Consumption. “Flavorless products”: what if the majority of French people drank bad coffee?

The second most consumed beverage in the world after water, coffee occupies an important place in the lives of the French. "80% of them drink two to three cups a day," according to figures released by the Collectif Café, the main professional federation representing the expertise of the entire industry.

With the massive arrival of so-called "convenience" coffee, vacuum-ground or in pods, the market has, however, become disrupted in recent years. "90% of French consumers buy their coffee from supermarkets, a product that is often low-end and lacking in freshness. Behind labels like "100% Arabica" sometimes hide very low-quality coffees, produced from intensive and difficult-to-trace cultivation," regrets Loïc Marion, president of the group.

So what exactly is good coffee? Since the notion of “good” is quite subjective, the idea is to find a product that you appreciate for its taste. “Everyone’s palate is different, the flavors and aromas that a coffee gives off can be appreciated by one person and hated by another. Senseo, Nespresso, Tassimo-type coffees may suit some, but there are much better options in terms of value for money,” says Mikaël Portannier, Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman in France) in coffee roasting, class of 2023, and world roasting champion in 2025.

There is one type that connoisseurs seem to agree on: specialty coffee. "It's a quality coffee that's traceable, respectful of the terroirs, and produced sustainably. As with organic labels, it meets demanding criteria. It is rated 80 +/100 by the Specialty Coffee Association [Editor's note: the association that created a scale to evaluate coffee quality]. If it's above 85/100, it's an exceptional coffee, and above 90/100, an extraordinary coffee," explains Loïc Marion.

Although its price is higher than industrial coffees (20 euros/kg compared to 14 euros/kg, B2B price), it offers maximum guarantees. "And we don't have to drink 10 coffees a day, coffee is not a vital product. If it is considered a basic necessity, I think that's wrong. I'm not saying that we shouldn't drink coffee, on the contrary, but we have to drink good coffee," says Christophe Servell, vice-president of the Coffee Collective and founder of Terres de Café.

To reveal its full potential, coffee also needs to be consumed fresh, harvested that year, roasted shortly after the harvest, and ground to order at the closest possible moment of tasting. "Good coffee? It's coffee with flavor... and values: respect for the producer, fair pay, sustainable cultivation, and artisanal know-how. Bad coffee doesn't just burn your stomach: it burns an entire industry," adds Loïc Marion.

Water is also essential in this quest for good coffee, as it represents 98% of the final beverage. "Tap water passed through a carafe with a filter cartridge or the Volvic brand are the best options at home, while maintaining a ratio of 60g of coffee per liter," explains Mikaël Portannier. You now have everything you need to get the most out of your coffee beans.