Whether you’re an internet fiend or completely turned off by the idea of spending more time online for any reason, no one can deny the hold TikTok has on society today. If you’ve been living under a rock, TikTok is a social media platform filled with millions of short video clips no more than a minute long. Back in the day, Millennials had Vine, and this is basically Vine’s more evolved, significantly more addicting descendent for Gen Z.
I used to be an anti-TikTok Millennial, especially at the beginning of the pandemic when TikTok dance challenges took over our feeds as a result of the masses having nothing else to do in quarantine. But this year, a tide has turned and I’ll often find myself scrolling through TikToks before bed for hours. (Author’s note: the level of distraction is nearly impossible to combat when you’re writing a piece about TikTok.)
TikTok, like all social media apps, has many sub-communities within it, including Black TikTok, Satisfying ASMR TikTok, and even a corner of Marie Kondo-style cleaning TikToks. Of course, there’s also Coffee TikTok. Many of the heavy hitters on the coffee side of TikTok are not all the same ones we see in the specialty coffee industry nor is it even really comparable with respect to content. TikTok’s mass appeal, especially to Gen Z, allows for aesthetics, (overly?) sweet and milky drinks, Starbucks drink-building, and short skits of barista life to reign supreme. The people have a sweet tooth and want to have fun, and I truly love to see it.
Here is a list of my personal favorite coffee TikTokers to follow, and don’t forget to follow me there as well @thechocolatebarista.
@1cupofcoffee
@1cupofcoffee enjoy your coffee the way you want! #coffeetiktok #fyp #starbucks #tiktoktutorial
Tye is a Starbucks barista whose 101k+ followers adore simply for making drinks they serve on (and off) the menu at Starbucks in addition to some delicious-looking concoctions at home. They’re also Team #ExtraIce and we appreciate that.
@Thewillowjames
Willow James’ TikToks inspire me to get creative with my coffee, tea, and alcoholic beverages at home. He has a few tutorials for different flavored ice cubes and syrups, and the occasional hilarious but super relatable moments we have when getting coffee.
@Espressobarred
@espressobarred A birthday puppuccino for my sweet pup Taco! Wish him a HBD! 🎉🐾 #puppuccino #puppuccinochallenge #cavapoopuppy #dogsoftiktok #DontSweatIt
Aesthetically pleasing tutorials are for sure going to be a part of the next wave of coffee, thanks to lawyer and coffee enthusiast, Erica S. Honestly, I’m just here for the Taco (her pup) coffee content.
@Morgandrinkscoffee
@morgandrinkscoffee How baristas make iced lattes.
Morgan Eckroth has risen to social media stardom with her popularity on both YouTube and TikTok. (They even have a Tiktok-inspired coffee collaboration with Wrecking Ball Coffee.) They’re for sure the internet’s friendly neighborhood barista, and when you watch their hilarious snapshots of life on bar, you’ll understand why.
@Jameshoffmanncoffee
@jameshoffmanncoffee Note to self: Don’t apply pressure without a cup underneath… #coffeetok #coffee #aeropress
I wasn’t surprised to find The James Hoffman on TikTok, as he’s a World Barista Champion, author, and co-founder of a well-known Square Mile Coffee Roasters, and super popular YouTube star. I really enjoy watching his videos in the quick format of TikTok, and enjoy even more when he shows that experimenting with coffee isn’t always clean.
@Caffeinication
@caffeinication Iced Caramel Macchiato w Oatmilk 🤩🤤 #foodie #caffeinication #coffee #cleantok
If you like seeing beautifully made drinks that look like they taste incredible, this is the TikTok account for you.
@Cutemenschcoffee
@cutemenschcoffee aeropress iced latte 🌪 all deets on ig: cutemenschcoffee #aeropress #icedlatte #oatmilk #vegan #homecafe #cottagecore #asmr #fyp
Another account for coffee and tea drinks made with a little bit whimsy and some ASMR too. I never realized how satisfying it is to listen to the sound of filling a glass with ice until now.
@Daniaboujabal
@daniaboujabal just a vid of me semi-failing at making a latte lol #coffee #fyp #espresso #brevillebaristaexpress #coffeetiktok
One of my more recent finds, Dania’s bio says they’re “a hijabi who loves complaining and coffee” and I happen to love the same things. From the looks of their TikTok, Dania is a college student with a home espresso machine practicing everything from latte art to extracting the best possible espresso and some sweet dessert lattes for fun.
@Dallmyr_de
@dallmayr_de Coffee meets 🍫 #dallmayr #dallmayrkaffee #coffee #espresso #chocolate #meltingaway #yummy #fyp #trick17
Latte art seems to still be ever-so-popular on the internets, TikTok-included, and this account, which belongs to Dallmyr Kaffe in Munich, Germany, includes your daily dose of latte art plus some quirky drink-building too.
@Rubinskiiii
@rubinskiiii I hope y’all like cortados as much as i do 💜#atx #austintx #coffee #coffeetiktok #aesthetic #coffeeporn #icedcoffee #coffeefanatics #barista #fyp #c
TikTok’s other friendly neighborhood barista, Ruben Cuevas of Greater Goods Coffee in Austin, TX feeds my nostalgia for working on bar.
Honorable Mention:
@Yourkoreandad
@yourkoreandad When there’s nobody inside my coffee shop to enjoy my #sayso dance! #yourkoreandad #korean @wreckingballcoffee #covid19 #coronavirus #coronatime
Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters’ Nick Cho has become an internet sensation in the last year as Your Korean Dad, and it’s been wild to watch it all happen in real-time. Although Your Korean Dad isn’t necessarily Coffee TikTok, Nick is part of the coffee industry and on TikTok, so I couldn’t not mention him.
@thewillowjames anybody else? 😂 (this took me so long) #worksbywillow #youtoo #lol #why #help #u
Michelle Johnson is an editor at large at Sprudge Media Network, and the founder and publisher of The Chocolate Barista. Read more Michelle Johnson on Sprudge.
