Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Dongsuh Foods expands Kanu Barista range to meet diverse coffee preferences
A Kanu Barista Oasis machine / Courtesy of Dongsuh Foods
By Lee Gyu-lee
Dongsuh Foods is expanding its Kanu Barista capsule coffee lineup as growth in local coffee culture drives demand for convenient and affordable coffee options tailored to increasingly diverse consumer preferences.
The company entered the premium capsule coffee market in early 2023 with the Kanu Barista brand, drawing on more than five decades of experience in coffee manufacturing. The brand has since expanded its lineup of dedicated capsules and coffee machines, offering consumers more choices in roast profiles, origins and serving styles.
Kanu Barista currently offers 18 capsule varieties, spanning light, medium and dark roasts, as well as decaffeinated and single-origin options.
“Kanu Barista is a product that allows domestic consumers to conveniently enjoy the Americano-style coffee they prefer most with consistent quality,” the company's official said.
“Going forward, based on Kanu Barista’s expertise, we will continue to introduce a variety of capsule coffee products to meet consumers’ increasingly diverse coffee preferences.”
In June, the company introduced two new capsules — Lively Breeze and Infinite Peak — as part of an effort to strengthen its lineup for iced coffee.
Lively Breeze is the lightest-roasted capsule in the Kanu Barista range, with bright acidity and a refreshing profile. It blends together naturally dried Ethiopian beans, offering berry-like sweetness and wine-like aromas.
Infinite Peak has a fuller body, with a deeper bitterness and nutty flavors. Made with Colombian beans, it is designed to retain its rich flavor when served over ice and offers a subtle, smoky finish.
The company said Kanu Barista capsules contain 9.5 grams of coffee beans, 1.7 times the amount in conventional espresso capsules, to conveniently offer consumers cafe-style Americano drinks with rich flavor and aroma.
Dongsuh Foods has also focused on the technology behind its capsule machines. The machines use a dual-nozzle bypass system that extracts espresso and water through separate nozzles, and include a dedicated button for iced coffee.
It has expanded its machine lineup with the premium Kanu Barista Urban, minimalist Kanu Barista Breeze and compact Kanu Barista Pebble. It recently added the Kanu Barista Oasis, a premium model that also supports milk-based recipes such as cafe latte and cappuccino.
The company has held in-person events to give consumers a chance to try its products. Last year, it operated a capsule coffee experience space in Bukchon Hanok Village in central Seoul, where visitors sampled different capsules and received personalized recommendations. It also held a pop-up store in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, promoting its capsules.