On National Coffee Day, U.S. food innovation company Dice Provisions launched its first craft coffee ice cubes: Dice Coffee Ice Cubes. The new product is reportedly designed to solve the problem of iced coffee being diluted by ice cubes.
Dice Coffee Ice Cubes Image source: FoodBev
Looking at the domestic market, Yongpu Coffee, Hema, and Dingdong Maicai had already launched similar products—coffee ice ball cups—priced at 6-7 yuan per cup. Recently, Yongpu Coffee also launched the Ice Brew 3.0 Coffee Ice Chocolate Flavored Ice Ball Cup on Meituan's Xiaoxiang Supermarket, priced at 4.95 yuan per cup. According to the "2024 Summer Instant Retail Ice Products and Alcoholic Beverages Consumption Insight Report" jointly released by Ele.me and NielsenIQ, during the Great Heat period this year, Ele.me's ice cube delivery volume increased by 350% year-on-year, ice cubes paired with fruit and vegetable drinks increased by about 320%, and ice cubes paired with beer and other alcoholic beverages increased by about 300%.[1]
Ice Brew Coffee Ice Ball Cup & Dingdong Custom Cold Brew Coffee Ice Cup & Hema Cold Brew Classic Coffee Ice Cup Image source: Xiaoxiang Supermarket, Dingdong Maicai Mini Program, Hema Mini Program
Every summer, cold drinks are sought after by many consumers, and this year is no exception. Even though autumn has arrived and the weather is turning cooler, voices like "drink cold drinks all year round" and "drink iced Americano even at minus ten degrees" remain active on major social media platforms. While enjoying the cool sensation of cold drinks, problems such as too much ice and too little drink, and the flavor weakening as ice melts, have led to consumer complaints about ready-made beverage brands. Netizens have posted on social media: "A cup is gone after four or five sips," "The straw can't even fit because there's too much ice," "Full cup of ice, really thank you," and "Are you asking me to drink ice or coffee?"
Image source: Xiaohongshu @liz & @幺幺, @苦瓜nono & @小白
Facing these negative voices, major ready-made tea and coffee brands in the market have not been spared. Luckin Coffee, with over 10,000 stores across China, has been particularly affected, frequently trending on Weibo due to netizen complaints. Even McDonald's, a fast-food brand with a loyal following, cannot stay out of it.
Image source: Southern Metropolis Daily, Xiaohongshu @栗子味的小朋友啊
Netizens' complaints are not unfounded. After all, with too much ice, the already small cup is filled with ice, leaving less room for the drink. Moreover, as the ice melts, it dilutes the original drink, weakening the flavor. To solve the problem of weakened coffee flavor, netizens have racked their brains. Some order with no ice or specifically note to add a few ice cubes, some pick out the ice after buying, and some even manually add coffee powder halfway through drinking.
Image source: Xiaohongshu screenshot
In the alcoholic beverage industry, whiskey stones made from natural materials like granite, quartz, or stainless steel have long been used as alternatives to traditional ice cubes to prevent dilution of the drink's flavor.
Whiskey stones made from different materials Image source: Groovy Guy Gifts
Miniso, Amazon, and others also sell reusable ice cubes. These ice cubes have a food-contact-grade PE shell. To use, simply wash the ice cubes, freeze them for 3-5 hours, and place them in a drink to achieve the same chilling effect as traditional ice. After use, wash and refreeze for reuse.
Image source: Miniso Tmall flagship store
However, whether whiskey stones or reusable ice cubes, their usage scenarios are relatively fixed, suitable only for bars, homes, and other fixed settings, not for ready-made drinks like coffee or milk tea. Dice Provisions, Yongpu Coffee, Hema, and others have provided a solution with coffee-flavored ice cubes and coffee ice ball cups. Dice Coffee Ice Cubes and coffee ice ball cups are made by extracting coffee beans into liquid and freezing, preserving the coffee's concentration. For example, Dice Provisions' coffee ice cubes use a unique nitro-freezing process to maintain their initial flavor.[2] Coffee ice cubes and coffee ice ball cups are also easy to use: simply place the ice cubes in a drink, or add 150-200ml of room-temperature water, sparkling water, or milk to the ice ball cup. As the ice ball melts, the coffee flavor gradually emerges, providing a cool sensation without diluting the drink or weakening the initial flavor.
In China, with the launch of coffee ice ball cups, a DIY trend has emerged on Xiaohongshu. Netizens have started playing with ice in various ways, creating all kinds of DIY coffee. Adding milk, sparkling water, orange juice, or coconut milk to the coffee ice ball cup to make iced lattes, iced sparkling Americanos, iced orange C Americanos, and iced coconut lattes—no commercially available coffee has escaped netizens' DIY. Some simply add purified water or coffee to the ice ball cup to make iced Americano. Innovative netizens have even tried combining Chinese and Western elements, using soy milk and coffee ice ball cups for DIY, leaving both coffee and soy milk drinkers speechless.
Image source: Xiaohongshu @可严可甜, 甜甜圈、脆心儿小妖、黑猪太郎🐖、痴吃小兽、酸甜苦辣不要苦、Lemongrass
In addition to coffee ice ball cups, retail channels like Hema, Dingdong Maicai, and Lawson have also launched various fruit-flavored ice cubes, which have been well received by consumers. Hema's sweet and sour passion fruit juice ice cups and refreshing grape juice ice cups have original juice content exceeding 80% and 90%, respectively. They can be eaten directly or added to sparkling water, drinks, and coffee. They are priced at 5.9 yuan per cup.
Image source: Hema Mini Program
Dingdong Maicai, in collaboration with Bingguozhu, has launched fruit-flavored ice balls in lemon, guava, strawberry, and other flavors. The brand claims they are made from natural fruits and are the cold drink with the cleanest ingredient list in China, with 0 artificial flavors, 0 colors, and 0 additives. They are priced at 8.79 yuan per cup.
Image source: Xiaohongshu @冰菓珠
Lawson, in cooperation with Daqiaodao, has launched coconut ice, grape ice, lemon ice, and other fruit-flavored ice cubes, priced at 7.9 yuan per 80g. The colorful fruit-flavored ice cubes have attracted a wave of netizens to test and DIY, earning widespread praise.
Image source: Xiaohongshu screenshot
On the international social forum Reddit, netizens also have similar concerns about too much ice in cold drinks and have shown great interest in cola ice cubes and beer ice cubes.
Image source: Reddit
Many brands have entered the market to seize the ice market, but most development of ice still remains in the traditional edible ice field. The ice business may still have great potential in the future.
References: [1] NielsenIQ X Ele.me | 2024 Instant Retail Ice Products and Alcoholic Beverages Consumption Insights, August 2, 2024, NielsenIQ [2] Dice Provisions launches Craft Coffee Ice Cubes ahead of National Coffee Day, September 2024, FoodBev Media