In recent years, traditional coffee giants and emerging coffee brands in China have been intensifying their efforts in ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee. The current consumer and industry trends mirror the trajectory of Japan's RTD coffee market before its boom, which saw a wave of instant and freshly brewed coffee adoption, followed by a phase where various RTD coffee brands compete for market share through different positioning and strategies. However, in stark contrast to the heated competition fueled by capital and major players, few brands emphasize coffee bean origin, instead relying on instant coffee powder or flavorings to compensate for bean quality. This counterproductive approach has left the RTD coffee market without standout products.
Recently, Food Board noticed on Xiaohongshu that many consumers are praising Nongfu Spring's Tan Bing brand Yirgacheffe canned coffee. Sold exclusively at Sam's Club, this coffee quickly became a 'treasure list' item among Sam's enthusiasts, sparking a buying frenzy. Many coffee lovers have commented that it replicates the taste of freshly ground coffee, hailing it as the 'ceiling' of canned coffee.
01 Deepening Presence in the Coffee Sector Nongfu Spring May Reshape the Competitive Landscape
Three years ago, Tan Bing was launched. What initially caught consumers' attention was undoubtedly its unique brand name. 'Tan' (charcoal) signifies that coffee beans must be roasted over charcoal fire to release their aroma, while 'Bing' (ice) represents its unique extraction process. It can be said that Tan Bing has taken a different path from most RTD coffee brands: it does not use instant powder, contains zero artificial flavors and zero preservatives, and its flavor relies entirely on coffee beans. From controlling green beans to roasting, extraction, and canning, the entire process is completed in-house. The challenges involved are far more complex than simply adding another RTD coffee to the shelf. Currently, Tan Bing has expanded into various product forms, including canned coffee, drip coffee bags, and coffee liquid. With the launch of Tan Bing Yirgacheffe, industry insiders believe this will not only bring new product development directions to the industry but also, to some extent, change the existing competitive landscape.
02 Using Single-Origin Coffee Beans Putting Freshly Ground Specialty Coffee in a Can
The newly launched Yirgacheffe continues the approach of selecting premium coffee beans, using G1 grade beans from a single origin with no blending of other bean varieties. This ensures the purity of Yirgacheffe's 'lineage,' which is a prerequisite for its status as the 'ceiling' of canned coffee. Coffee enthusiasts are certainly familiar with Yirgacheffe. Ethiopia is hailed as the 'birthplace of coffee,' and Yirgacheffe is synonymous with Ethiopian specialty coffee, a testament to its reputation and quality. Although Yirgacheffe beans are small, they are sweet and charming, with pure, bold floral and fruity aromas, and a fresh, bright taste. Thanks to this, even offline freshly brewed coffee shops that pride themselves on high quality regard Yirgacheffe as a premium offering. For instance, at Starbucks, Yirgacheffe is only sold at its Reserve stores, priced at 39 yuan per cup; Luckin Coffee has also created a dedicated section for Yirgacheffe, defining it as a 'small black cup,' with even the cheapest single item priced at 19 yuan per cup, underscoring its high value. Tan Bing has also maximized the high quality of Yirgacheffe, with cupping notes revealing rich citrus and berry aromas, accompanied by a caramel finish, and a layered mouthfeel that is in no way inferior to freshly ground coffee at offline cafes. This time, Tan Bing has truly managed to put cafe-quality specialty coffee into a can. That is why, even though it has just been launched, many coffee lovers have already dubbed Tan Bing Yirgacheffe the 'ceiling' of canned coffee.
Tan Bing Yirgacheffe receives praise on the Sam's Club app
03 From Green Beans to Extraction, All Completed In-House Nongfu Spring Is Serious About RTD Coffee
The carefully selected coffee beans are the prerequisite for Tan Bing Yirgacheffe's rapid rise to fame, while the production process provides strong support. A close look at the Yirgacheffe can reveals a small line of text: 'Coffee beans roasted at Nongfu Spring Roasting Facility,' which is also the confidence behind Tan Bing's bold choice of specialty beans like Yirgacheffe. When consuming coffee at a cafe, consumers are often attracted by the rich coffee aroma, which comes from the ground beans. However, what is not widely known is that the process of turning green beans into roasted beans is also a process of aroma degradation. Therefore, to maximize the preservation of the original flavor of the coffee beans, Tan Bing's roasting, extraction, and other processes are all completed independently by Nongfu Spring. In the brand's view, the journey from coffee bean to coffee is like cooking: it requires not only good ingredients but also a good chef. Tan Bing has everything that a specialty coffee shop has, including baristas and extraction machines. Starting from the raw materials, R&D personnel and baristas travel to major specialty coffee origins worldwide, engaging in in-depth exchanges with coffee suppliers to select the highest quality beans. They have also established a year-round constant temperature and humidity green bean warehouse, where each batch of green beans undergoes testing with 3 roasting profiles and 4 roasting curves. From roasting to extraction, every step is overseen by professionals. In terms of canning, Tan Bing, like many other Nongfu Spring beverages, uses aseptic production lines and does not add preservatives. Tan Bing also opts for more expensive aluminum cans and nitrogen flushing for freshness, all to maximize the preservation of coffee aroma. It is worth noting that Tan Bing is currently the only RTD coffee brand in China that completes the entire process from green bean control to extraction in-house. This undoubtedly demonstrates Nongfu Spring's thoughtful approach to beverages: once they make a move, it is bound to be distinctive.
04 Precisely Targeting and Diversifying Product Lines The Prototype of a Specialty Coffee Factory Is Emerging
Unlike the typical 'trial and error' logic of ordinary companies, Tan Bing is undoubtedly more planned and long-term oriented, a category that Nongfu Spring is willing to invest time and effort in cultivating. Although it has only been on the market for just over three years, it already appears to have the makings of a 'specialty coffee factory.' In addition to the newly launched Yirgacheffe, Tan Bing has successfully created three products, each with its own audience. Among them, Low-Sugar Latte is an entry-level choice for those new to coffee, while Sugar-Free Latte and Sugar-Free Black Coffee are premium options for intermediate and seasoned coffee enthusiasts. In March 2020, Nongfu Spring also launched Tan Bing drip coffee bags, entering the pour-over coffee market. In June, in response to summer beverage demand, it introduced its first cup-style chilled coffee, providing consumers with an icy refreshment during the hot summer. Additionally, consumers on Xiaohongshu have noticed that Tan Bing has also launched a 900g large-format espresso coffee, with clear channel intentions, targeting scenarios such as home DIY and restaurant chains. It is understood that besides collaborating with Guming Milk Tea, Tan Bing and Hema Fresh have jointly created Swiss rolls using coffee liquid as an ingredient, which are highly favored by young consumers.
05 Growth Rate Far Exceeds Soft Drinks and Bottled Water Market Size to Cross the 10 Billion Yuan Mark
According to statistics from the London International Coffee Organization, compared to the global average growth rate of 2%, China's coffee consumption is growing at an astonishing rate of 15% per year. Additionally, according to Toubao data, from 2017 to 2021, the RTD coffee market doubled in size with a compound annual growth rate of 19.3%, reaching 9.64 billion yuan, and it is expected that the growth space will remain considerable in the coming years. It is worth noting that the growth rate of the RTD coffee market far exceeds the overall growth rates of soft drinks and bottled water. Zhu Danpeng, a Chinese food industry analyst, also stated: 'The current rise in RTD coffee popularity aligns with the needs of the new generation of consumers. Overall, domestic coffee consumption is still in its infancy, and the market still has significant room for growth. Similarly, RTD coffee has opportunities to further expand, and industry competition will inevitably become increasingly fierce.' As an innovation pioneer in the beverage industry, Nongfu Spring's series of precise moves undoubtedly reflect its optimism about the future of the coffee market, carving out a 'Chinese-style innovation path' that differs from traditional foreign giants like Nestlé and Starbucks. As industry insiders have commented: 'When Nongfu Spring enters a category, it inevitably brings a new trend to that category.' Tan Bing continues to deepen its path as a professional coffee brand, adhering to high-quality coffee beans and controlling the entire process from roasting to extraction. Like Oriental Leaf's five '0' standards that were pioneered ten years ago and have been upheld ever since, Tan Bing is expected to become the new 'quality benchmark' in the coffee industry.