BOSTON, USA – Cometeer – the maker of the world’s first and only frozen coffee capsule – yesterday released the findings from the largest nationwide coffee tasting and survey in the U.S.. Comprised of 5,000 consumers nationwide, the Great American Taste Test was designed to understand what kind of roasts and flavor notes coffee drinkers prefer in their cups, alongside their behaviors and attitudes towards America’s second favorite beverage (only behind water).
Taste preference, such as acidity, bitterness, and depth of flavor, is a variable that’s never been tested at this level, providing valuable insights to coffee roasters, farmers, and cafes worldwide.
Among the findings, the blind tastings and corresponding surveys revealed that only 55 percent of Americans stated coffee roast preferences actually match up with their preferred tastes.
Additionally, despite the pumpkin spice craze and the rise of alternative milk, the survey found that 92 percent of Americans primarily drink coffee at home and two in three Americans drink their coffee black.
“When it comes to coffee, taste is so important but too often, consumers are only asked to think about the format of their coffee – hot versus iced, creamer versus black,” said Alex Kaplan, Head of Coffee at Cometeer.
“Our intention with The Great American Taste Test was to open up a larger conversation about coffee taste, and why it’s so important to understand consumers’ preferences as we think about future innovations for Cometeer and for the coffee industry at large.”
Cometeer partnered with James Hoffmann, World Barista Champion and renowned coffee expert, to host The Great American Taste Test. Through the Test, consumers tasted four different coffees and recorded their preferences via a survey. Because of Cometeer’s precision-brewing and flash-frozen process, the company was able to guarantee all 5,000 participants tasted the same cup of coffee.
“Doing this kind of research with Cometeer has been super interesting and insightful, and I know the findings will be of real value to the coffee industry too,” said Hoffman. “Any time we learn more about how and why people love coffee then I think it is incredibly worthwhile and useful.”
Other notable findings include:
- Women and men differed in many aspects. Out of the men surveyed, the majority chose light roasts as their preferred coffee in taste tests while women preferred medium and darker roasts.
- Generational preferences reveal that coffee enthusiasts over 65 prefer darker roasted coffees, while their younger counterparts tend to gravitate towards lighter roasts.
- Almost half of the coffee drinkers don’t feel they are getting good value when they purchase coffees from coffee shops… despite the fact that most spend on average $50 per month on coffee.
To learn more about the findings, visit https://cometeer.com/.
