Make Your Cold Coffee a Hot Commodity
Away from home, cold coffee reigns supreme. Check out the latest trends, insights, and solutions for cold coffee from the lens of one of its largest manufacturers: Nestlé Professional Solutions!
Away from home, cold coffee reigns supreme. Over the past 2 years, Cold Coffee outperformed Brewed and Hot Specialty every month; for almost half the year, it outperformed both combined.1
Sources: 1. Datassential BUZZ Monthly Update (July 2024)
Iced coffee is everywhere, and continuing to increase in popularity. Even with its ubiquity and longevity, iced coffee has still grown an additional 18% over the past 4 years.1
Iced coffee is a simple twist on an existing coffee offering: you can simply brew a double-strength batch of the hot coffee you're already making, pour over ice, and let it cool.
Sources: 1. Datassential Coffee (February 2024)
Sources: 1. Datassential Coffee (February 2024); 2. Datassential Menu Trends YE DEC'23, as cited in Datassential The World of Coffee (February 2024)
Cold brew has grown 78% in the past four years,1 and it's not expected to slow down — in fact, it's projected to grow nearly 50% more on menus over the next couple years.2
And cold brew isn't just a popular taste: it can also be a low-labor operational benefit. Simply steep the specified proportions in cold filtered water for anywhere from 16-20 hours.
You can brew small or large batches that support the entire week ahead: cold brew can be stored refrigerated up to seven days.
The numbers tell the story here: 62% of people prefer flavored cold coffee.1 You can't separate customization options from cold coffee offerings.
Sources: 1. Datassential BUZZ Annual State of the Category (2024)
Vanilla/French Vanilla, Vanilla Caramel, and Caramel are the top flavors of plant-based or non-traditional milk/creamer that people would be interested in adding to their coffee/tea.1
Whipped cream was among the most-used toppings as part of the iced-blended/frozen coffee/frappe drink for Gen Z.2
Specialty and non-espresso beverages are most popular with people under 40.3
Sources: 1. Datassential BUZZ Topical Report: Innovative Creamers (2024); 2. Datassential BUZZ Annual State of the Category (2024);3. National Coffee Data Trends Specialty Coffee Report (2024)
From coffee to your creamer, sourcing to packaging, working with sustainable partners can have a big impact on customer perception. Our own study found that an impressive 57% of people are “sustainability supporters" who range from preferring to actively seeking out restaurants with sustainable practices.1
We also found that 65% are willing to pay more for sustainable ingredients.1
Source: 1. Step Up Your Restaurant's Sustainability Efforts - Nestlé Professional Solutions (2025)
Health consistently outranks all other motivators for why consumers try plant-based creamer or milk1 — and the numbers suggest it's a powerful motivator. Over the past four years, 218% more restaurants added “vegan” coffee & creamer options. A staggering 1,382% more added “oat milk.”2
A satisfying solution is Coffee mate® Vanilla Oat Milk Coffee Creamer. Coffee mate is America's #1 creamer,3 and Oat Milk is vegan, plant-based, non-dairy, lactose-free, cholesterol-free, and gluten-free — in other words, its rich, velvety flavor is perfectfor just aboutany cup or diet.
Sources: 1. Datassential BUZZ Topical Report: Innovative Creamers (2024); 2. Datassential Coffee (February 2024); 3. IRI - based on total dollar sales by brand (2023)
Would you have guessed the average age of a new coffee drinker is now 15 years old?1
Gen Z is at the forefront of these trends: they should be a top consideration when developing a cold coffee program.
Source: 1. Kantar Profiles/Mintel (May 2023)
65% of Gen Z drinks cold most often.1
3 out of 4 specialty coffee drinkers consider cold brew “cool or trendy.”2
63% of Gen Z prefer coffee with a lot of added flavors.1
51% of Gen Z agreed with the statement “I’m more interested in trying new flavors than I was a year ago.”3
62% of Gen Z consider sustainability “very important.”4
Gen Z tries plant-based creamers more than any other age group.5
Sources: 1. Kantar Profiles/Mintel (May 2023); 2. National Coffee Data Trends Specialty Coffee Report (2024); 3. Technomic 2023 Flavor Consumer Trend Report, as cited in Technomic Journey to 203 Forecasting the Future of Foodservice (2024); 4. Datassential Selling Sustainability - Elevate Study (August 2024); 5. Datassential Innovative Creamers (August 2024)
Preparing the same cold coffee two different ways can deliver a significantly different tasting experience.
Iced coffee is brewed hot at double-strength, which brings out stronger acidic notes. Meanwhile, cold brew is steeped in cold filtered water, reducing acidity for more natural sweetness.
They can bring out different flavors: iced coffees may be bright and fruity, while cold brews reveal more nutty and chocolatey tastes.
What coffee is best for your business?
SEATTLE’S BEST COFFEE® 6TH AVENUE BISTRO®
Some coffees perform well both ways. Medium-dark roast Seattle’s Best Coffee® 6th Avenue Bistro® makes for a rich and balanced iced coffee that pairs well with coffee complements, and its natural chocolatey smoothness creates a smooth cold brew with great depth of flavor.
NESCAFÉ® ICE ROAST
Some coffees are designed to be cold. NESCAFÉ® Ice Roast instant coffee dissolves effortlessly in cold water or milk, providing smooth flavor in moments.
Regardless of your operation, it's increasingly common to utilize coffee equipment that handles everything from brewing to dispensing.
The right coffee equipment isn't just a value add: it can open doors to new beverage offerings.
Take nitro cold brew, which is expected to grow 84% on menus over the next four years.1 Cold brew is typically infused with nitrogen for a sweeter, creamier beverage with a characteristic head — a process that can require specialized kegs and taps if you don't have the right equipment.
Source: 1. Datassential Flavor of the Week: Nitro Cold Brew (January 2024)
Seattle's Best Coffee® Cold Inline Dispenser is a high-volume and flexible self-serve dispenser offering a variety of iced coffee flavors. It's also ideal for offering cold brew and even teas and juices alongside the go-to favorite of iced coffee.
Seattle's Best Coffee® Cold Brew & Nitro Countertop System is counter space efficient, simple to use, and can switch seamlessly between nitro and cold brew — without requiring an external nitrogen tank.
Seattle's Best Coffee® Total Barista delivers premium, self-serve coffee experiences, serving a moderate customer volume with its compact and sleek design. With a user-friendly modern touchscreen, it grinds, brews, and mixes iced and hot specialty coffee beverages on demand.
Related Topics• Top 2025 Food and Beverage Industry Trends• Discover International Beverages Your Patrons Will Love
Brand pages• Coffee mate®• Nescaf鮕 Seattle's Best Coffee®
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