When choosing a coffee beverage, a growing number of consumers are making their decision based on how healthy it is.
Beverages free from sugar and additives are the fastest-growing category of drinks in the hospitality industry. The simplicity of healthy beverages makes them easier to prepare and serve, and customers are often willing to pay a premium for them.
Consisting of a shot or two of espresso diluted with hot water, the Americano is the ideal choice for consumers who want a simple and healthy coffee. While it allows roasters and baristas to highlight the quality of the coffee, serving an Americano requires special considerations.
For instance, the proportion of espresso to water may vary according to local standards and customer preference. As a result, it may range from a ratio of 1:2 to 1:5.
Additionally, depending on location, coffee shops may need to differentiate an Americano from a long blank or filter coffee, also known as a caffé all’americana. This may impact the volume of Americano’s served, as well as what takeaway cups are used.
Read on to find out which takeaway coffee cups are best suited for Americanos.
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Why should coffee shops serve Americanos?
Over the last few years, the Covid-19 pandemic has dominated global markets.
As vaccines became available, many governments halted mandatory mask-wearing and isolation orders. However, the pandemic has created more health-conscious consumers who are taking more responsibility for their diet and lifestyle.
This has led to an increased interest in beverages that taste good and provide an energy boost without being unhealthy.
Notably, Americanos have been scientifically established as a healthier coffee option.
A 2022 study has linked the consumption of up to four cups of unsweetened, presumably milk-free, coffees a day with a decreased mortality risk.
Conversely, this benefit was not found in drinks with added sugars or calories from milk.
Important to note is that this does not mean coffee helps consumers live longer. It simply indicates moderate consumption of coffees such as Americanos can provide caffeinated energy without additional calories or long-term negative health.
Rising inflation is also prompting many consumers to reevaluate their spending habits. While the price of coffee continues to rise, Americanos remain affordable – unlike many other popular health drinks.
Factors such as these can be major influencers for customers seeking healthier drink options.
What to consider when serving Americanos
One of the main factors baristas and coffee shops must consider when serving takeaway Americanos is the serving size.
How many major coffee chains such as Starbucks and Costa Coffee serve their coffees is important, even if it may not be authentic.
This is because these chains tend to shape customers’ expectations on what a coffee offering should consist of and look like – especially if they are unfamiliar with specialty coffee.
For example, Starbucks serves its Americano in four sizes: a Short is 8oz or 236ml, a Tall is 12oz or 354ml, and a Grande is 16oz or 472ml, while a Venti is 20oz or 591ml.
Additionally, they allow customers to choose how many shots they want and whether they want a ristretto or long shot. The ristretto has less water while the long shot has more.
Furthermore, Starbucks offers customers the option to add a splash of milk and determine how much room they want in their cups.
That said, some coffee shops may not require as much variation for a single offering. However, predicting customer expectations and determining Americano sizes will impact a coffee shop’s choice in takeaway cups.
This involves assessing customers’ current drink trends, such as the average drink size ordered. Baristas and coffee shop owners will likely want a cup that accommodates a small to medium-sized Americano, with space to spare should customers want additions.
Furthermore, as the drink is unlikely to contain any milk, it may be served at a hotter temperature. This means the cup must preserve the Americanos heat and facilitate easy sipping to lower the risk of burns, while still being comfortable to hold.
Choosing the right cup for your Americanos
The takeaway cup used for Americano servings will need to balance function and sustainability.
Many customers use a takeaway cup for hygienic, convenient consumption on the go, and a growing number expect it to have as little environmental impact as possible by being easy to recycle.
As major chains such as Costa Coffee debut sustainably produced takeaway cups, it is advisable that smaller coffee shops do the same in order to stay ahead in the specialty coffee sector.
To help manage the heat of an Americano, baristas can choose a double wall cup, or include a cup sleeve.
Additionally, including a lid for takeaway orders can ensure customers can safely sip their Americanos without spilling.
Maintaining the temperature of a takeaway coffee is essential, as changing temperatures can alter the taste of the beverage. Ripple wall cups are made from corrugated cardboard, which comprises three levels of heavy paper with a fluted middle layer. This helps improve the cup’s insulation properties by trapping air between each layer.
A traditional pitfall of using disposable takeaway cups is they are often not recycled due to the plastic lining that prevents them from leaking. This lining also prevents them from being processed as a paper product.
To help prevent takeaway cups from ending up in a landfill, baristas and coffee shop owners can choose to use compostable or biodegradable cups instead.
These cups are designed to break down into non-toxic matter within 90 days if commercially composted. As a result, compostable takeaway cups have risen to become one of the most popular choices for coffee shops looking for a sustainable solution.
To help ensure consumers know which bin to place their empty takeaways cup, coffee shops can print easy-to-understand instructions on the cups.
Alternatively, coffee shops can encourage customers to return their empty cups so management can arrange for their disposal.
By switching to compostable takeaway cups, coffee shops can continue serving coffees to-go while limiting their impact on the environment. This will not only put them ahead of competitors but also improve the sustainability of the coffee supply chain.
At MTPak Coffee, we have years of experience in helping coffee shops and roasters brand and package their coffee and takeaway offerings, as well as all its accessories.
We offer 100% compostable takeaway cups in three different sizes: 4oz, 8oz, 16oz, and 12oz. Made from PLA and kraft paper, they can be customised with your branding to help showcase the quality of your coffee and your commitment to the environment.
Our range of eco-friendly coffee packaging is made from sustainable materials such as kraft and rice paper, as well as LDPE and PLA-lined bags.
Furthermore, we can use digital printing to customise coffee bags to highlight your coffee, with a 40-hour turnaround and 24-hour shipping time. This allows us to offer low minimum order quantities (MOQs) of packaging, no matter what size or material.
