As coffee prices soar globally, Gen Z coffee lovers are taking matters and milk frothers, into their own hands. Welcome to the rise of the “home café” trend, where young caffeine enthusiasts are recreating the café experience from the comfort of their own kitchens.
Scrolling through TikTok or Instagram, you’ll find a growing number of Gen Z creators turning their kitchens into stylish, personalized cafés. With everything from DIY menus and pastries to barista aprons and latte art tutorials, these videos aren’t just about sipping coffee they’re about performing it.
Some even design full café routines, including quirky drink names, mood lighting, and curated playlists. It's an aesthetic, an experience, and, more importantly, a budget-conscious lifestyle shift.
This brewing movement isn’t just about vibes, it’s also a reaction to reality. In early 2025, Arabica coffee prices in Bengaluru jumped from ₹588 to ₹725 per kilogram, driven by global supply chain issues and climate-related crop disruptions. Naturally, cafes followed suit, increasing prices by ₹15–₹20 per cup to cover soaring raw material costs.
In a country where dalgona coffee once went viral during lockdowns, this latest shift feels like the natural next step. As international trends trickle into India’s metros, it’s only a matter of time before desi Gen Z joins the home-barista movement.
For Gen Z, this isn’t just about saving money, though with homemade brews costing around ₹20–₹30 compared to café prices of ₹150 and above, the savings are substantial. It’s also about creative control. Want to try a rose-cardamom cold brew? A vegan oat milk macchiato? You can now experiment without splurging on a menu.
Plus, the experience is therapeutic. Between grinding beans, steaming milk, and pouring the perfect swirl of foam, many find joy in the process—almost like a mini morning ritual.
The home café movement is redefining what it means to be a coffee lover in the 2020s. It blends financial awareness, aesthetic sensibility, and a desire for autonomy into one deeply satisfying cup. And it’s gaining traction far beyond TikTok screens.
As coffee culture evolves in India and beyond, one thing is clear: the future of coffee might not be at the café—but in your own kitchen.
