What Does Your Coffee Choice Say About Your Age?
Coffee preferences can say a lot about a person's tastes -- black or with cream, iced vs. hot -- but it can also say something about a caffeine addict's age.
Coffee preferences can say a lot about a person's tastes — black or with cream, iced versus hot. But according to a new study, preference for a brand of coffee can speak volumes about a caffeine addict's age.
Picking up a Starbucks on your way to work? Chances are you're a millennial. Brewing some Folgers at your kitchen table? You're probably a baby boomer.
A new report by Morning Consult polled 2,000 coffee drinkers in the U.S. and found that 46 percent of those ages 18 to 29 find their favorite morning java at Starbucks. Dunkin' Donuts fans were split more evenly across the age groups (come on, who doesn't like a cruller?), with 17 percent coming from the 55 to 64 age range and 14 percent from the 30 to 44 age group. McDonald's only held 6 percent of the millennial caffeine junkie's hearts — the same as old standby Maxwell House!
The two coffee giants were at an even tie for quality, with 64 percent of poll respondents ranking Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks as "good" or "excellent," followed closely by instantcoffee favorite, Folgers. Folgers was most popular — not surprisingly — among the older generations, with 21 percent of coffee drinkers 55 to 64 choosing it as their go-to (18 percent for those over 65).
Smaller brands have some catch-up work to do. Some respondents said they were fans of brands like Canadian chain Tim Horton's, espresso line Illy and Caribou Coffee, but not enough to dent the two ubiquitous chains' market sheen.
What do YOU think?
Do your coffee preferences line up with your age group? Share your thoughts (and favorite coffee order) in the comments below.