The evolution of the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)’s Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel is arguably one of the most iconic resources in the coffee industry. The poster adorns the...
Consumer Trends
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March 4, 2026
How can we encourage more people to start drinking specialty coffee?
Key takeaways Increasing consumption of specialty coffee starts with flavour first; the story follows the sensory experience. Baristas can shift from education to exceptional, intentional hospitality. Validating existing flavour preferences is key, then guiding people toward better coffee. Accessible language matters as much as accessible pricing. The USDA's latest report predicts that global coffee production and consumption will both reach record highs in 2025/26. Production is estimated at 178.8 million… read more
Key takeaways Increasing consumption of specialty coffee starts with flavour first; the story follows the sensory experience. Baristas can shift from education to exceptional, intentional hospitality. Validating existing flavour preferences is key, then guiding people toward better coffee. Accessible language… read more
CBD and coffee: Exploring a new market
Cannabidiol, or CBD for short, has slowly but surely slipped into the global market, a range of products, and our social media feeds. Experts now...
“I want to help inform people”: What does it take to be a coffee influencer?
While the Cambridge Dictionary defines an influencer as “someone who affects or changes the way that other people behave”, the term has taken on new...
“A drive for better quality”: How is supermarket coffee changing?
Millions of people around the world buy coffee in supermarkets every single day, whether it’s instant, pre ground, whole bean, or capsule. Despite this, among...
Specialty instant coffee in China: A different path of evolution & innovation
Instant coffee consumption has been on the rise in China since Nestlé entered the market in the 1980s. And while overall consumption has historically been...
“From hot coffee to cold”: Exploring RTD milk-based coffee
Ready-to-drink (RTD) milk-based coffee drinks entered the market not long after the creation of Starbucks’ Frappuccino in 1995. However, in the past few years, thanks...
The science behind adding salt to coffee
Salt is used for a lot of things – as many as 14,000, according to some estimates. We rely on it to season and preserve...
“The beauty is that we produce the coffee”: Exploring manual brewing’s popularity in Indonesia
Although Indonesia has long since been one of the world’s leading coffee producers, its coffee shop culture is comparatively young. Domestic consumption has quadrupled in...
A brief history of marketing in the coffee sector
Coffee consumption has come a long way since the 15th century. Today, approximately 90% of North American adults drink a coffee-based beverage every day. Espresso...
How has Covid-19 changed office coffee consumption?
The Covid-19 pandemic has made 2020 challenging for businesses all around the world. To curb the spread of the virus, governments around the world have...
Introducing children to coffee
Coffee is one of the world’s most popular drinks. The ICO estimated that in the 2019/2020 period, we consumed almost 170 million 60kg bags of...
Do We Need To Redefine “Specialty Coffee”?
The term “specialty” was first used to refer to coffee in 1974 by Erna Knutsen in an issue of the Tea & Coffee Journal. She...
How Covid-19 Changed Home Coffee Consumption
In late March 2020, some 20% of the world’s population were ordered to stay at home to slow the spread of Covid-19. However, some months...
The Rise Of Coffee Subscription Services
It’s been a year of innovations and new trends in specialty coffee, largely thanks to Covid-19. From the dalgona coffee craze earlier this year to...
Exploring The Relationship Between Coffee And Cycling
You might think that for sportspeople and athletes, coffee is primarily used for its caffeine content. However, for cyclists, the relationship with coffee is often...
Why Does Espresso Still Cost 1 Euro In Italy?
According to some reports, espresso – after water – is the second most consumed beverage in Italy. Millions of cups of espresso are drunk daily...