SYRACUSE, N.Y., USA – In the U.S., 73% of people drink coffee every day according to a new online survey about coffee consumption and preferences by Drive Research. And while coffee is known to provide a sometimes necessary boost of energy and alertness, the caffeine high is not the number one factor driving coffee consumption.
For 83% of consumers, taste is the most influential reason they drink coffee. This reason tops others such as coffee giving people energy (67%), increasing their productivity (43%), and its perceived health benefits (29%).
With a majority of people drinking coffee for the taste, it comes as no surprise that only 18% of people prefer to drink their coffee black – a 56% decrease from 2022. This suggests a notable change in growing preferences for coffee variations with added flavors such as milk/creamer (39%), sweetener (5%), or both (38%).
More specifically, both almond milk and oat milk are growing in popularity among coffee drinkers. According to our 2024 coffee survey data, preferences for oat milk grew by 90%, and preferences for almond milk grew by 71% since 2022.
Furthermore, people love the taste of coffee so much that they consume it in other ways than their morning or afternoon pick-me-up. Over half of the respondents surveyed enjoy coffee cake (61%) and coffee ice cream (54%).
Plus we can’t forget about espresso martinis, which are adored by 1 in 4 people – a 79% increase from our 2022 coffee survey. Big fans of the trendy cocktail are Millennials (36%) and Gen Z (33%).
To uncover more 2024 coffee consumer insights and trends, the report is available for download on the Drive Research website.
