Brown, hot and with a good 800 possible flavors. We're talking about coffee . And since we Germans are all about statistics and annual reports, there is also an annual report on the topic of "coffee consumption": the Tchibo Coffee Report . It shows again for 2022: coffee consumption behavior has continued to increase. 89.2 percent of those surveyed drink coffee every day. 5,000 people from all over Germany between the ages of 18 and 75 were surveyed for the report . Of course, we also took a look at the report and have summarized a few facts about "coffee consumption in 2022" here.
Coffee consumption – federal states by quantity
For almost 90 percent of those surveyed, a daily cup of coffee is simply part of life . So much for coffee consumption in Germany in 2022. The rest is basically negligible: 7 percent still drink coffee several times a week, around 1.5 percent enjoy coffee once a week to several times a month, and less than one percent limits themselves to once a month. The top coffee drinkers in Germany are in Brandenburg: almost 94 percent of Brandenburg residents drink coffee at least daily. Bremen is at the bottom of the list; here, daily coffee consumption is just 87 percent of all Bremen residents. Incidentally, Bavaria is only in fourth-to-last place with 88 percent.
Coffee consumption in Germany – this is how much we drink every day
We drink the most coffee as we get older. In 2022, the 56 to 65 age group consumed 3.8 cups a day . After that, consumption slowly declines again, and before that it increases in big steps: 18 to 21 year olds drink an average of just under 2 cups a day, between 22 and 35 years of age this is just under three cups, and from the age of 36, coffee consumption is 3.5 cups a day . The average coffee consumption is therefore around three and a half cups, with the lower end of the scale, less than one cup a day, being almost not consumed at all in any age group. At the upper end of the scale are more than five cups of coffee a day. This amount is consumed by an average of 10 percent of coffee drinkers in Germany.
Did you know? There is little difference in the consumption of women and men, at 3.2 and 3.5 cups per day respectively.
Consumption Coffee Germany – the first time
The average German drinks his or her first coffee between the ages of 16 and 16.5. The youngest are those in Bremen at 15.9, and the oldest are people in Saxony-Anhalt at 17.9. Bavaria is right in line with the average at 16.5. What is interesting, however, is the impression that the first coffee leaves. For 37.7 percent of those surveyed, it was fortunately "That smells good", closely followed by "I had to spit it out straight away" with a still high 36.7 percent. More people remember that the coffee tasted very good, but a good third remember that it was very bitter (presumably the first coffee was simply badly made). However, as we have already learned, first impressions hardly put anyone off: since coffee consumption is at its highest at over three cups a day from the age of 36.
Did you know? Almost six percent of those surveyed didn't think anything of it after their first coffee.
Coffee consumption in Germany – from the first sip to a habit
So, even if the first impression of coffee is not good, a lot of Germans still drink the brown gold. We are right to say we are the “Roaster of the Year” . And there must be a reason for it. The top reason why people started drinking coffee is their parents. “I learned it from my parents,” say 35 percent, and another third of those surveyed started out of curiosity. Other reasons are “to wake up better,” “to seem grown-up,” and because “a lot of my friends already drank coffee.”
Did you know? A good 14 percent of those surveyed cannot remember why they started drinking coffee.
Consumption of coffee - how coffee is drunk
Let's finally get to what we as roasters are really interested in: How is our coffee - well, coffee in general - prepared in Germany. And, believe it or not, filter coffee is right at the top of the podium with almost 50 percent . Second place goes to the fully automatic machine with a good third of all respondents and third place goes to the cappuccino. Then come latte macchiato, caffè crema and café au lait. Amazingly, more people in Germany drink coffee from capsules - which is a disaster in terms of price and waste - than espresso, instant coffee or iced coffee. The last places in the ranking go to coffee from the French press, decaffeinated coffee , flat white, cold brew and nitro coffee.
Did you know? Nitro Coffee is mixed with nitrogen and is usually served cold in a small beer glass.
Consumption of coffee in Germany – milk and sugar
For us as a roaster , sugar and milk are a no-go in coffee. Milk is of course a must in cappuccinos and flat whites. Otherwise, please enjoy it neat. Well, Germany sees things very differently: a good third add whole milk , almost a quarter add low-fat milk and a quarter also add sugar . But - and this is the good news - more than a fifth of Germans enjoy coffee the way it should be: black.
Did you know? Some crazy ingredients end up in coffee like honey, coconut milk, and yacon syrup. Fortunately, only a few people use them.
Coffee consumption – when do we drink more?
Germans are stoic when it comes to their coffee consumption habits. It can rain or snow, the world can end or absolutely nothing can happen, almost 40 percent never change their coffee consumption habits. Funnily enough, almost 30 percent of those surveyed drink more coffee when things are relaxed, because only a quarter increase their consumption habits in stressful work situations and only a fifth when things are stressful in their private life. And a fifth drinks more coffee on vacation.
Did you know? Other reasons for drinking more coffee include exam periods, moving and divorce.
Coffee consumption – how is Germany waking up?
The alarm clock - the thing that wakes most people in Germany up in the morning. Closely followed by coffee , daylight and a shower. Tea comes after music, cell phone rings, street noise and children - who, funnily enough, only wake people up half as often as pets. At the bottom of the list are conversations and energy drinks.
Compared to the alarm clock, which is not part of a perfect start to the day for anyone, coffee is the frontrunner with a good 70 percent. And here coffee is on the podium twice: a good breakfast quite rightly takes second place, and the smell of coffee is in third place.
Did you know? For 15.5 percent of respondents, watching television is a perfect way to start the day.
Consumption Coffee – Where we buy our beans
It is what it is, Germans prefer to buy coffee in the supermarket . With an astonishing 73.5 percent. Next comes the discounter. And what makes us as roasters a little sad - we only come in fourth place with just under 12 percent. There are now a lot of roasters in Germany, all of which almost certainly offer better coffee than most supermarkets or discounters (unless they have our coffee on their shelves). On average, half of those surveyed are prepared to pay more for good quality . And people in Germany are a little more willing to pay for special taste and fair trade certificates. Wildkaffee not only buys its coffee fairly, but directly from the coffee farmers who we know personally.
Coffee consumption – what is a kilogram worth?
A tricky subject for the German penny pincher, who for a long time lived by the motto "being cheap is cool". According to the coffee report , a fifth of those surveyed are only prepared to pay less than 8 euros per kilo of coffee. A third are prepared to pay up to 10 euros and just over a quarter would pay 13 euros for a kilo of coffee . After that, unfortunately, it drops off rapidly. Only 7 percent would pay up to 20 euros for a kilo of coffee, and just under 3 percent would pay more than 20 euros.
When you consider that, for example, here in Germany, buying green coffee never costs less than 6 euros per kilogram and on average costs more , and that weight is lost during roasting and that time and energy are put into the coffee, these survey results are a little worrying. Fortunately, this is only an average value and that the German coffee scene is continuing to grow and wants to enjoy high-quality coffee .
Did you know? One kilogram of green coffee only yields about 850 grams of roasted coffee after roasting.
Coffee consumption – what trends do you know?
This is a bit old now, as the survey took place in 2022... but interesting nonetheless. A good 40 percent were aware of the "coffee from small roasters" trend . But... is it really a trend? Or simply the current development towards high-quality and handmade coffees? We leave the answer up to each individual. Much more exciting are all the other trends that were "in" and therefore well-known for a short or long time in 2022. Cold brew, matcha coffee, Dalgona, espresso tonic, bullet proof and nitro coffee, and last but not least, coffee lemonade. All very interesting and definitely worth trying. But in the end, nothing beats pure coffee.
Did you know? Bumble Coffee is an orange juice on ice with a cold espresso poured over it.
Consuming coffee – how and with whom?
The good news here is that just as many people drink sustainable coffee as those who rarely drink it: a third each. The others never or always drink sustainable coffee and an incredible 15 percent don't even know it. Much more important, however, is the main reason why people enjoy sustainable coffee: "I want to support fair wages and good working conditions in coffee production." We are very happy about that, because that is what we want too. Incidentally, Germany prefers to enjoy its coffee with pastries, followed immediately by a moment of silence. And in third place is a good conversation as an accompaniment to coffee.
Did you know? Germans would most like to drink a cup of coffee with Günther Jauch. Among the most popular celebrities are Robert Habeck and Klaus Kleber, for example.
Coffee consumption - for the future: what would be cool?
Everything is becoming more digital and artificial intelligence is making its way into every area of our lives. But that doesn't bother us, we might even find it good. The coffee report also asked people what they would find comfortable and good in terms of coffee in the future. The frontrunners are coffee machines that automatically make coffee for us as soon as we get out of bed , closely followed by voice-controlled coffee machines. And almost a quarter would like their favorite coffee to be brewed for them as soon as they enter their local café... well, you don't need AI for that, just a good barista.
Coffee consumption - conclusion
For 69.2 percent of those surveyed, morning coffee is the perfect way to start the day , even before breakfast. We also love the smell, usually buy it in the supermarket and pay attention to quality. When we try new varieties, it's mainly because of the taste. However, we're not particularly keen on experimenting. It's good that these are all just averages and our fans are very keen on experimenting.
