the former Director of the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association. She highlights how home equipment brands experienced a surge in sales over the course of the pandemic. 

As one example, Melitta Europe’s Coffee Preparation Division (devoted to the domestic market) saw sales jump from €171.5 million in 2019 to €215.3 million in 2021. In comparison, Melitta Europe’s Professional Coffee Solutions (targeting HoReCa businesses) experienced a sales decline during the same period – to be expected after forced business closures in Europe and beyond.

The post-pandemic coffee market

In many countries around the world, the easing of lockdown restrictions in late 2020 heralded a gradual return to normality as more workers commuted to their offices and businesses reopened.

While all signs indicate that the coffee industry in general is growing, data suggests that recovery has been slower for out-of-home (OOH) consumption. The NCA’s recent annual report showed an increase in OOH sales since January 2021, from 31% to 35%, but figures are still considerably lower than the 41% reported in January 2020.

The rise of the prosumer

It could be argued that in comparison to buying a barista-made drink, preparing coffee at home is considered less of a luxury. But following growing consumer interest in making café-quality beverages, this view appears to be changing.

In response to this, many roasters and coffee shops launched online educational platforms for consumers during the pandemic. This not only raised awareness of specialty coffee across the board, but it also improved consumer knowledge and skills.

“The rise in home brewing changed how people enjoy coffee and elevated coffee knowledge among consumers,” Vanusia says. “This has been a positive development, suggesting potential long-term benefits for the industry.”

The pandemic-driven trend of “in-speriences” – which saw consumers seeking new, and often educational, product experiences at home – helped raise the floor of coffee education over the past four years. The strictures of lockdown encouraged some consumers to devote more time and money to brewing coffee at home, resulting in a new cohort of so-called prosumers. 

Sitting somewhere between an industry professional and a typical consumer, prosumers might best be described as individuals dedicated to replicating a café-style experience at home. Prosumers often invest in semi-professional and complex brewing equipment and accessories, which often include features intended for commercial use.

“Prosumer culture is reflected in a surge of coffee-focused content on social media platforms,” Vanusia says. During a period in which many sought out new ways to connect with like-minded enthusiasts, engaging with an online coffee community was a significant driver of the at-home segment.

How people are brewing coffee at home has changed

The NCA’s latest report shows that drip coffee remains the most popular at-home brewing method in the US, with 59% of respondents preparing coffee this way – up by 15% since 2023. Use of single-cup brewers grew by 30% earlier this year to become the second most popular option, while instant coffee consumption increased by 31%.

Vanusia has also observed a clear increase in filter coffee consumption, particularly with pour overs. “Increased general coffee knowledge and the related changes in purchasing behaviour has driven this choice of brew method,” she says.

The rise of the prosumer has created a subsequent space in the market for high-end coffee equipment, too. During the pandemic, electric grinder manufacturer Baratza experienced its biggest increase in any six-month period, up by 70% since the start of the Covid-19.

This also includes home espresso preparation. Long regarded as a niche pursuit among home brewers, the time, money, and skill required to make espresso-based beverages is usually enough to convince most consumers to visit coffee shops instead. According to Vanusia, though: “Espresso has found its place in home brewing, especially with the increasing popularity of capsules.”

In response, major equipment manufacturers have invested heavily in the prosumer market. De’Longhi purchased a 41% stake in leading espresso machine brand La Marzocco in late 2023. Breville Group also recently strengthened its market position, acquiring the prosumer specialty coffee group LELIT in March 2022.

These strategic investments in the prosumer segment are especially clear at major coffee events, where prosumer espresso machines backed by leading manufacturers have a significant presence.

This trend underscores Vanusia’s opinion that brewing coffee at home is more than just a response to the pandemic and the inability to obtain coffee out of home, but rather, a long-term shift in consumer behaviour and preferences.

So what does this mean for the coffee industry?

The pandemic, and resulting increased interest in home brewing, have brought about substantial changes to coffee consumer habits that are reshaping the wider industry. 

But Bill reminds us that: “Despite all the changes the pandemic created, it didn’t change how much coffee people drink – around two cups per day per adult or around three cups per day per coffee drinker.”

While there is evidence to suggest that consumer knowledge and the prosumer market have grown significantly, it’s unlikely that we will see sustained demand for high-end coffee equipment. After an initial surge during the pandemic, there are signs that coffee equipment sales have since slowed. This can largely be chalked up to the gradual reopening of hospitality venues and a return to the workplace.

Adapting is key

Home consumption and the number of people brewing per household, however, have remained higher than pre-pandemic levels. Rising costs and tightened consumer spending have undoubtedly contributed to this, and as coffee prices are likely to remain high for the foreseeable future, consumers will continue to reduce their spending in kind.

On the surface, it may seem that coffee shops and roasters should be concerned about growing at-home consumption. But businesses have found ways to adapt – including launching subscription services and strengthening e-commerce channels – and will continue to do so.

Following the pandemic and related rising costs, home coffee consumption remains high. As more people per household continue to brew their own coffee, changing consumer behaviour has wider implications on the market.

Both the equipment sector and the coffee shop market will have to rethink their strategies. Similarly, brands will have to see whether or not this trend will continue amid cost of living increases and high inflation rates in major consumer markets.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on whether specialty coffee is growing faster than global consumption.

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