Coffee Drinking and Emotions: Are There Key Sensory Drivers for Emotions?

Abstract

In the past couple of decades the coffee market has exploded, and to remain competitive, it is important to identify the key drivers for consumer acceptance of coffee. This study expanded on the previous emotion study on a population of coffee drinkers in Manhattan, Kansas, USA and focused on identifying the sensory drivers of emotional responses elicited during the coffee drinking experience (CDE). A trained coffee panel performed a descriptive analysis of six coffee samples and identified the key sensory attributes that discriminated each coffee. Utilizing Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR), the descriptive data were then mapped with the emotion data to identify sensory drivers for eliciting the emotional responses. The sensory characteristics of dark roast coffee (roast–aroma and flavor, burnt–aroma and flavor, bitter, and body) might elicit positive-high energy feelings for this population of coffee users. Tobacco (flavor) and cocoa (aroma) may also be responsible for positive emotions (content, good, and pleasant). Citrus and acidity seemed to be negative sensory drivers as they induced the feeling of off-balance. Sensory descriptive data could be useful to describe emotion profiles elicited by coffee drinking, which could help the coffee industry create coffee products for different segments of coffee drinkers.

Analytic hierarchy process as an alternative for the selection of vocabularies for sensory characterization and consumer preference

“…Sample M3 was rejected by consumers due to sensory characteristics Burnt‐A, Lime‐F and Cinnamon‐F. This result agrees with Bhumiratana et al () whom indicated that attributes related to citrus fruits are considered as negative sensory drivers because they induce the sensation of umbalance.…”

“…Class 2 preferred samples M4 and M5 (located in the region of preference of 20 to 40%, blue hue) because they have greater intensity of Sugar cane‐A, Sugar cane‐F, and Spicy‐AT. According to Geel, Kienner, and Kock () and Bhumiratana, Wolf, Chambres, and Adhikari () the bitter sensory attribute contributes to the preference of consumers of instant coffee. Sample M3 was rejected by consumers due to sensory characteristics Burnt‐A, Lime‐F and Cinnamon‐F.…”

Technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method for the generation of external preference mapping using rapid sensometric techniques

“…The results generated by each rapid technique after applying the TOPSIS methodology are shown in Table 5. The sensory attributes considered (−) agreed with those reported by Bhumiratana et al 26 and Ramírez-Rivera et al, 10 who mentioned that the sensory attributes related to citrus, spicy, smoke, and burnt in roasted coffees in the USA and Mexico are considered negative. Positive attributes cocoa, coffee, bitter, sweet, caramel, and cinnamon can drive positive consumer emotions, such as good, pleasant, satisfied, driven, and special.…”

“…Positive attributes cocoa, coffee, bitter, sweet, caramel, and cinnamon can drive positive consumer emotions, such as good, pleasant, satisfied, driven, and special. 26 The generation of both (+) and (−) sensory attributes between the techniques were similar (K-W = 3.84, P > 0.05). This result was also found by Blancher et al, 28 who evaluated the texture of jellies using the rapid technique free sorting task.…”

“…The consumer panel determined in consensus the sensory attributes considered as (+) and (−). 9,26 The consensus for the determination of W and (+)/(−) for each attribute was carried out prior to the application of the sensory techniques FP, CATA, and Napping. It was carried out in a conference room at the ITSZ adapted for sessions with large numbers of people (room capacity was 100 subjects).…”