It is no secret that the world loves to drink coffee, and this is particularly true in the United States. This drink is widespread, and unsurprisingly, many varieties of flavors, beans, serving methods, and accessories are out there for private consumers or for businesses to sell to customers. Some of these accessories can be inexpensive and convenient, being made out of such materials as paper, cardboard, or wood. Paper hot cups with lids, for example, are a popular option, as are white disposable coffee cups, custom paper coffee cups, wooden coffee stirrers, and more. Whole mini-cultures and rules of etiquette surround coffee for restaurants, cafes, and even the workplace.
Who Drinks Coffee?
About half of the American population, or 150 million people, drink coffee products, from lattes to espresso to iced coffee, and 30% of the population typically drinks coffee more occasionally. Some 35% of drinkers prefer their coffee black, while 65% say that they like to add sugar and/or cream to their drink. Recent gathered statistics show that on average, American consumers will drink 1.64 cups of coffee per day, and morning is a popular time to consume this drink; statistics show that 65% of all coffee is consumed during breakfast hours, another 30% is drunk between meals, and the last 5% is with other meals.
The industry is massive and varied to match the huge audience of coffee drinkers. The American coffee market’s retail value, for example, is valued at nearly $48 billion, and specialty drinks make up 55% of that share. And in the year 2014, 27.5 million bags of coffee were imported into the United States, which makes up 25% of the world’s un-roasted imports. This makes the United States the single biggest coffee market in the entire world.
Where and How to Drink
Coffee can be bought at small or chain retailers, which can be found nearly anywhere, and other consumers choose to make their coffee at home with coffee makers and bags of beans, along with other desired ingredients. At a coffee shop, for example, drinks may be served in paper hot cups with lids so customers can take them on the go, useful for fast moving business professionals who don’t have time to sit down for a mug of hot drink. Paper hot cups with lids are not the only option; custom paper coffee cups are another option, with variance in the material for handling heat, grip, and aesthetics. Paper cups may also be made from recycled paper, making them more economically sustainable, which can include paper hot cups with lids. Wooden stir utensils may also be made from recycled materials. And for a home collection, cheap coffee mugs can make coffee drinking fun and personal, and coffee mugs can be easy and convenient to collect in a wide variety of colors, size, and materials.
At the office, performance is often boosted with coffee, and the office’s break room may have a coffee maker in it. In this case, employees may choose to share duties of operating and cleaning the coffee maker, as well as getting supplies like stir sticks, paper cups, and sugar and cream packets, not to mention coffee bean bags. The employees can rotate who buys the supplies, and anyone who finds the pot empty first is encouraged to make a fresh pot right away. Employees are also advised to keep the coffee station clean and tidy, and to take care of all messes since it is a communal space.
