A little look at our coffee habits

Prefer your coffee with ice and a straw? Always (like, always-always) drink a cup in the morning? That’s right, we’re talking coffee habits!

After water, coffee is the most popular drink worldwide. Yup, we humans consume over 400 billion cups each year. And we reckon the aliens get through a good amount, as well.

We put our sociological heads on to dive a bit deeper into our coffee habits. Get reading!

Back to basics: how much coffee do we drink?

Bit of a bummer to start with: Brits are trailing behind when it comes to coffee consumption. No gold medals for us. The average UK adult drinks approximately two cups of coffee per day, which is significantly lower than the top coffee-drinking countries. Scandinavian nations take all the top spots, with the average Finn drinking 12kg of coffee each year (a British adult only gets through 2.8kg). Surprisingly, neither the UK nor the US make the top 20. Best get brewing, then!

Less of a shock were the times when most people drink their coffee. Over half of all coffee consumed is enjoyed at breakfast, while about a third is drunk in-between mealtimes (cue the coffee break). The remaining 13% is sipped alongside other meals.

Age is just a number

… Although it is interesting to find out which age groups like to keep caffeinated. You might think all those dissertation-writing undergrads would guzzle down the most, but it’s the over 65s that take first place. Yup, because 84% drink at least 2 cups a day. The 55-64s come next, then the 45-54, and then, well, you get the idea. Gen Z-ers currently drink the least coffee, with under 20s fancying an average of 0.5 cups per day.

This, however, looks to change. Millennials are getting thirsty for more, with one in four drinking more coffee than they were this time last year. They’re thirsty for the good stuff, too, with 29% now going for indie coffee brands like Two Chimps. Great choice! We couldn’t be more pleased to have you! Online stores and coffee subscription services certainly appeal to this crowd!

Cold brew – that’s what is warming younger drinkers up to coffee. Sales of iced coffee hit an all-time high in 2019 as cool new coffee creations went back and forth on TikTok. Cold brew is becoming popular thanks to its natural sweetness, infinite flavour possibilities and time-saving ease (you can make a batch and it’ll last you all week).

Boys and Girls

We got really sciency and looked into a study of the coffee habits and preferences shown by young people. The coffee consumption rate was higher in males than in females (50.8% and 32.8%, respectively). Their reasons for drinking coffee were, however, pretty similar. Most drank their java to wake up or because they thought it was deeee-lish. The caffeinating participants also drank coffee to reduce stress, relax, or keep themselves in good shape.

We were surprised to read that only 5% knew what was in coffee, other than caffeine. Let’s smash that stat, because there’s so much good stuff in coffee! First off, you’ve got a treasure chest of antioxidants, which are important in maintaining cell health.

Coffee is rich in hydrocinnamic acids and polyphenols, two powerful antioxidants that can help to reduce the risk of diseases. There are many other bioactive compounds in coffee – plant alkaloids, magnesium, potassium, B vitamins – which have been found to do good stuff like help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes and extend lifespan.

Is all this coffee talk making you thirsty? Then head over to our online coffee shop to find speciality beans in abundance!

Show me the coffee