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coffee consumption has slightly declined over the last year, but it still remains a top-beverage choice second only to water. In fact, more than three-quar- ters (78 percent) of Americans drink coffee according to new research by the National Coffee Association (NCA). In 2015, the NCA's National Coffee Drinking Trends report shows that 59 percent of respondents consume coffee each day versus 61 percent in 2014. Good news for operators Breakfast remains the dominant dayp- art where coffee is consumed, but that is changing. In 2012, 87 percent of cof- fee consumers drank coffee at break- fast compared to 81 percent in 2015. Meanwhile, there is a slow increase of coffee consumption in later dayparts. This shift could mean an increase of coffee consumption at the workplace. There is also an opportunity for operators to provide hot beverage options that will increase employee satisfaction. Fifty-four percent of employees claim to be less than "very satisfed" with at-work coffee options. NCA research found that espresso machines and single-cup brewers continue to drive the highest satis- faction among locations. The desire for at-work single cup brewers and espresso machines, however, cur- rently outweighs their availability. NCA reported that in 2015, 71 percent of working consumers have a workplace coffee area, while 29 per- cent do not. It also found that having to pay for coffee does not meaningfully affect satisfaction with the work- place coffee. The study writes, "Employers who offer a less satisfac- tory brewing system might beneft from upgrading to a more preferred brewing system and asking employees to cover at least part of the cost." The consumer desire for coffee vending machines increased three percentage points over the last year, from 9 percent to 12 percent. Gourmet coffee consumption down After a spike in 2014, gourmet bever- age consumption settled to 31 percent in 2015, compared to 34 percent in 2014, driven by a decline in espresso- based beverages and traditional cof- fee made with premium beans. Traditional coffee made with standard beans is consumed by sig- nifcantly more people over 60 years of age. Espresso-based beverages are signifcantly more popular among those 18 to 39. Conversely, an overall decline in non-gourmet coffee con- sumption is more pronounced among those 18 to 24. Coffee consumption among those ages 25 to 39 is down 5 percent from last year (62 percent in 2014 to 57 percent in 2015). Consumption of tea remains unchanged, while that of soft drinks has steadily continued to decline. Coffee preparation methods Coffee preparation methods con- tinue to be important and shifting. Drip coffee makers are still domi- nant in the market, with 54 percent of consumers making coffee through this method. Both single-cup and espresso brewing methods declined slightly from 2014, however, single- cup brewers are the second most utilized method of preparation. t o U.S. Room for growth By Adrienne Zimmer, Managing Editor A new report from the NCA fnds that coffee is the second most consumed beverage. It also identifed an opportunity for operators to increase employee satisfaction in the workplace hot beverage segment. 78% of Americans drink coffee 59% of respondents consume coffee each day 81% drink coffee at breakfast 71% of working consumers have a workplace coffee area 12% desire coffee vending machines in the workplace 18 Automatic Merchandiser VendingMarketWatch.com May 2015 O C S U P D A T E