Gender preference in hedonic ratings for espresso and espresso-milk coffees

Espresso, cappuccino and latte are new coffee products entering the daily l ives of many consumers. There is increasing consumption of such speciality coffees but no sensory basis for new Product development. This study was de signed to meet this need. Preference in 100 consumers was studied using six espresso blends of coffee beans. Blends were specifically developed to mat ch key European and North American styles. Products prepared were both espr esso and espresso-milk coffees. It was observed that females and males had different preferences for espresso coffee but that this effect was reduced on addition of milk. Gender of target consumer, and end use of espresso, sh ould be thus considered in developing coffee blends. In this way acceptabil ity in specific or target groups of consumers can be maximised. In addition individuals may experience a development of appreciation of coffee charact er reflected in a change in preference. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.