Home Café Debuts
By George Anderson
Procter & Gamble’s global beverage business president, Michael Griffith, calls it “the next revolution in coffee making.”
The consumer products giant (full disclosure: P&G is a RetailWire sponsor) has announced the launch of its “Home Café” single-serve coffee product line that uses a new low-pressure
brewing system to make coffee.
Black & Decker, Hamilton Beach, Krups, and Mr. Coffee will be producing low-pressure brewers that are said to turn single-serve pods of popular P&G brands Folger’s and
Millstone brands into fast, great-tasting cups of coffee.
Kraft Foods announced a similar venture recently (see RetailWire, Kraft Wants To Reinvent How Coffee’s Made)
and both Sara Lee and Salton are pursuing the low-pressure brewing opportunity.
P&G will begin testing “Home Café” later this month and national distribution is expected to take place in May.
Moderator’s Comment: Will P&G’s legendary marketing muscle help the company achieve
the revolution in coffee making that Michael Griffith is looking for?
Since it has been suggested that we simply get hooked up to an IV drip of Millstone, we’re probably the targeted candidate for single cup coffee brewing
systems. That said, not everyone contributes as much to the GDP of coffee exporting nations as we do. – George
Anderson – Moderator