A video showing an airline passenger grinding fresh coffee beans and making an espresso mid-flight has gone viral on TikTok.
Text overlaid on the clip shared by @ozanncetinkaya, which has garnered 1.6 million views since it was posted on November 21, says: “POV [point of view]: making espresso at 35,000 feet.”
The video begins with a vacuum-sealed bag of coffee beans, which the passenger opens and pours into a hand-powered coffee grinder. He is then shown vigorously cranking the device to grind the beans while seated on the airplane.
Later, the passenger carefully packs the freshly ground coffee into what appears to be a portable espresso maker. After applying pressure to extract the brew, he pours the finished espresso into a tiny cup as the video ends.
The viral clip comes at a time when global coffee consumption continues to surge. According to Grandview Research, the worldwide coffee beans market was valued at $32.6 billion in 2023 and could climb to $55 billion by 2030.
A September 2023 study published in Psychology Research and Behavior Management reported that approximately 166.63 million 60-kilogram bags of coffee were consumed globally in 2020–2021, up from 164 million the previous year. The study also noted dramatic increases in coffee consumption among young people over the past few decades, alongside substantial evidence of its physiological, cognitive and emotional effects.
‘Nightmare’ vs. ‘Awesome’
Viewers on TikTok were divided between admiration and annoyance at the espresso-making passenger in the viral clip.
Some were irritated by the mid-air barista routine. One user, ViralGhost, commented, “Coffee lovers are unbearable,” while 21punsalute called it “Being insufferable at 35,000 feet.”
Others chimed in with similar sentiments, with user c s describing the scenario as “My seat neighbor nightmare,” and Nmg calling it “How to be the most obnoxious person on a plane 101.”
User OnlySeans argued, “You can live without espresso until you land,” and duce.di.luce added, “Seriously bro. Your coffee can wait.”
Still, many viewers found the in-flight espresso endearing—or even inspiring.
User ellen wrote, “Idk [I don’t know] why everyone’s being a hater. I’d simply ask you to make me an espresso too.”
Another commenter, Hannu🇨🇦, said they would “enjoy the smell of fresh ground coffee,” calling it one of their “top 5” scents.
1999Corolla_ asked, “wait why are people so mad this is awesome lol,” and nate waz echoed the sentiment, saying, “why are ppl [people] so mad ur [you’re] doing something comforting and fun on a boring flight.”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.
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