Relating consumer preferences to sensory attributes of instant coffee

The sensory profiles of 11 instant coffees including pure coffees (PC), coffee blends (CB) and a chicory instant drink (CID), commercially available in South Africa, were described and quantified. These were then related to consumer preferences (n=199) for the instant coffees using preference mapping. Based on consumer preferences, four consumer groups were identified, “pure coffee lovers” (23%), “coffee blend drinkers” (30%), “general coffee drinkers” (37%) and “not serious coffee drinkers” (10%). The “pure coffee lovers” prefer the more astringent, bitter, roasted, nutty and full-bodied flavour of the pure coffee samples. The less intense coffee flavour character, but higher sweetness and root flavour, typical of chicory blended instant coffee, were attributes that were preferred by the “coffee blend lovers”. The “general coffee drinkers” seem to consume coffee out of habit and are less concerned about the specific sensory properties of the coffee.