How do we consume coffee?

Coffee Beans

Coffee is loved the world over and growing consumption in many places – but there is still a large variation in the amount of coffee consumed in different countries.

The Scandinavians are some of the highest per capita consumers of coffee, with Finland the leading nation for coffee drinking (three times more coffee is consumed by the average Fin than the average Brit).

In fact much of Europe is also far ahead of the UK in coffee consumption – Germans at almost double our intake, and our neighbours in Ireland drinking almost a third more coffee than us.

However Britain has definitely embraced coffee with greater passion over recent decades, with also a rising likelihood of consuming ethical coffee and brewed coffee (rather than instant). We’re approximately drinking 1 shot of coffee per person per day on average – but obviously the range from the coffee adicts to those who don’t go near it is very wide!

Around half of us prefer a milky coffee of some kind – perhaps a cappuccino, a latte or a flat white, while almost a third are more likely to favour a black coffee – an espresso, or black americano. Flavour shots and cold brew coffee or frappes are both niche favourites, with around one in twenty enjoying each of these types of coffee as their favourite variation.

It used to be that Tea was unquestionably Britain’s favourite beverage, but now it’s a much more close-run thing – with almost two thirds of people saying that they regularly enjoy coffee (the same proportion as for tea).

There has been a general trend that people start drinking coffee in their late teens and increase rapidly through their 20s in their consumption (perhaps this is related to the need to keep alert at work!) and the consumption remains high until people are in their early 60s. From then on consumption is not as strong, but still moderate – this could be related to a greater propensity to drink coffee in the working environment.

An alternative view could be that those of more senior years were more inclined towards a cup of tea and instant coffee and never fully embraced the coffee culture and variety of espresso based drinks that the younger half of the population have perhaps more enthusiastically embraced. If so, it would suggest that in future coffee consumption may rise in later years as people take their coffee drinking preferences through into retirement with them.

Much better coffee, worth a little more effort

Mug of coffee

More and more people seem to be getting into coffee – because we’re all starting to know that it can be better than pouring boiling water on a sprinkling of freeze dried granules.

Of course that’s mainly the coffee shops that have taught us to raise our sights on coffee – but the experience at home has been slower to follow.

Every Saturday & Sunday morning for years I used to make the time to use ‘real’ coffee rather than turning to the granuals: and always appreciated making the effort. For a long time I never really understood why it tasted so much better, but certainly knew that it did!

However instant coffee was the predominant source of coffee for the week as a whole, until more recent years. There are of course some better quality instant offerings these days, and there was a phase of ‘upgrading’ via those!

But having taken some time to learn about different ways that are available to make coffee by hand at home – there’s a realisation that you don’t even need to take much longer to make a much better cup of coffee.

Of course it can be very theraputic and rewarding to take your time with a slow pour of coffee – with a Chemex or a V60. There are other ways that are very straightforward too – which either make themselves while you sort something else out: like the Clever Dripper or the French Press; or are so ‘Quick & Easy’ like the amazing AeroPress.

There’s much to enjoy about the process of learning more, and of making coffee in a more enjoyable way – long before you become a coffee geek (not sure when anyone attains that status if you want it ).

We’ve found some brilliant ways of enjoying coffee, without bulky or crazily expensive machines.

http://artistrycoffee.co.uk/

We’ve brought this together in Artistry Coffee and have a great range of products to help you hand-craft delicious coffee at home!