Over the last three years, Indians have rediscovered their homes driven by a series of lockdown events and the work-from-home culture getting developed. The home once again became the center of our lives. This has led to customers investing in durables for a more salubrious lifestyle. The need for comfortable and functional workspaces at home increased, leading to new trends in home office furniture, ergonomic desks, and chairs.

Along with work, homes also became a place for entertainment and entertaining guests. Smart TVs, online video calling, and smart assistants which were unheard of till 2019, have now become an inseparable part of our life at home. Streaming platforms have shifted the power into the consumers’ hands, who can now watch whatever they want at their chosen time. There is evolving interest in all kinds of sports, regional language films, scientific and geographical content, politics, and history thanks to the enriching content available at our fingertips.

One of the most interesting revolutions has taken place in the kitchen. People were forced to cook themselves, and while many hated it, many also discovered their inner chef. This led to increased penetration of appliances for food prep, cooking, baking, and healthy eating. Wellness through food became a trend that is going to last and evolve in the coming years.

A silent revolution that has taken place is in the subtle shift from a predominantly tea-drinking culture to a coffee-serving culture. Over the last few years, global coffee chains have proliferated in India, and repeated lockdowns made people realize they were missing their daily shot of caffeine. Almost simultaneously, a number of cafes, coffee houses, and boutique coffee and dessert outlets popped up across the country. This revolution was not limited to only large cities but also small towns across the country. This growth was also fueled by the development and expansion of a number of franchisable opportunities, which provided knowledge of coffee machines, negotiated prices on equipment, supply of roasted high-quality coffee beans, and often a backbone of central kitchens from where the accompanying food could be provided.

When people begin to consume coffee regularly, a natural consequence is a journey of coffee at home. Once you have identified your favourite brew, you want to have it more often, more cost-effectively and want it to be more accessible. This is leading to customers investing in coffee machines and having their daily cuppa at home. The interesting thing about coffee is that it offers many different choices depending on your mood and the time of the day. Very often, a customer begins her journey with one time of coffee and evolves to having two, perhaps three machines at home for enjoying different styles.

The three most common choices of coffee at home are a french press, a brew, and an espresso. One typically wants to start a day with a lighter coffee with coarse ground powder from a french press. When there is that little hunger pang between breakfast and lunch, nothing works better than a cappuccino made from a fine espresso shot extracted from a 15-bar coffee machine with a steamer to generate delicious foam. A biscuit or a cookie at this time with this professional-grade cup of coffee is the perfect recipe to reboot you. In the afternoon, when you are at risk of dozing off on your desk, a light, hearty brew of black coffee is the perfect antidote. This is light on the stomach and sharp for the brain cells.

Responding to this emerging demand, various coffee machines are being developed and distributed in the country, right from a humble french press to barista-grade fully automatic coffee machines. But coffee, like wine, grows on you and is discovered gradually. A great cup of coffee needs a good machine and equally good coffee powder or beans. The interesting part is each type of coffee requires a different grind of powder. Customers usually start their journey by buying a powder from a neighborhood shop and gradually evolve into grinding their own powder for different occasions. The reason is that coffee powder is highly reactive and can lose its aroma and flavour because of sunlight, humidity, and oxidation. On the other hand, coffee beans are compact and stay fresh for much longer. Aficionados like to grind their bean fresh to enjoy the maximum flavour and aroma.

The coffee revolution is just about to begin. A few weeks back, I was visiting someone in a small town in Madhya Pradesh. They did not ask me for tea. They asked me what kind of coffee I would prefer. This is happening more and more across India, and customers have a new idea to fall in love with.

The evolving lifestyle in our homes and kitchens reflects our changing world. As our work, entertainment, and social lives become more intertwined with our homes, we are witnessing a renewed focus on the importance of comfort, health, and self-care. The coffee revolution is just one example of this trend, as more and more people explore the world of coffee, from different brews to various coffee machines. With the potential to bring people together and create a sense of community, coffee is more than just a drink. It represents a shared experience that continues to evolve and adapt to our changing needs and lifestyles. As we look towards the future, the possibilities for the coffee industry and the evolving lifestyle in our homes and kitchens are endless.