Three in five coffee drinkers can’t tell the difference between popular coffee types
Talking confidently about wine was once considered the skill to have, but nowadays the pressure is on to know your cappuccino from your cortado, which proves a struggle for over half of the nation’s coffee drinkers.
New research by KRUPS coffee machines, commissioned for International Coffee Day, found despite the UK’s recent coffee culture boom, the experience of ordering and enjoying coffee is daunting for many.
In a test of their coffee knowledge, many failed to correctly name some of the world’s most famous coffee exports. Only a third could accurately describe Italy’s short and strong espresso, while less than a quarter knew that a latte is an espresso shot topped up with steamed milk. Less than one in 10 could explain what newer arrivals, piccolo and lungo, are.
Even the nation’s favourite coffees were a challenge; cappuccino and Americano are among the country’s top choices, but less than half can accurately describe the chocolate-topped coffee, while just over a quarter (27%) know that an Americano is an espresso made with extra hot water. When it comes to pronouncing coffee names, one in five admit to fumbling over a macchiato.
This lack of coffee knowledge may be a factor for half who say they find coffee culture confusing. Whether it’s talk of bean origin, foam art or people working and socialising around caffeine, a further third confess that they’ve avoided certain coffee shops because they’re too trendy or intimidating.
On average, British coffee lovers get through nearly 120m cups of coffee everyday with a latte the most popular choice. Residents in the East Midlands drink the most daily (2.7 cups), with those in the North West and South East sticking to just two cups.
Over half of takeaway coffee drinkers (54%) have seen their daily coffee-to-go increase in price in the past three years, with more than 6m reusable cups bought since chains started charging more for takeaways. The investment of a bean-to-cup coffee machine means environmentally-friendly barista-style drinks from just 5p per cup.
Caroline Ross, Marketing Manager for KRUPS, said: “There’s no sign of the popularity of coffee slowing down, with more types and ways to enjoy it than ever before. We believe that coffee doesn’t need to be confusing or intimidating, which is why KRUPS has created the ‘Coffee Confidence’ guide to boost people’s coffee knowledge and remove some of pretentiousness that coffee culture has sparked.
“More help is on hand with the KRUPS bean-to-cup range. You don’t need to say the names or know what goes into them. KRUPS gives you effortless barista-style from just 5p per cup.”
