/ Coffee Lovers / The Taste Test
7 out of 10 coffee lovers prefer Costa*
In a head-to-head taste tests, 7 out of 10 coffee lovers preferred Costa's Cappuccino to our leading competitors. It's something we're very proud of.
It's all thanks to our traditional slow-roasted coffee beans and our expertly trained baristas. The best beans and the best baristas mean our combination of double espresso with steamed, frothy milk is a coffee lover's favourite. Find out more about our expertise.
No wonder people prefer Costa coffee. Play the film below and see how We Make It Better.
You need to upgrade your Flash Player
Your computer does not have the Flash player installed so unfortunately you cannot see this accessible movie. If you want to see it,
please download the Flash player.
COFFEE LOVERS RESEARCH FAQs
What research did Costa carry out?
Costa carried out research to understand customers taste preferences between Costa, Starbucks and Caffè Nero.
- 2 X 2 way blind taste test: Costa vs. Starbucks and Costa vs. Nero
- Each respondent given two unbranded cappuccinos, to look at/smell/taste and then answer questions on.
- Tasting was rotated to avoid order effect.
- Sample: Costa vs. Starbucks 166, Costa vs. Nero 168, mix of locations; High Wycombe, Sheffield and Glasgow, mix of gender, mix of age, coffee lovers and likers (self-defined), and those with preference for each of the brands.
When did this research take place?
- 27th-28th November 2008 in High Wycombe
- 1st-2nd December 2008 in Glasgow
- 2nd-3rd December 2008 in Sheffield
How did Costa ensure that this research was unbiased?
This research was carried out by an independent research agency and had a thorough methodology to ensure that the research was as robust as possible.
Coffee shops were chosen to be within short walking distance from the tasting venue in each location. Trial runs were conducted prior to the first sessions per location, in order to ensure that the product returned in optimal condition (appearance, temperature).
'Runners' were allocated to particular stores at various time intervals; each runner would purchase a pre determined number of cappuccinos (according to number of respondents per session). Timings were coordinated so that coffees arrived AFTER all respondents had been seated at the venue. This ensured that the coffees remained at optimal serving temperature.
At peak hours, such as lunchtimes, runners would be positioned at stores earlier to allow for queuing time. Once purchased, the beverages were then carefully transported back to the tasting venue. The maximum time lapsed between collecting & tasting was approx. 6mins, ensuring the cappuccinos remained at optimal temperature throughout the trial.
At the venue, unbranded sleeves were placed over the cups and lids were removed to ensure all products were blind tested. The only marking on each cup was a code letter (J,K,L) to indicate which product was being tasted first or second. The order of tasting was rotated across all sessions.
Respondents were informed that they would be asked to taste two cappuccinos (either Costa vs Nero or Costa vs Starbucks) and that they could drink as much of the product as they wished (as opposed to a sip test). The first cappuccino would then be presented to each respondent.
Once appearance and smell had been rated, respondents were allowed to add sugar to taste, if desired. Respondents answered questions based on the tasting attributes, and upon completing the questions relating to the first cappuccino, the second cappuccino was then presented. The same questions were then asked of this product.
They were then asked to identify which they preferred.
What were the results?
Here is a brief summary of the topline findings. Overall Costa cappuccino is significantly preferred over both Caffè Nero and Starbucks products. Number of respondents were 334 across three locations. In head to head paired comparisons, Costa is preferred to both at the 95% confidence level:
- 64% prefer Costa to 36% for Caffè Nero
- 66% prefer Costa to 34% for Starbucks
Coffee drinkers who prefer Caffè Nero and Starbucks as their main outlets preferred Costa cappuccino over their preferred retailer's product:
- 72% of Nero customers prefer Costa's cappuccino
- 67% of Starbucks customers prefer Costa's cappuccino
Costa Cappuccino is stronger in comparison to competitors amongst coffee lovers. Total sample size of coffee lovers was 174.
- 69% prefer Costa to 31% for Caffè Nero
- 72% prefer Costa to 28% for Starbucks
Therefore these results allow us to state that 7 out of 10 coffee lovers prefer Costa's cappuccino.
The overall message is that Costa cappuccino is significantly better than both Caffè Nero and Starbucks. Statistical preferences are significant at the 95% confidence level on the following measurement scales based on the total sample.
- Overall score
- Good coffee flavour
- Right strength of coffee flavour
- Right amount of froth
- Right amount of bitterness
- Pleasant aftertaste
- Quality of coffee
- Good consistency in mouth
- Right amount of milk
How robust is this research?
All results are significant at the 95% confidence level. This means that should we repeat the same research 100 times, 95 times out of this 100 we would get the same results as from the original research.
Who carried out this research?
The research was carried out by Tangible Branding, a consumer centred marketing consultancy based in Windsor. Their consultancy team of 20 people have backgrounds from marketing, research planning, NPD and product development. They have extensive experience in product testing across a number of markets which include chocolate, yoghurt, soft drinks, cheese and bread.
Why did you only test cappuccino?
Cappuccino is one of the biggest selling coffee lines in the UK and across all brands has a consistent method of production.
* Source: independent survey by Tangible Branding Limited, December 2008. In blind head-to-head taste tests between Costa's cappuccino and a cappuccino from Starbucks or Caffè Nero, 70% of respondents who identified themselves as 'Coffee Lovers' preferred Costa cappuccino. Total sample size of Coffee Lovers = 174.