Vanilla and caramel. These are the best-selling flavours of summer 2024. Are we talking about gelato? No, it’s coffee. Because today the black beverage is often a mixology recipe. But single-origins, functional ingredients and ‘non-coffee’ are all the rage too, as the latter recalls the intensity of a ristretto without the caffeine load. And when it comes to lattes, plant-based alternatives reign: new this year is potato milk. Who are the most avid experimenters? Needless to say, it’s Gen Z.

It’s a true all-round cultural change. “We witness a search for unconventional ingredients to combine with coffee, but also new preparations, such as cold brew. These novelties also require innovative communication”, they assess from the Caffè Carraro Press Office.

This phenomenon sees small companies of excellence at the forefront, such as Le Piantagioni del Caffè. “New generations increasingly see coffee as an ingredient in composite drinks, and they are willing to pay a premium price, provided that the recipe and its context really meet expectations. This will still require a lot of innovation in coffee varieties,” comments the CEO, Iacopo Bargoni.

The change can already be noticed upstream in the process, as Nicola Panzani, CEO of IMA Petroncini and Sales Director of IMA Coffee Hub, testifies: “As manufacturers of complete roasting plants, we see an increasing focus on high quality raw materials: the consumer now knows how to tell a good coffee from a bad one, and they also look at supply chain sustainability. As has been the case with foodstuffs for years, fair-trade or organic certifications, and stricter regulations, spur technological innovation.”

At Host 2025, at fieramilano in Milan-Rho from 17 to 21 October 2025, contemporary reinterpretations of quality coffee will take centre stage not only at SIC - Salone Internazionale del Caffè, but also in the schedule of events: the return to Milan of the World Barista Championship organised by the SCA - Specialty Coffee Association and WCE- World Coffee Events.