Drinking Coffee in 2022: The Newest Coffee Trends

Many people love a warm cup of coffee in the morning, and it has been that way for centuries. It is our way to boost up each morning and wake up ready for the tasks on our plate for the day. Many folks have started to innovate and produce creative types of coffee that elevate our morning routine even more.

However, the recent roadblocks in our society in the past couple of years slowed down the industry and significantly affected innovative coffee trends. But that’s about to change this year! Gear up your favorite morning cup and look out for the top trends in the coffee industry in 2022.

Coffee Trends in Recent Years

To many people, a morning wouldn’t be complete without a cup of their beloved coffee. It is their way to boost productivity and prepare for the day ahead. Because of their love for that unique caffeine rush in the morning, coffee enthusiasts have developed new and exciting ways to upgrade our coffee experience.

Recent coffee trends offer significant twists to our conventional coffee. This also widens our horizon regarding our options and provides a new perspective to spice up our experience. Convenience, flavor, and quality are some of the main driving forces behind creative ideas in the coffee industry.

People stayed in the comfort of their own homes in the past couple of years because of the recent happenings in our society. They took fewer visits to coffee shops, which paved the way for many coffee lovers to take matters into their own hands and find new ways to enjoy coffee.  

Looking back at last year’s coffee trends, whipped coffee or Dalgona coffee leads the way. It also became one of the hottest things in social media as well. Just like this year’s formula, the convenience it offers in preparation would be the main reason why it held the top spot. 

Instant coffee trends also dominated the scenes. This might be the direct result of people staying at home. However, coffee lovers managed to spice things up a couple of notches, even with instant coffee.

Coffee Trends in 2022

Healthy Coffee

A healthy lifestyle is the main focus of people, especially in this day and age. That means healthy options and low dietary fat intake might be the number one priority for most people. Fortunately, coffee offers health benefits to the body, and that’s a dream come true for a coffee lover. 

Coffee is considered a fermented food, and people may enjoy the full effects of its health benefits if served black. Another alternative that might see a rise this year is incorporating plant-based milk and other natural products. Plant-based options such as mushroom coffee, matcha latte, and chicory coffee are already in a solid position to take a giant leap this year. 

Healthy milk alternatives for coffee should also take a commanding lead in this category. Oat milk, soy, rice, and almond milk options top the charts for this category.

Nitro Cold Brew Coffee

People usually serve coffee hot, but cold brew shows traction to folks who enjoy a new touch for their favorite coffee beverage. The past couple of years shows a steady rise in the appeal of iced coffee. One of the people’s choices for cold brew coffee is the Nitro Cold Brew, but what is it exactly?

Nitro cold brew coffee has been around for years, but it has become a fan favorite with its unique take on cold brewing. Nitro cold brew follows the same concept we usually see in beer homebrewers with the help of nitrogen gas. A pressurized valve infuses the coffee with nitrogen gas, which adds a touch of mysterious bubbles that significantly improve the blend’s overall texture and taste profile. Unlike the traditional bubbles we see in carbonated drinks, these bubbles are considerably more delicate.

Making nitro coffee isn’t as simple compared to conventional coffee. Preparing one is also not cheap because of the necessary equipment needed. However, the taste and quality of the brew carry its value.

Flash Brew or Snap Chilled Coffee

Flash brew is another variant of cold brew coffees that have been growing in the past couple of years. Technically, snap chilled coffee is not a cold brew in nature, but it and the overall end product make it similar to other cold brew coffee products. 

Snap chilled coffee is made from a process similar to naturally brewed coffee. However, the freshly brewed blend is quickly chilled, just like the name applies. Thus, it provides more flavor than any typical cold brew because it is fresher than its counterparts. Snap chilled coffee offers more decadent flavors thanks to the absence of ice that dilute the coffee blend. 

On top of that, snap chilled coffee options take less time to prepare than other cold brew blends. It also involves fewer resources, and the taste profile is easier to manipulate thanks to the absence of any diluting products we usually see in cold brew coffee, such as ice. The rich flavor it offers means less coffee to work with, which is good for any coffee shop business.

Because of that, flash brew coffee is slowly taking over cold brew in many coffee shops around the globe as the beverage of choice. It is only a matter of time before it takes a massive leap to the forefront regarding trending drink options within the coffee community.

Ready-To-Drink Coffee Drinks

Bottled and canned coffee options are not a new concept for coffee beverages, and have been around for many years now. There are tons of ready-to-drink coffee products on your local grocery shelves. A famous coffee chain store initiated this movement with bottled frappuccinos, but it quickly became a widespread product that became an instant solution for our caffeine needs. 

Aside from offering frappuccinos, ready-to-drink coffee now offers tons of variety. Local coffee shops and coffee manufacturers sell RTD brews in various flavors, such as mocha iced lattes, and even come with nitro cold brew options. 

Canned and bottled coffees are beginning to get stable traction, especially for people who are always on the go or simply too busy to get a brew of coffee ready. On top of that, there is no additional cost of maintaining them rather than using fridges to sort out their shelf life.

High-Quality Instant Coffee

A true coffee lover likes the overall feel of an authentic coffee brew but the process of making it consumes a lot of effort and time. However, instant coffee nowadays offers the same quality of a premium blend without manually grinding and blending the coffee mix. 

Many companies offer quality coffee beans which are incorporated into making instant coffee. The end product results in a high-quality instant coffee where taste and flavor haven’t been compromised, unlike traditional instant coffee mixes that usually have a stale and bitter taste.

Coffee Tourism

For countries and unique places that want to diversify their tourist portfolio or expand culinary tourism, coffee is the key to unlocking this economic potential. Everyone has their unique take on coffee consumption. With the global pandemic already in a controllable phase, it is only a matter of time before coffee tourism makes a big statement in the industry.

Coffee drinkers will once again look for authentic experiences in remote areas that offer their unique way of preparing coffee. Whether it would be their process of harvesting coffee beans or their distinct techniques on growing our favorite blend, there are always people who will look for educational coffee experiences.

There’s an enormous potential for such tourism in countries where coffee comes from and is produced and cooked in a different way than the rest of the world. Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Costa Rica, and Guatemala are some of these countries worth visiting.

Coffee Subscription

Another one on the top of the list for this year’s coffee trends are coffee subscriptions. This is one of the products of the recent events that affected our society on a global scale.

Coffee subscription offers flexible options for people who love to enjoy coffee without leaving the safety of their house. With this, personalized coffee blends will always be available within your reach.

Coffee Bags

Coffee bags will surely get traction with convenience as its selling point this year. Brewing coffee at home involves many meticulous processes, but coffee bags might be the simple solution for this concern. 

On top of that, young professionals with a deep understanding of the environmental process might opt for coffee bags made from environmentally-friendly materials. 

This year, there is a lot to look for in coffee trends, and the above examples are only scratching the surface. True coffee enthusiasts should be glad about the ever-growing trends in consuming their favorite drink.

Recyclable Coffee Pods

Single-serve coffee pods rose in popularity in the past couple of years. Thanks to the convenience it offers, it provides a reliable option for coffee lovers to include this on their list. However, it is only a matter of time before sustainable options become available in the market, and that time might be this year.

Recyclable coffee pods fit the description when considering sustainable options for coffee mixes. It provides the same convenience as a typical single-serve coffee pod but adds an extraordinary amount of value thanks to its reusable nature. 

On top of their sustainable value, reusable pods offer a cheaper alternative compared to single-serve brew alternatives. With this method, you’re not only fulfilling your body’s caffeine craving, but you’re also doing a massive favor for Mother Earth.

Dalgona Coffee

Right in the midst of the pandemic, the mix of whipped coffee stormed social media. Thus, paving the way for the rise of Dalgona coffee.

Dalgona coffee is usually described as whipped coffee. It has a mix of instant coffee, sugar, and hot water, quickly whipped until the appropriate consistency is achieved. The addition of cold milk instantly transformed the concoction and offered an appealing aesthetic that is a popular subject in social media posts that we see on various platforms.

Factors that Affect the Coffee Industry

Recent events usually affect how people react to trends, and that same rule applies to the coffee industry. Here are some factors that directly affect how coffee trends go in our society.

Social Media

Social media is the most significant avenue for giving out information to the rest of the community. After all, any individual can share appealing news with just one click away. 

Social media platforms are also the biggest driver for growing and spreading a trending product. Eye-pleasing products and positive reviews are factors that affect social media trends. That’s the reason why latte art and coffee with bright colors and stunning designs are the people’s choice for posting on their social media wall.

Sustainability

New-age consumers are savvy and aware of modern issues. That includes sustainability and environmental concerns. That’s why sustainability is on the top of the list when aiming for a trendy product. 

Recyclable straws and reusable cups play significant roles when sourcing ethical and manufacturing practices. However, some instances take more than that. There are cases that a manufacturer should go all out when it comes to sustainability, such as including products that offer a lot more sustainability options than just the packaging and container.

Recent Events

Recent events play a significant role in trendy products of practices. The global pandemic is one of the greatest examples of that. 

With the majority of the workforce working at home, providing convenience without compromising quality is the ideal approach for a perfect cup of coffee. With that in mind, coffee producers and shops generally offer instant blends or on-the-go products that serve both purposes. 

Convenience and Quality

Coffee trends are more than just appearance and style. In most cases, preparing and the overall taste profile of coffee mixes are the top priority for cover lovers. The coffee and tea industry invests huge money and resources to satisfy their modern consumers, which usually provides a breakthrough for serving people’s hot or cold coffee options.

International Flavored Coffee You Must Try

Each country has its take on coffee, and you might be surprised how diverse and rich the coffee industry is in other places. With that said, here are some of the most popular coffee blends you must try to raise your coffee experience to another level.

Turkish Coffee

An international flavor that might significantly impact this year’s coffee trend is Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee came from the famous Arabic method that undergoes a thorough bean process without filtering its contents. The finished product provides a strong and flavorful coffee blend that gives off a satisfying caffeine rush with all the potential health benefits of coffee beans. 

Turkish coffee was created in the 15th century, and there’s already a lot of progress made in the past couple of decades to perfect the procedure. This kind of coffee blend is perfect for social settings and small gatherings of people who want to enjoy a healthy cup of coffee.

Vietnamese Coffee

Robusta beans are a popular choice for coffee enthusiasts. Fortunately, people looking for a new way to spice up their coffee experience can utilize robusta beans and make themselves a quality cup of Vietnamese coffee.

Vietnamese coffee uses a distinct type of dripper, which is called phin. This helps to steep the coffee before it reaches your cup. This coffee mix usually uses condensed milk as part of the concoction and is typically served over ice. This mix results in a strong and flavorful blend.

Vietnamese coffee can also be served with other ingredients to boost its flavor profile naturally. If you want to experience a touch of a flavorful coffee deeply connected to Vietnamese culture, then this is the coffee of choice.

Conclusion

Nitro coffee, whipped coffee, cold coffee, or the traditional hot-served coffee, there’s only one fact that remains — people’s love of coffee is always strong. The only thing that changes is how people prepare their brew and their process to elevate it to another level.

Try to mix and match new things to your coffee, and who knows what masterpiece you’ll come up with your personalized mix of caffeine goodness.