Gen Z Hates Instant Coffee, Milk Frothing Automation, and Fermented Profiles

• Could automatic milk frothers replace the classic steam wand?

  By Jenna Gottlieb for New Ground

  “High-quality frothed milk is a standard expectation at specialty cafés. The way in which it is executed can be an important deciding factor for customers searching for their favourite coffee stop. Most traditional espresso machines are equipped with one or more steam wands. […] If done correctly, the result is the ‘microfoam’ that sits atop the beverage. However, more than ever before, cafés are beginning to weigh up the value of automatic milk frothers. They save time, use milk efficiently, and may even be more energy-efficient than traditional steam wands.”

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• Researchers Begin to Demystify Fermented Coffee Aroma and Flavor

  By Nick Brown for Daily Coffee News

  “A group of researchers from the Coffee Excellence Center at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) this week shed new light on what makes the flavors and aromas of certain specialty coffees stand out on the cupping table. Principal investigator Chahan Yeretzian and researcher Samo Smrke presented the results at the Spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) on Wednesday. ‘There are now flavors that people are creating that no one would have ever associated with coffee in the past,’ Yeretzian said this week.”

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• Chocolate, Coffee May Play Role in the Gut Biome

  By Ashley Gallagher for Pharmacy Times

  “Purine metabolite xanthine, which is found in caffeinated foods, including chocolate, coffee, and tea, plays a role in cell differentiation in the gut microbiome, according to the results of a study published in Immunity.”

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• A third of Gen Z will ‘never drink instant coffee again’

  By Benedict Smith for Coffee Intelligence

  “Some industry observers suggest [craft instant coffee] is a response to the growing demand for convenience that gathered pace during the Covid-19 outbreak. However, as the research suggests, instant coffee doesn’t make the quality cut when it comes to younger consumers, with 33% reportedly switching it out in favour of specialty coffee.”

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