Hungarians prefer homemade iced coffee according to a survey by Costa Coffee

There is no better way to beat the summer heat than with a cup of iced coffee: whether it is an espresso freddo, coffee with ice cream, frappé or a frosty cappuccino – the joint representative survey of Costa Coffee and gkid, carried out in July 2022 found that 56 percent of the Hungarian coffee drinkers consume regularly or occasionally any kind of an iced coffee. The results show that most people make the refreshing drink at home, as the majority of respondents are reluctant to pay more than HUF 1,000 for a cup of frozen coffee.

Many stick to their good old coffee

More than half of the 18–24-year-olds questioned in the survey change their coffee drinking habits in the summer, while 70 percent of the participants aged 60 and over consume coffee the same way in the summer as during the cooler seasons. Many people stick to their refreshing drink in the morning or after lunch even in the heat: 68 percent of the survey respondents said they do not change their consumption habits and drink hot coffee in the summer as well.

Those who are more open to the change, tend to drink less coffee during their summer holidays (7 percent), especially the youngest generation (14 percent). It is interesting to note that the daily temperature does not really affect how coffee is consumed: only 3 percent of respondents say that the weather influences the way they drink their coffee. It seems that the youngest participants tend to change their habits in hot weather – 8% of them do so. The survey results also reveal that the older the respondents are, the less likely they tend to change their coffee consumption habits.

Iced coffee in many different varieties

Although more than half of those surveyed drink iced coffee occasionally or regularly, this drink is the most popular among young adults: while only 15 percent of the 18-24-year-olds do not drink ice coffee, this proportion is 43 percent among the participants aged 60 and over. In addition, young people are not only consuming more of it, but also trying a wider variety of cold drinks and are more open to sweeter options, such as coffee with ice cream.

Based on the survey of Costa Coffee and gkid, the brand that offers quality ingredients for chilled coffee as well, the most popular type of cold drink is the iced cappuccino, with one in five respondents choosing it. There is almost the same percentage of those who consume coffee with ice cream (19 percent) and iced espresso (18 percent). Iced cappuccino is the most popular among younger people too; one in three respondents under the age of 30 prefer to consume this refreshing drink. A gender divide is also visible here: 36 percent of men do not drink iced coffee, even if they do, they choose the dairy-free version, for example espresso freddo, while iced cappuccinos, frappé and coffee with ice cream are more popular among women.

Iced coffee is mostly made at home

Costa Coffee offers its customers a quality coffee experience at home, believing that anyone can make the perfect cup of java in their own kitchen, and this requires nothing more than just the good quality ingredients. From this reason, the research also asked whether Hungarian coffee consumers make their own iced coffee or if they prefer to drink it at a café or on the beach. Survey results reveal that 76 percent of the respondents make their iced coffee at home, but 43 percent also like to enjoy it in a café, 15 percent consume the refreshing drink on the beach, while relatively few respondents (12 percent) live up to their passion for chilled coffee at work.

How much are we willing to pay for an iced coffee?

The joint survey by Costa Coffee and gkid revealed that iced coffee consumers are quite price-sensitive – 78 percent are willing to pay a maximum of HUF 1,000 for an iced coffee variant. 14 percent of the participants would pay more than HUF 1,000 for a chilled coffee, while 7 percent said that the price does not matter if the coffee is good. The 18-24 year-olds' love for iced coffee drinks is reflected here too, with 12 percent of them saying they do not care about the price of the product as long as they get a drink for their money that suits their taste.

The survey was commissioned by Coca-Cola HBC Hungary and conducted by gkid Research & Consulting in July 2022, interviewing 4569 individuals.