One in three Americans judge others by their coffee order

Key takeaways, in brief:

One in three American coffee drinkers judge other people by their coffee preferences.
23% have a coffee order they only get in secret because they expect to be judged.
Unusual orders people shared include maple syrup and peanuts, coffee on top of black tea, and double espresso with five sugars and butter.
46% prefer their coffee in the afternoon or evening, compared with 39% in the morning. About half of millennials and Gen Xers prefer the later slot.
Medium roast is the favourite (58%). Light and dark roast get 21% each.
Only 14% drink their coffee black.

One in three Americans judge others based on their coffee preferences, according to our new study.

Our poll of 1,586 U.S. coffee drinkers found nearly a quarter (23%) equally have coffee orders they only get in secret, due to believing they themselves would be judged.

One respondent swears by adding maple syrup and peanuts before adding in coffee. Another likes to start with a black tea base, adding coffee on top.

One person said they like to add caramel drizzle and a sprinkle of cinnamon directly to a double-shot of espresso — no milk.

And one respondent shared a particularly precise recipe: “I love [adding] blueberry, butter pecan, extra light and sweet, with whipped cream and cold foam.”

Another shared their equally impressive, if overly-sugary, coffee order: “Double espresso with five sugars and a teaspoon of butter, extra whipped cream and caramel syrup.”

Our survey also found coffee is no longer a morning beverage, as only 39% drink it in the morning — 46% prefer to drink coffee in the afternoon and evenings, especially among half of millennials and Gen Xers polled.

Over half (58%) said they like a nice, medium roast coffee, and 42% are equally split between preferring light (21%) and dark (21%) roast coffee.

Only 14% like their coffee black. The rest said they prefer some amount of cream or sugar: 35% adding just a little cream and 33% adding just a little sugar.

Many shared what else they like to add to their coffee: marshmallows, cinnamon, salt, caramel and even honey.

Respondents were also asked whether or not some recently popularized beverages can be considered coffee.

According to them, the world of coffee can now include

frappuccinos (78%)
espresso tonics (69%)
nitro cold brew (67%)
pumpkin spice lattes (67%), chai (56%)
caffeinated “refreshers” (51%)

However, the “not coffee” list includes

“pink drink” (69%)
“chaider” — a mix of chai and apple cider (65%)
eggnog lattes (54%)

Research methodology

Talker Research surveyed 1,586 Americans who drink coffee who have access to the internet; the survey was commissioned, administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Sept. 23 and Sept. 28, 2026. A link to the questionnaire can be found here.

To view the complete methodology as part of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, please visit the Talker Research Process and Methodology page.

Featured photo by Brooke Cagle