ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) is introducing a new line of iced coffee makers and K-cup varieties. According to KDP, 73% of consumers aged 18-24 are drinking iced coffee weekly, and 80% of iced coffee drinks are consumed at home.

The line includes three iced coffee machines—two exclusively make iced coffee and one makes hot and cold coffee—and five new K-cup iced coffee varieties. The machines feature a “Brew Over Ice” option that automatically adjusts the brew temperature, starting hotter to extract the full flavor of the ground coffee then cooling down to minimize ice melt.

“We're excited to further expand our brewer and coffee portfolio to meet the needs of our consumers,” said Becky Opdyke, senior vice president, coffee marketing at Keurig Dr Pepper. "With the new K-Iced line, consumers not only get that full-flavored hot coffee they expect from Keurig, but also a refreshing iced coffee at the touch of a button—all in one coffee maker.”

According to the National Coffee Association, the pandemic did not change how much coffee Americans drink, but it has had lingering effects on the place of consumption, with 83% of past-day coffee drinkers having had coffee at home, up by 4% since January 2020. Thirty-five percent of past-day coffee consumers had coffee away from home, continuing to rebound from a low of 31% in January 2021 but down from 41% in January 2020.

Also, iced coffee has soared in demand. According to NACS State of the Industry Report of 2021 Data, other cold dispensed beverage sales, which includes iced coffee, increased 61.2% year over year in 2021. The New York Times has reported that many people, particularly millennials and Gen Zers, don’t even consider ordering a hot-coffee beverage, opting for iced coffee all year long. Starbucks recently reported that 75% of its drink sales were from cold beverages. The company said its customers are more likely to request add-ins to their cold drinks, such as syrups and milks, than they are to their hot beverages, which raises the price of the beverage. Starbucks also said that cold beverages are popular with Gen Z customers.

To read more about coffee trends and what consumers are demanding in their brewed drinks, read “Caffeine Fix” in NACS Magazine.