Nestle on Filtered Coffee Trend: Key Summary
- Filtered coffee demand is rising globally as savvy consumers seek clearer bean flavours and a more refined coffee experience.
- The trend originated in Japan and is spreading across Asia Pacific, driven by Japan’s strong influence on regional coffee culture.
- Nestlé has launched new tech in its NESCAFÉ Fusion 3 machine to deliver gravity‑extracted filter coffee in under a minute.
- Fast preparation and convenience are key drivers, with the new system designed for commercial settings needing speed and consistency.
- Iced coffee is another major growth area, especially for Gen Z in hot Asian markets.
Coffee has grown to become a daily must-have beverage for consumers all over the world, particularly among many working professionals that view this as a lifeline for keeping up with busy lifestyles.
As the sector has grown, so have the number of ‘expert’ consumers in each market, which has led to the rapid evolution of beverage trends driving the coffee industry over the past few years.
“What we have seen most recently is a rise in demand for filtered coffee compared to espresso-style coffee, especially among consumers who also fancy themselves as coffee aficionados as filtered coffee offers a lot more character and clearer flavour of the beans,” Nestle Professional Senior Brand Manager Jing Wen Foo told FoodNavigator.
“Espresso is still going to remain a core product for the near future for many consumers, but those who are a bit more savvy and attuned to trends are looking for filter brews in order to round out their coffee experiences during the week.”
This trend is particularly apparent in the Asia Pacific region as it has already found its feet in East Asia, and is making its way out to other parts of the world from there.
“The filter coffee trend really started in Japan, where most coffee is actually filter coffee and not espresso-based,” she added.
“Japan is a [strong hub for international travel and tourists] and its influence is clear, especially among those who want to go beyond regular coffee consumption to that connoisseur level of enjoying their daily brews.”
The extent of Nestle’s faith in this upcoming trend is such that it has integrated specialised tech for filtered coffee into its latest coffee machine launch.
“The major difference between an espresso brew and a filtered brew is that the former uses high pressure and temperature to extract the coffee oils and flavours and all of that, whereas the latter uses a gentle gravity extraction instead of pressure to produce a smoother, lighter cup similar to hand-poured filtered coffee,” Foo added.
“Both will of course grind the beans, but for filter coffee the beans are grinded slightly coarser compared to the fineness of espresso coffee.”
One other important attribute of this technology is the speed at which filter coffee drinks can be made in comparison to traditional ones.
“Convenience and speed are very important attributes to appeal to today’s consumers, and this tech allows consumers access to a cup of filter coffee in under a minute compared to the 10 or more minutes required by traditional hand pouring,” she added.
“This machine, the NESCAFE Fusion 3, is focused on commercial usage at the moment and is powered by both the filter brew technology as well as a patented brewing system for espresso coffees that negates concerns over warm-up inconsistencies and similar challenges.”
Iced coffees – the way to Gen Z hearts
In addition to filtered brews, Nestle has also incorporated a focus on iced coffees in order to more accurately capture younger consumer demands, especially in hot and humid markets like Asia.
“It may seem straightforward to just add hot coffee to a glass of ice to make an iced coffee, but this is really not the case, especially in weather conditions that cause the ice to melt almost instantaneously and dilute the coffee,” Foo said.
“There needs to be care put into the temperature, the consistency of the drink formulations and other such factors, and this is becoming increasingly important in order to engage with the younger generation of consumers.”
Another major trend in focus here is sustainability, with the coffee system boasting being manufactured in factories 100% powered by wind energy and made from up to 30% recycled plastic, as well as expected to deliver some 60% of energy savings for users in the long run.
This is further enforced by the launch of NESCAFE Superiore coffee beans, a 100% Arabica product with Rainforest Alliance certified credentials.
