The attention to the coffee break at home is growing: about 73% of those who bought an espresso coffee machine did so moved by the desire to drink it of higher quality. The home bar chosen by about 40% of Italians

More and more Italians love to prepare coffee at home and look with interest at the new trend of the home bar: this is what emerges from a research presented by De'Longhi and conducted by Nielsen on how the habits of Italians have changed over the last year in relation to coffee consumption. Smart working and the restrictions related to the pandemic have greatly limited access to bars and restaurants and so, after the home office, home cinema and home gym, the number of Italians fascinated by the home bar is growing, or rather from the idea of dedicating a corner of the house or kitchen to the celebration of the coffee ritual, adorning it with cups, accessories, shelves and everything needed to recreate a small bar at home.

With over 66% of respondents declaring that they work from home 2 days or more a week and 45% at least 4 days, coffee remains an essential element of everyday life, as evidenced by the fact that 78% of Italians drink at least one per day, mainly for breakfast and lunch.

Despite the limitations imposed, the quantities of coffee consumed change little: from 4.6 per day in the pre-pandemic period to 4.2 today. The daily average per capita coffee consumed at home increases, passing from 1.9 to 2.4, and the perception of the gesture changes, no longer generally dedicated to waking up but intended as a moment of relaxation, domestic conviviality and distraction from work . Tastes remain the same, with 63% of Italians continuing to drink the classic espresso even if, guided by this new perception of coffee as a moment dedicated to oneself, the number of those who consume new types of beverages based on milk and coffee.

The growing attention to the coffee break and the need for a better taste experience is combined, on the one hand, with the fact that 79% of respondents agree or strongly agree on the possibility of spending a little more to enjoy a good coffee even at home, on the other hand, with the increased care of the house, understood more and more as a space to live: about 64% of the sample has dedicated in the last year to work or purchases to improve the place where he lives. In particular the kitchen, the queen of domestic environments, with 76% of the interviewees who have chosen to invest in this sense or intend to do so; of these, more than half (55%) have bought or will purchase new appliances.

For almost 40% of the interviewees, the home bar therefore takes on a new role within the home environment, with more than half of these (over 20%) having already created a corner dedicated to coffee, while the remainder is in the process of doing this or will in the future.

Further confirmation of this trend is the growing search for a better coffee, which led about 14% of respondents to buy an espresso machine during the pandemic period, and another 22% to declare their intention to buy one. About 73% of those who bought an espresso machine admitted to having done so out of the desire to drink a better coffee, tired of the mocha or dissatisfied with the system used previously. It is no coincidence that for the preparation of coffee, in the last year, the use of moka has decreased (from 43% to 39%), in favor of espresso coffee machines (from 54% to 58%).

The results of the survey are also confirmed by the market trend, which, in 2020, saw the sector of espresso coffee machines record an increase in value sales equal to 12% compared to the previous year. Growth mainly driven by capsule machines, but which saw an increase in value sales of coffee beans machines of 21%. Coffee machines are changing - or rather, improving - they are seen more and more as a refined piece of furniture, and the importance of quality coffee remains unchanged, with over 69% of Italians convinced that for a perfect coffee both the blend and the the method of preparation. 91% agree that freshly ground coffee has a better aroma and taste, as well as being highly sustainable.