Ever wondered what the top 20 coffee brands in the world are? There are thousands of coffee brands, however only several have managed to stand out, either because of their wide-availability (Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts), or because of their convenience, like Keurig Green Mountain Inc (NASDAQ:GMCR), whose coffee pods are dominating the market in the U.S.
Even though coffee is not the most popular beverage in the world, lagging behind tea and even beer, the consumption figures are still very impressive. According to the International Coffee Organization, in 2015/2016, global coffee production amounted to 8.90 million tons, while consumption was even higher at 9.08 million tons. The two main types of coffee based on beans species are Arabica and Robusta. Arabica beans are characterized by a sweeter and softer taste with higher acidity, while Robusta beans have a stronger taste, double the caffeine of Arabica beans and are generally considered of lower quality.
There are two main types of coffee beverages sold around the world. There is fresh coffee, which includes ground coffee and coffee beans, and instant coffee. Instant coffee is more popular around the world, especially in regions where people have started drinking coffee recently, like Russia and China. Overall, instant coffee is more popular than fresh coffee in almost half of the world. Despite the hate that instant coffee gets from so-called “coffee purists”, the beverage is appealing due to the low price and simplicity. However, when it comes to U.S the situation is different. Even though price and convenience are two key aspects that American consumers are looking for, U.S instant coffee sales amounted to around $1 billion in 2013 and had barely changed over the previous five years, according to Euromonitor.
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The reason for that is that the U.S is defined by a strong culture of coffee houses with some big companies like Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) and Dunkin Brands Group Inc (NASDAQ:DNKN) having established huge networks across the country. Another company that has managed to capture American consumers’ attention through convenience is Keurig Green Mountain Inc (NASDAQ:GMCR), whose coffee pods (as mentioned earlier) dominate the market with 20% share. However, as Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX), Dunkin Brands Group Inc (NASDAQ:DNKN) and others continue to build coffee shops on every corner, other companies like Blue Bottle have found a new niche, offering high-end coffee beverages.
However, while Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) offers a quick cup of Joe at affordable prices, the taste can’t be compared to some of the more high-quality brands. More high-end chains offer quality, but at a higher price. In this way, a compromise is to get a grinder and a coffee-maker and buy high-quality beans and brew your own coffee; or at least to get a french press and buy some premium ground coffee.
In any case, no matter how you like your coffee, the top 20 coffee brands in the world has you covered. The list includes brands that can be bought in beans and ground form, as well as brands that offer beverages in shops around the world. Check out beginning on the next page. Also check out the list of the Top 10 Coffee Brands in America to see how the battle for consumers’ coffee dollars is progressing there.
1. Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) is a coffee company that operates nearly 24,000 locations around the world. The locations provide customers with hot and cold coffee and tea, snacks, as well as sandwiches and pastries. Starbucks, which was founded in 1971 in Seattle, where it is still based, also has its own line of grocery products, such as coffee, ice-cream, and bottled coffee beverages that are sold at third-party retailers.
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2. Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee is a British-based operator of coffee houses. The company, which is headquartered in Dunstable and is owned by Whitbread, has 3,400 locations around the world, but is still the second-largest in the world behind Starbucks. In 2011, Whitbread, a hotel and restaurant group, bought Coffee Nation, an operator of a chain of vending machines. The machines were rebranded as Costa Express and offer beverages made from the same beans as used in Costa Coffee stores and made using fresh milk.
3. Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons is not entirely a coffee brand, but the wide availability of its locations make its coffee one of the most consumed in the world. The fast food restaurant chain is the largest in its home country, Canada, but also has locations in eight other countries. Tim Hortons, owned by Restaurant Brands International Inc (NYSE:QSR), currently has over 4,600 restaurants and its most popular products are coffee and donuts.
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4. Dunkin’ Donuts
A subsidiary of Dunkin Brands Group Inc (NASDAQ:DNKN), Dunkin’ Donuts is mostly known for its donuts, but its coffee beverages are also highly popular. With 12,000 restaurants in 36 countries, Dunkin’ Donuts is one of the largest coffee and baked goods chains in the world. Even though the chain is known for its donuts, they represent only 8% of the company’s sales, while coffee and other beverages amass 65%.
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5. McCafe
You can get a cup of coffee at McDonald’s, but McCafe takes it to the next level. McCafe is a much smaller part of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), with just 1,300 locations around the world. The outlets, which are often located inside a pre-existing McDonald’s restaurant, offer a variety of coffee beverages that are based on espressos, as well as other drinks and food items. McDonald’s also launched a line of coffee drinks called “McCafe” in the U.S and has also partnered with Kraft Foods to sell coffee for home brewing in U.S supermarkets.
6. Lavazza
Italian company Luigi Lavazza S.p.A. is one of the most popular brands of coffee products in the world, as well as one of the oldest, having been founded in 1895 in Turin. Lavazza is branded as “Italy’s Favorite Coffee” and the company claims that 80% of the 20 million families in Italy that buy coffee choose its brand. The company imports coffee from Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Uganda and other countries and sells it in grocery stores around the world. Lavazza also has coffee shops where it serves coffee.
7. Nescafe
Nescafe is the most popular brand of soluble and instant coffee in the world. The brand is owned by Swiss-based Nestle and includes a variety of products including Original, Classic, Gold Blend, Espresso, and Decaff. Nescafe has also launched its own coffee machine system called “Dolce Gusto”, which allows consumers to make different types of drinks using special capsules.
8. Keurig Green Mountain
Keurig Green Mountain Inc (NASDAQ:GMCR) is a U.S-based company that sells coffee as well as coffee makers. Among its products are traditional coffee beans and ground coffee. However, its more popular products are portioned packs (pods) for its Keurig brewing systems, which are sourced under different brands (such as Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts).
9. Folgers
Folgers is one of the oldest coffee brands in the U.S, having been introduced in 1850. The brand is currently owned by J M Smucker Co (NYSE:SJM), which acquired it from Procter & Gamble Co (NYSE:PG) in 2008. Folgers has several brands of coffee in the U.S, including Classic Roast, Flavored Coffee, Instant, and Home Cafe Pods. It also has a presence in Canada and the United Kingdom.
10. Maxwell House
Maxwell House is another very popular coffee brand in the U.S, though one that has been trailing Folgers since the early 1990s. The brand, which was launched in 1892, is currently owned by Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ:KHC). Maxwell House is available as ground coffee, as well as whole-bean and flavored.
11. Illy
Illycaffe S.p.A. is another Italian coffee roasting company, whose most popular product are espressos. The company sells whole-bean and pre-ground coffee, as well as espresso pods, espresso capsules and pre-packaged coffee beverages. Illycaffe’s brand, Illy, is present in over 140 countries. Illy also has its own line of espresso machines.
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12. Seattle’s Best Coffee
Seattle’s Best Coffee is a specialty coffee retailer that is owned by Starbucks. The company sells coffee in its own retail stores, but also has sub-stores located inside other retail businesses and college campuses. Overall, the brand is present in seven countries and the company has over 1,200 points of distribution. Seattle’s Best Coffee is cheaper than Starbucks’ namesake brand.
13. Nespresso
Nespresso is a brand of coffee machines and capsules owned by Nestle. The brand’s machines are manufactured under well-known kitchen equipment brands like Krups, Siemens, and DeLonghi. The machines use special capsules (pods) that are sold exclusively by Nespresso. There are over 20 different arabica and robusta capsules, as well as espresso capsules.
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14. Tassimo
Tassimo is a single-serve coffee system that is owned by German-based Jacobs Douwe Egberts. The system prepares one-cup beverages that include regular coffee, espresso, latte, hot chocolate, and tea. The machines for making the beverages are manufactured by Bosch and they scan the bar code on each pod (called a T-Disc) to select the proper settings for the beverage required. There are many T-Discs under several brands, including Maxwell House, Jacobs, Twinnings, as well as under coffee shop brands, such as Costa Coffee and McCafe.
15. Blue Bottle Coffee
Blue Bottle Coffee was launched in the early 2000s in Oakland, California. Since then, the company has expanded and currently has locations in six other cities in the U.S and in Tokyo. The company is known for its careful approach towards coffee preparation, using single-origin beans. Blue Bottle Coffee managed to raise $70 million in a venture capital round in 2015 and a year later started selling pre-ground beans.
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16. Peet’s Coffee and Tea
Peet’s Coffee & Tea was founded in 1966 in Berkley, California and currently has over 190 locations, most based in California, with others based in other U.S states. The company sells freshly roasted whole beans and fresh brewed coffee. The company’s beans are sold in more than 14,000 grocery stores and the company operates the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) roastery in the U.S.
17. Coffee Beanery
Coffee Beanery was founded in 1976 and is currently owned by Shaw Coffee Company. The company offers franchises and derives most of its income from selling equipment to its franchisees, which are based in the U.S and other countries, including China, South Korea, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. Coffee Beanery shops sell espresso, coffee, tea, coffee beans, tea bags, and baked goods, sandwiches, and salads. The company also has a line of branded mugs and coffee machines.
18. Caribou Coffee
Caribou Coffee owns a chain of coffee houses in the U.S that includes over 270 locations in 18 states and the District of Columbia and also offers franchises, with more than 200 locations operated by franchisees in 10 countries. Caribou Coffee offers espresso-based beverages and also has its own blends of coffee, tea and baked goods.
19. Gloria Jeans Coffee
Gloria Jeans Coffee is a coffeehouse company that offers franchises in several countries. There are currently over 1,000 locations in nearly 40 markets, the largest of which is Australia, where Gloria Jeans Coffee has 460 stores. Among Gloria Jeans Coffee’s best sellers are coconut, cinnamon, and chocolate-flavored coffee beverages.
20. Kopi Luwak
Kopi Luwak is not really a brand of coffee, but a type. It is coffee that is sourced from semi-digested coffee cherries eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet. The producers of Kopi Luwak argue that the coffee has a better taste because the civet chooses which cherries to eat and the digestive processes improve the flavor of the beans. Even though it can be pretty expensive, Kopi Luwak’s popularity is mostly because of its novelty and is often offered as a gag gift. However, among experts in the coffee industry the consensus is that the taste of the coffee is pretty bad.
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