by The quality of the beverage depends on objective factors – the quality of the coffee and the method of preparation, as well as subjective factors – the cleanliness of the coffee machine, its settings, water, and milk, etc. These latter factors can even spoil coffee worth $100 per kilogram. At the capital’s ‘Institute of Consumer Expertise’, research was conducted to find out where one can derive the most enjoyment from this popular drink.
Creating a unique ’boutique’ coffee shop featuring specialty-grade beans is difficult but possible; however, a traveling motorist is unlikely to seek out such establishments every time. Experts from the ‘Institute of Consumer Expertise’ together with specialists from the Institute of Food Resources of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine conducted a study comparing the quality of coffee at gas stations, fast-food restaurants, and major retail chains.
The most popular coffee drinks remain ‘Americano’ and ‘Cappuccino’, and these were the ones tested by experts. Samples were purchased in national chains leading in their segments – among gas stations are WOG and KLO, fast food – McDonald’s and KFC, retail chains – ‘ATB’ and ‘Silpo’, coffee shops – GRKY and AromaKava.
In total, experts checked the physicochemical properties of the beverages, namely the strength content (in ‘Americano’) and the foam settling time (for ‘Cappuccino’). An organoleptic evaluation was also conducted by a tasting commission (strength, aroma, taste, texture).
‘Cappuccino’
‘Cappuccino’ – a drink that requires quality ingredients and well-adjusted equipment for proper preparation. The coffee and milk in this beverage should not overpower each other, and the foam should be uniform and elastic. Such characteristics were fully met by the drinks purchased at WOG and KLO gas stations, and at McDonald’s. The champion for foam settling time was the ‘Cappuccino’ from WOG – 9 minutes and 37 seconds. In contrast, the shortest time was shown by a vending machine drink in the ‘Silpo’ retail chain – only 1 minute, 17 seconds.
Regarding taste qualities, again leading were the cappuccinos from WOG and KLO gas stations. These drinks exhibited a synergy of coffee and milk flavor, an optimal coffee-to-milk ratio of 1:4, and a characteristic aroma. Consequently, the highest number of overall points went to WOG (17) and KLO (15). The lowest scores overall were given to the ‘Cappuccino’ from GRKY (8) and ‘Silpo’ (9). Experts rated these drinks low due to the lack of pronounced coffee flavor, disproportion in the coffee-to-milk ratio leaning towards more milk, and the presence of foreign tastes.
Cappuccino research results, October 2022:
| Sample | Caffeine, points | Foam, min/sec/ points | Aroma, points | Taste, points | Overall |
| WOG | 5 | 9:37/5 | 4 | 3 | 17 |
| KLO | 5 | 3:53/4 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| McDonald’s | 5 | 2:45/3 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
| KFC | 4 | 2:59/3 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| ATB | 5 | 2:09/3 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
| Silpo | 4 | 1:17/2 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Gorky | 3 | 1:59/2 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| Aroma | 4 | 3:33/3 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
‘Americano’
‘Americano’ is much simpler in recipe and production but also requires quality ingredients and the right machines. ‘Americano’ should reflect strength, a velvety aroma, characteristic with a coffee-milk note, harmonious, and with a balanced taste. The highest overall scores were attained by coffee samples purchased at WOG gas stations – 35 points, with McDonald’s and AromaKava sharing the second position (33 points each). On the other end of the scale were ‘Americano’ samples acquired from ‘ATB’ and ‘Silpo’ chains (18 and 21 points, respectively). These drinks showcased a weak balance of acidity, bitterness, and sweetness.
Research results of ‘Americano’, October 2022:
| Sample | Caffeine, points | Strength, points | Aroma, points | Taste, points | Consistency, points | Overall |
| WOG | 5 | 8 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 35 |
| KLO | 5 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 30 |
| McDonald’s | 5 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 33 |
| KFC | 4 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 27 |
| ATB | 4 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 18 |
| Silpo | 4 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 21 |
| Gorky | 4 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 23 |
| Aroma | 4 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 33 |
Summary
Overall, the research showed that the best coffee is still found at gas stations, and there is a reason for this. Large gas station chains like WOG and the biggest in the capital, KLO, serve millions of cups of coffee annually, making it a significant revenue stream for the chains. Therefore, they are equipped with coffee machines whose cost can be as high as that of an average car and focus on all components affecting the taste of the final beverage: steady grain supply, water quality, and maintenance of coffee machines. Moreover, motorists represent a discerning class of coffee consumers, as they were the drivers of the freshly brewed coffee category, effectively creating a new consumption culture that replaced instant coffee 10 years ago. For fast-food places and especially retail, this business is auxiliary and doesn’t have such demand, so compromises are more evident – less expensive coffee machines, potentially cheaper grains used. Nonetheless, price differences for a cup of coffee at gas stations and other places are a matter of just a few hryvnias.
