Coffee trends in 2018: Where is the coffee industry going next?

Coffee trends are constantly evolving. From consumers themselves up to the way the most consumed beverage in the world is offered, year after year they show different behaviors depending on economic and social changes.

Buencafé, an expert in production of differentiated products based on 100% Colombian freeze-dried coffee, shares some trends that will govern the world of coffee in 2018 and the roadmap being plotted both for consumers and producers.

An article published on revelsystems.com shows that, as to trends, coffee is in what experts call the Third Wave. The First Wave took place in the 60s, when coffee consumption began to grow exponentially and, for the first time, coffee was accessible to all. In the Second Wave, coffee moved from being a necessity to a luxury, leading to higher quality and getting onto the field of specialty coffee. Now, the Third Wave refers to consumers’ experience with the cup.

Some of the most relevant aspects of the Third Wave are:

Customer experience: 2018 will be the year in which the customer/consumer will become more important in the coffee industry chain. The trend goes towards education of consumers about the story and origin of their coffee, among other aspects, so they may have a better experience with the cup and are more proactive as to feedback, comments and selection criteria.

Aiming at future generations: Those aged 13-16 (Generation Y) are the fastest-growing group of coffee drinkers, and Millennials make up the largest group of coffee consumers, consuming 44% of coffee in the US. This requires new, creative presentations and new ways of offering coffee, like the trend of sweeter and creamier beverages, which move away a little from the traditional and popular black coffee.

Coffee blended with other functional products: This trend aims at making coffee-based products with additional properties and ingredients that are good for health and well-being of consumers.

Cold brew: This year everything aims at brewing coffee in cold water (cold brew), a cooler method that cuts acidity, making it smoother to drink and is also much easier to brew large batches. And we cannot forget the trend of bubbly coffee, brewed with tonic water and espresso.

At Buencafé we continue working to offer differentiated products adapted to the new production and consumption needs. Learn about them on http://www.buencafe.com/en/products/

You may also be interested in reading “2018, a year of great challenges for the coffee sector and the FNC.”

2018 Coffee Trends: Where is the Coffee Industry Going Next? January 20, 2018. USA. Revelsystems.com. Retrieved from https://revelsystems.com/blog/2018/01/20/2018-coffee-trends/