Millennials are at the center of the niche segment of consumers embracing craft coffee brewing methods at home, according to the new Craft Coffee at Home report from global information company The NPD Group. Craft coffee brewing, like using pour over cones, French presses, and vacuum brewers, is how 11% of US young adults, ages 18 and over, brew their coffee at home.
The new NPD report, based on an in-depth survey developed with NPD partner, CivicScience, found that Millennials are twice as likely as their Boomer parents to use craft brewers at home. These younger consumers represent 44% of at-home craft coffee brewers, and more than a third live in urban areas. Consumers living in major cities are influenced by the prevalence of coffee bars and shops and, as a result, have discerning tastes when it comes to coffee. Craft brewing at home enables them to personalize coffee to their individual tastes and get the same quality and flavor of the coffee they buy away from home. An extra benefit of at-home craft coffee is that the small size of the brewers accommodates the space constraints of city living spaces.
“Millennials, who are driven by creativity and the desire for personalization, are attracted to craft coffee brewing because of the skill and challenge involved,” said Joe Derochowski, executive director and home industry analyst at NPD. “Craft coffee brewing enables them to participate in the experience of creating a perfect cup of coffee.”
NPD’s Craft Coffee at Home study reveals lifestyle, shopping and media consumption habits of these early adopters of the craft movement, including that they are more likely to regularly exercise at a gym, buy locally grown or organic food, donate to environmental charities, and be engaged in politics. Craft coffee consumers are social by nature, and are engaged in their surroundings.
"While sales of automatic coffee appliances have declined, in-home consumption of coffee has grown to a new normal compared to a decade ago, and NPD is forecasting 9 percent growth in coffee consumption by 2024,” added Derochowski. “The craft coffee movement, which is already embraced by the country’s largest generational group, Millennials, is well-positioned to capitalize on future industry growth.”