Cafe culture at the flick of a switch

Coffee makers market is full of beans!Latest research from MINTEL sees the rise of cafe culture sending British kitchens into a spin, as sales of coffee machines go through the roof. Sales of coffee makers are steaming ahead, with the number of machines sold more than doubling from 520,000 in 2001 to 1.2 million last year. The market value is also twice what it was in 2001, having hit the £50 million mark last year. The now ubiquitous coffee shop has raised consumer expectations about the quality of the coffee we drink and how we make it. The breakfast tipple is no longer what it use to be and has come a long way since the days of hot water and freeze-dried instant. Indeed, while coffee machine sales soar, sales of instant coffee have almost ground to a halt, having increased by just 4% over the same five year period.