Styling and Photography by Laurie Mosco

Whether consumers are marching back to the office, or rolling out of bed to the home office, chances are they’re doing it with a cup of coffee in hand.  According to the National Coffee Association, 62% of Americans drink a cup of coffee every day, with most having on average a little more than 3 cups a day. And the brew in those cups is anything but ordinary.  More and more customers are demanding exceptional coffee with all the premium trimmings.  Transform employee break rooms and home coffee bars from ‘BEAN there done that’ to ‘where have your BEAN all my life?!’ with these 3 piping hot coffee trends.

Not Your Average “Joe”

When it comes to powering consumers’ daily grind, the coffee is premium.  Nearly 60% of the coffee served in the US is considered gourmet a.k.a. made with premium beans, according to the National Coffee Association.  Since single brew coffee machine use also is up 50%, single serve premium coffee will be a brew-tiful sight in break rooms and retailer’s coffee aisles.

Italian coffee and espresso company, Lavazza, is known for unique beans that make every cup a luxurious experience.  Customers will espresso-ly like Lavazza’s Gran Aroma K Cups, full of notes of citrus, and Lavazza Leggero Lungo pods compatible with Nestle Nespresso machines, brimming with floral and fruity notes. They’re not the only premium Italian coffee brand that’s now in the single serve game.  illy is also offering single serve k-cups for the iconic bold brews illy Classico Medium Roast or illy Intenso Dark Roast.

Even with all this modern technology, some prefer to slow down and have a cup made the classic way. So, they’ll perk up for the bold aroma and full body of Lavazza Crema E Gusto ground coffee.

Create an Experience

Burning the midnight oil, or simply trying to power through the afternoon slump is hard.  We are all in need of a little pampering.  BaristaInstitute.com identified indulgence and pampering as top coffee trends for 2021.

Most coffee bars at the office or in the home office don’t have room for coffee house-style syrups and toppings, so provide little indulgences in the form of coffee accompaniments. Offer them a double shot of coffee flavor with cookies inspired by their favorite barista beverages. We like Loacker Pasticceria Cappuccino Biscuits, wafer cookies filled with coffee cream and topped with the finest milk chocolate, or Krunchy Melts Cappuccino Meringues, little puffs of sweet coffee happiness will have them on cloud nine.

Give them the slow down feelings of sipping a coffee at a cozy European café with the region’s iconic coffee accompaniments. Known as Europe’s favorite cookie to be enjoyed with coffee, rich and spicy Biscoff Speculoos Cookies are a must!

Indulgence and pampering are all about the visuals. Nothing looks more sweetly satisfying than an oversized bourbon vanilla wafer cookie sandwiched with a buttery caramel filling like Holland’s Daelmans Stroopfafels warming on the top of their mugs.  For customers prone to dunking,  Bahlsen’s Milk Chocolate Waffeletten wafer roll cookies dipped in rich European chocolate, or Michel Et Augustin Dark Chocolate Sea Salt shortbread cookies made with real butter and flooded with rich, dark chocolate ganache are a slam dunk.

Healthful IS Flavorful

Along with indulgence, there’s also a re-focus in the food industry overall on health and wellness.  Food Service Director identifies health and wellness as an emerging trend for coffee, too.  One of the major ways that coffee merges with the health and wellness space is through the add-ins. Plant-based protein in the form of ‘milks’ have become mainstream. Plant-based milks have become so popular that there are even premium versions emerging, with such companies as Elmhurst offering barista versions of its oat milk and almond milks that can be foamed and steamed, and offer a thick and rich texture even without steaming or frothing.  Added bonus – many plant based milks are shelf-stable, offering a premium coffee add-in that allows folks to stock their pantries.

Coffee sippers are also reaching for alternatives to processed sugar, Food Service Director also reports.  Give them caramel macchiato wishes on a KETO diet with Choczero Caramel Syrup.  All that sweet richness with the smooth, buttery flavor of caramel, with zero sugar and only 1g net carbs per serving. The source of the sweetness is naturally derived from monk fruit.

Those who want to sweeten their coffee, but opt for healthier add-ins will love, Joolie’s Organic Medjool Date Syrup. It is causing quite a stir, made with 100% organic California grown Medjool dates and nothing else.

Our coffee selection offers the perfect blend of classics and trending flavors