TikTok has introduced its latest coffee trend: deconstructed lattes. Instead of receiving a fully assembled drink from a coffee shop, some customers are now ordering their lattes separated into individual components and putting them together themselves. These orders typically include separate cups for ingredients like milk, ice, espresso, and syrup, along with a cardboard holder to keep the cups organized and a bag for transport. The trend has sparked conversations about convenience, customization, and the way people experience their everyday coffee.
Team Aesthetic
Although the deconstructed latte requires more work (and likely more money for delivery) some people seem to love the idea. A large part of the appeal is the aesthetic of putting together your own drink. Before deconstructed latte’s became a trend, brands like Nitro Bar went viral for videos of their baristas simply making a latte. This is because people began to notice how pleasing it was to watch. In most videos of a deconstructed latte, they follow this same format, the viewer watches a creator pour each ingredient into a cup and mix in an undeniably satisfying process. In videos like @alexaa.berghager’s and @alexandriashekian’s they silently build the latte’s, using the sounds of pouring espresso over ice and aesthetics of making your own coffee to intrigue viewers.
Team Wasteful
Despite the clear popularity of the deconstructed latte, it doesn’t come without its criticism. Many people have pointed out the waste that ordering one deconstructed latte produces. The companies send each ingredient in its own single use plastic, or cardboard containers which results in 4-5 wasted cups. Compared to the one cup used by coffee shops, or zero cups when being made at home, these deconstructed lattes consume much more plastic.
The process of a deconstructed latte is also often more extensive than that of buying or making one. It requires you to either order and get it delivered, or to drive to a coffee shop and buy it just to then build it at home. On TikTok, many people have expressed that deconstructed lattes seem overly complicated when there are easier ways to make a latte yourself, like instant coffee. One influencer, @soapyrenee commented on deconstructed lattes and shared her shock when she discovered that they’re trending.
It seems that the internet is truly split on the idea of deconstructed latte’s. Both videos of assembling them and criticizing them have gone equally as viral. For some, deconstructed lattes offer a new way to experience the coffee, turning a simple beverage into a creative and personalized ritual. Others question whether the extra packaging and multiple containers are worth the novelty, especially in a time when consumers and businesses are increasingly focused on sustainability. The trend highlights a broader conversation around convenience, customization, and the environmental impact of viral consumer habits.
So what do you think? Are you team aesthetic or wasteful?