n = 1,000 U.S. coffee drinkers · Fielded June 2026 · Published July 23, 2026
Coffee remains one of the most consistent habits in American life, but how people get it, pay for it, and prepare it is shifting fast.
This year’s survey found people leaning harder on home brewing and simple routines, pulling back from coffee shop visits, and rediscovering black coffee after a two-year swing toward sweeter, milkier drinks.
Below are the headline numbers, followed by a full breakdown by topic, with call-outs anywhere the data has moved meaningfully since our 2022 and 2024 waves.
For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways:
General Coffee Statistics | Consumption Habits | Preferences | Spending | Health Benefits
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Coffee continues to be a daily staple, but the 2026 results show that its role is not limited to providing energy. For many people, coffee is about taste and routine. It is also an area where consumers appear willing to make practical compromises when prices rise, especially by preparing more drinks at home.
More than two-thirds of respondents make coffee at home daily. Another 17% do so a few times per week, bringing weekly at-home preparation to 90%.
This habit has strengthened slightly since our last study. In 2024, 66% made coffee at home daily and 89% did so at least weekly. The increase is not especially large on its own, but it becomes more meaningful when paired with a decline in coffee shop visits.
2026: 69% make coffee at home daily
2024: 66% made coffee at home daily
Espresso martinis were one of the standout findings in 2024. At the time, 25% said they enjoyed them, representing a 79% increase from 2022. In 2026, that share fell to 13%.
2026: 13% enjoyed espresso martinis
2024: 25% enjoyed espresso martinis
2022: 5% enjoyed espresso martinis
Other coffee-based foods and drinks people enjoy:
The espresso martini may still be highly visible on restaurant menus and social media, but the survey suggests some of its broader consumer momentum has cooled.
Key finding: Coffee protein shakes were added as a new option in 2026 and already appeal to roughly 1 in 8 coffee drinkers. That is a trend worth watching as coffee brands experiment with protein, functional ingredients, and ready-to-drink products.
Our data suggests familiar coffee orders win over constant experimentation.
Among people who purchase from coffee shops:
Taste remains the most common reason people drink coffee, selected by 66% of respondents.
Coffee’s role as a ritual was close behind at 63%. Half said coffee gives them energy.
The leading reasons why people drink coffee included:
In 2026, 40% of coffee drinkers named Folgers as one of their favorite coffee brands. This represents a notable change from 2024, when Starbucks led at 48%, followed by Dunkin’ at 45% and Folgers at 29%.
The most popular coffee brands according to our survey include:
Brand | 2024 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
Folgers | 29% | 40% |
Starbucks | 48% | 34% |
Dunkin’ | 45% | 33% |
McCafé | 18% | 21% |
Peet’s Coffee | 16% | 8% |
Paired with the shift toward drip machines and instant coffee at home, this points to a broader move away from coffeehouse-brand identity and back toward the grocery-aisle staples people keep in their own kitchen.
Even as prices, preparation methods, and drink preferences change, coffee consumption remains remarkably consistent. The bigger changes are happening around where coffee is prepared and purchased.
The survey found that nearly all coffee drinkers (93%) drink coffee at least once a week, while others only drink it once every few weeks (4%), once a month (2%), and less often than once a month (2%).
Older generations are the most likely to drink coffee every day
Moderate consumption remains the norm. Only about 7% drink five or more cups a day.
Specialty preparation methods may generate online interest, but the traditional drip coffee maker remains the workhorse in American homes.
For those who make coffee at home, drip coffee makers led by a wide margin for the method respondents used the most:
Is black coffee making a comeback? Nearly two-thirds still use milk or creamer, but black coffee has regained some ground.
2026: 24% prefer their coffee black
2024: 18% preferred their coffee black
2022: 28% preferred their coffee black
In 2026, 24% said they prefer coffee black. That is an increase of 6 percentage points from 2024, when only 18% selected black coffee.
The 2024 result had represented a 56% decline from 2022. The latest findings suggest that the downward trend has at least partially reversed.
Coffee preferences now break down as follows:
30% of male respondents prefer black coffee, compared with 22% of female respondents. Women are more likely to prefer coffee with milk or creamer.
In 2024, 31% of men and 13% of women preferred black coffee, making men 2.4 times more likely to choose it.
Key finding: The gender gap remains, although it is less pronounced than it was two years ago. Much of the overall increase in black coffee appears to come from more women choosing it.
Combining those who use milk or creamer alone with those who use it alongside sweetener, 65% prefer coffee with some type of milk or creamer.
That is lower than the 77% reported in 2024.
Among milk and creamer users, the leading coffee additions were:
Key finding: Plant-based milk was one of the largest stories in our 2024 report. Oat milk usage had grown 90% since 2022, while almond milk had increased 71%. In 2026, almond and oat milk were selected less often. Their rapid growth may have leveled off, while traditional creamers and dairy products continue to dominate.
Over 1 in 10 prefer sweetener without milk or creamer (11%), while 30% use both. Combined, that means 41% prefer sweetened coffee.
Among people who use a sweetener, regular sugar remains the most popular option:
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Hot coffee still owns the category, with 71% saying it is the type they drink most often. That dominance is especially strong among older generations, while younger coffee drinkers are much more likely to split their preferences across iced coffee, espresso-based drinks, and cold brew.
Types of coffee most often consumed:
Decaf consumption overall is stable, but exclusive decaf use has grown. 28% of coffee drinkers consume decaf, similar to the 29% in 2024.
Most decaf users do not rely on it exclusively. However, 24% of decaf drinkers said they only drink decaf – that is higher than the 16% reported in 2024.
Decaf appears to be moving beyond its traditional role as an evening substitute. Some consumers are choosing it before noon or avoiding caffeinated coffee entirely.
In 2024, the most common switch from caffeinated to decaf occurred between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., selected by 19% of decaf drinkers.
The 2026 results look different. 19% of decaf drinkers now switch from caffeinated coffee before noon, up from 9% in 2024.
That is a meaningful reversal. Decaf is becoming less of an evening-only option and more of an early-day or all-day choice for people who want the coffee experience with less caffeine.
Here’s a closer look at the time in the day people most often switch from caffeinated to decaffeinated coffee?
Most coffee shop customers are open to changing their usual order when the right incentive is offered. Only 9% said nothing would make them try a new coffee drink.
Discounts lead the way, but novelty and visual appeal also play an important role:
Love may not cost a thing, but coffee certainly does.
Our 2026 results show consumers are paying close attention to what they spend. Instead of giving up coffee altogether, many are preparing it at home, using promotions, or visiting coffee shops less frequently.
The most common monthly at-home coffee budget is $11 to $20.
Other at home coffee spending levels per month included:
In 2024, 31% spent between $11 and $20, while 11% spent more than $40.
The middle range remains common, but the share spending more than $40 has declined. This is happening even as daily at-home preparation has increased.
Consumers appear to be making coffee at home more frequently without dramatically increasing their monthly budgets.
Combined, 33% purchase from a coffee shop at least weekly. In 2024, that figure was 51%.
The percentage who never purchase coffee from a shop also increased from 7% to 20%.
This is one of the strongest changes in the entire report. Coffee consumption itself held steady, but where people obtain it has changed.
Weekly coffee shop purchasing fell 18 percentage points from 2024 to 2026.
How often do you purchase coffee from a coffee shop? | 2024 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
Every day | 8% | 7% |
A few times a week | 27% | 15% |
Once a week | 16% | 11% |
Once every few weeks | 17% | 13% |
Once a month | 8% | 10% |
Less often than once a month | 17% | 24% |
Never | 7% | 20% |
Consumers are visiting coffee shops less often and keeping monthly café spending under tighter control. Among respondents who purchase coffee from coffee shops, nearly half spend less than $10 a month. Meanwhile, the share spending more than $40 declined from 14% in 2024 to 6% in 2026.
How much respondents spend on coffee from a coffee shop per month in 2026:
36% say $3 to $4.99 is the most they’ll pay for a single coffee shop beverage, and combined with those capping out under $3, that’s 55% of customers with a hard ceiling below $5.
Coffee remains a priority, but consumers are finding cheaper ways to maintain the ritual. Rather than giving up coffee, 68% have changed how they buy or prepare it in response to higher prices and economic concerns.
The most common adjustments include:
12% of coffee drinkers say improving their health is a reason they drink coffee. A meaningful share of drinkers already see their daily cup as doing them some good. It’s a modest number, but it points to real, if secondary, health-driven motivation behind the habit.
17% of coffee drinkers anticipate drinking less caffeine over the next 12 months.
Among those planning to reduce caffeine, the most common reasons were:
In 2024, reducing dependency led at 54%, followed by better sleep at 46% and anxiety at 35%.
The overall intention to cut back on caffeine has barely changed. The motivations have become more evenly distributed, with sleep moving into the top position.
Saving money also rose from 20% in 2024 to 27% in 2026. That gives us another sign that economic concerns are influencing coffee and caffeine decisions.
7% of respondents planning to reduce caffeine said they are taking a weight-loss medication that interacts with it. It represents a relatively small share of all coffee drinkers, but it is meaningful within the segment actively considering a reduction. Decaf, half-caf, and lower-caffeine products may become more relevant as consumers adjust broader health routines.
Survey Methodology
Drive Research surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults who have consumed coffee in the past 12 months. Fieldwork took place in June 2026. At a 95% confidence level, a sample of this size carries a margin of error of approximately ±3%.
Among the 1,000 U.S. coffee drinkers surveyed in 2026, 71% drink coffee every day, and 88% drink it at least a few times a week.
Among people who make coffee at home, 59% spend $20 or less per month. Another 22% spend between $21 and $30.
Among coffee shop customers, 72% spend $20 or less each month. The amount consumers spend at coffee shops has decreased since 2024, while at-home preparation has become more frequent.
35% prefer coffee with milk or creamer. Another 30% use both sweetener and milk or creamer. 24% prefer black coffee, while 11% use sweetener without adding milk or creamer.
In 2026, Folgers became the most-selected favorite coffee brand, outranking Starbucks and Dunkin’ for the first time since Drive Research began tracking brand preference in 2022.
Yes. 20% of coffee drinkers say they never buy coffee from a coffee shop, up from 7% in 2024, and weekly-or-more coffee shop purchases have fallen from 51% to roughly a third of respondents.
69% make coffee at home every day, and drip coffee makers (54%) have overtaken single-serve pods (37%) as the most common brewing method.
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