Share of U.S. gourmet coffee beverage consumption by type 2020

In 2020, espresso-based beverages were among the most popular gourmet coffee beverages in the United States, as roughly 40 percent of U.S. consumers drank it during the past day. About one fifth of respondents had consumed traditional gourmet coffee drinks.

Gourmet vs. non-gourmet coffee

The difference between gourmet and regular coffee lies in the beans: gourmet coffee is generally made using premium Arabica beans, which give the coffee a richer flavor. Non-gourmet coffee, on the other hand, uses Robusta beans, which are cheaper and easier to produce. In 2019, 61 percent of coffee consumers in the United States had drunk gourmet coffee in the past day, while 39 percent had regular coffee. The results suggest that over the past six years, gourmet coffee has become more common, while the number of non-gourmet coffee drinkers has been declining.

In January of 2019, survey results revealed that 34 percent of Caucasian-Americans had non-gourmet coffee the day before. In comparison, only 16 percent of Caucasian respondents drank a traditional gourmet blend for their past-day consumption.