Five cool coffee trends coming to NZ

What will be the next cool thing in coffee? Photo / Thinkstock

Do you pick up a quick flat white on the way to work, or prefer the sweet taste of a mocha in the morning? Maybe it's a cappuccino with friends on the weekend, or, if you're in the know maybe you're opting for a slow drip brew for two. Despite all the great things on offer around the country, it's still instant coffee that is consumed the most by Kiwis, maybe this easy method is mostly you.

Whatever your caffeine consumption, there's no doubt that there's a frothing interest in coffee. We asked local connoisseur, Benn Crawford, from Supreme, to spill the beans of five cool coffee trends we need to know about next.

1. Nitro Infused Coffee

Coldbrew on tap. Photo / Coldbrew.com

Only just starting to appear in NZ but yet to make an official or widely available appearance is cold brew coffee infused with nitro. Just like a tall glass of Guinness, nitro coffee has a rich, velvety, incredibly creamy texture and even has a thick head, just like a pint of the Irish brew. Already a breakout product in America, this coffee drink will please not just coffee purists, but beer heads who also love coffee, along with will tantalising the tastebuds of almost everyone who counts coffee as their number one beverage - hot or cold.

2. SmartCups

Everyone has heard of Keep Cups - the colourful glass or plastic vessel that's popularised reusable takeaway cups everywhere. What's next is the SmartCup by

Frank Green

from Melbourne, which takes the idea of KeepCup one step further. Not only is the cup reusable, vibrant and well designed, it also includes a RFID smart chip for coffee payments. Once connected to the companion app - CafePay - you can load up your SmartCup with credit and pay for your drink and food from participating cafés. Expected worldwide launch next month.

The Smart Cup by Frank Green.

3. Next generation automatic pourover filter machines

For those who love the idea of owning a Chemex but have found trying to perfect the manual brewing process like trying to tie shoelaces with oversized mittens on, automatic pourover filter machines are the ticket. Pitched as "master coffee brewing without the need for a class" these automatic brewers combine sleek minimalistic design with technology that controls water temperature, brew time, and water dispensing variables. The legendary Chemex Coffee Maker company has even joined the show releasing it's own product with an updated version of it's original 1970s automatic brewer the Ottomatic. Available later 2015.

The new Chemex Ottomatic.

4. Digital Micro Coffee Roasters

What has long been left for the more nerdy coffee consumers - many forced into converting popcorn machines due to a lack of affordable options - home roasting is about to get a serious shot in the arm. Home roasting was once common practice but fell out of vogue once instant coffee was invented. There have been a bunch of home roasters available, but most are just lightweight versions of a commercial roaster, or a fancy version of the popcorn machine, depending how you look it. Digital Micro Coffee Roasters like the

Ikawa

, use mobile and cloud technology to allow the average person to dial in precious controlled coffee roasters that actually taste like good coffee.

The Ikawa machine.

5. Fresh And Better Tasting Coffee

Seems like fresh coffee should be old news, but in recent times capsule coffee systems like Nespresso have been grabbing headlines for their convenience and celebrity endorsements. However, capsule coffee drinkers are getting savvy. They have realised they're paying a hefty premium for what is stale coffee. On top of that, fresh data has revealed

the gross packaging waste

individual serves of capsule coffee generate. We predict the capsule coffee bubble will burst, going from the high street to the discount store. In its place expect to see more fresh coffee available from specialty coffee roasters and expertly prepared coffee drinks from independent local cafés.

Coffee pods. Photo / Thinkstock

Join the conversation on the Herald Life Facebook page

- nzherald.co.nz