Do Aucklanders really love coffee?

Aucklanders may not be the coffee connoisseurs some might assume. Photo / 123RF

A new survey shows Aucklanders are not the number one coffee connoisseurs some might assume.

A pool of 1650 took the survey, carried out for Southern Cross, which revealed 46 per cent of New Zealanders preferred instant coffee.

The study asked groups from around the country what coffee type they drink. Respondents had the choice of cafe-made, instant, none or 'other' coffee groups.

It found 42 per cent of Aucklanders said they would reach for instant powder over a machine-made masterpiece.

However, they are not the biggest consumers - Cantabrians like their coffee fix quick, with 54 per cent saying they drink it regularly. This is followed by less regular users of the convenient spoonfuls in Tauranga (48 per cent), Dunedin (46) and Hamilton (44).

The biggest espresso addicts live in Wellington, where 44 per cent say they drink barista-made coffee regularly.

Conversely, Hamiltonians were the least coffee-frazzled, with 42 per cent of respondents saying they don't drink coffee at all.

The responses did reveal a dark side to our coffee addiction - whether it be instant or barista made.

Almost half of the pool surveyed said they were regular coffee drinkers by the age of 17, and 15 per cent admitted to beginning when they were between the ages of 13 to 14.

Southern Cross Health Society chief executive Peter Tynan said drinking too much coffee could lead to anxiety and disrupted sleep patterns.

"We know that almost a quarter of us drink four or more cups of coffee every day. That's a lot of coffee.

"While there are a lot of health benefits, too much caffeine can be a bad thing and best consumed in moderation."