First Wave: Coffee As A Commodity

Part 2 of a 5-part series on the history and future of coffee, by 8th and Roast

Much of the western world has been consuming coffee as a cheap commodity ever since World War II. It was in every household, crystallized, sitting in a can, ready for a quick pour of hot water. 

Coffee really wasn’t thought of as a delicious treat worth spending money on during this time. Like 25 cent packs of Lucky Strikes, first wave coffee was cheap, plentiful, and not particularly special. 

Folgers and Maxwell House dominated the market like the Budweiser and Miller of coffee. 

Then the 70’s happened.