Waste-Reducing Beanless Coffees

Singapore-based startup Prefer makes bean-free coffee using food waste: soya bean pulp sourced from a local soymilk chain, day-old bread from a nationwide bread producer and spent barley grains from beer breweries. Prefer's process for making coffee without coffee beans involves fermentation and it all takes place in just 48 hours—which is significantly speedier than the time it takes for coffee trees to grow and mature. Naturally, Prefer's bean-free coffee does not contain caffeine but energy-boosting benefits can be added back in with a tea-derived caffeine powder. Prefer was first introduced to cafes as of December 2023 and since then, it has become a fixture of even more food and beverage outposts that are interested in offering a more sustainable alternative to conventional coffee.