Sales of cappuccino sachets soar as cost of living bites in Australia

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Sales of cappuccino sachets soar as cost of living bites in Australia

22 October 2026

Martin Brown, who is the general manager of Nestlé’s coffee and dairy business in Australia, said cappuccino sachets have been the “fastest-growing part of the market” since 2021.

We keep a few boxes of cappuccino sachets in the kitchen cupboard for days when we don’t want to walk all of five to ten minutes to a nearby cafe for whatever reason. Too hot, too wet, whatever.

Driving isn’t feasible either, unless we decide to go to a neighbouring suburb. Parking is a lottery where we are, and the only spot I’d find would probably be outside our building anyway.

Despite the rampant popularity of sachet and instant coffee though, none of the cafes I go seem to be adversely effected. They’re trading, and appear to have the same number of staff working there.

We are talking about a busy retail and residential precinct though. But it’s the same story on the NSW Central Coast. None of the places we go to there have closed or reduced staff. Not so far anyway.

And may it stay that way.

Piccolo, an app that helps plan your daily coffee consumption

26 May 2026

Piccolo, by Australian app developer Josh McKinnon, tells you what time you can enjoy your last coffee each day, based on your nominated bedtime. Sounds like the coffee drinker’s friend to me.

Most apps just add up milligrams. Piccolo runs a one-compartment pharmacokinetic model — the same maths clinicians use — over every drink you log. Each coffee is absorbed to a peak about 45 minutes in, then decays at your half-life (5 hours by default, and adjustable). Stack a few drinks and the curves add up, giving you the one number that matters: how much caffeine is active right now.

Still in development, and presently available only on iOS 26 (iPhone) by the looks of it, you can try out the Piccolo beta through TestFlight.

On a two coffee day, I can usually get away with the final cuppa at about four in the afternoon, if taken with food, usually in the form of late lunch.

I might still be up for another eight or nine hours, but anything after four, and on an empty stomach, is not the best for sleep for about twelve hours. Unless I get out walking for two to three hours, something that usually happens everyday.

Long term, moderate, coffee consumption might lower dementia risk

7 April 2026

Carly Page, writing for The Register:

Researchers from Mass General Brigham tracked more than 130,000 people for over four decades and found that those who regularly consumed moderate amounts of caffeinated coffee or tea had an 18 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who rarely touched the stuff.

The thing is coffee consumption has to be consistent — spread across decades — and in moderation. Two, maybe three, cups per day. But caffeine seems to be the active ingredient, not coffee per se.

Drinkers of teas with higher caffeine levels might also enjoy the same benefits. Matcha, and black tea, are among tea beverages high in caffeine.