The internet’s resident coffee enthusiast, Emma Chamberlain, has faced criticism on social media after Chamberlain Coffee’s latest product drop.
Last week, Chamberlain Coffee launched the ready-to-drink collection at Walmart. It includes four plant-based canned coffees in flavours, such as cinnamon bun latte, cold brew latte, vanilla latte, and mocha latte, with plans to expand the selection in the future.
The viral star took to the company’s Instagram to provide details on the launch, noting that her personal coffee recipe inspired the collection.
“Chamberlain Coffee now has drinks in a can!” Emma begins. “They are made with almond and coconut milk and are sweetened with date syrup. They are vegan, they are gluten-free, they only have one gram of sugar, and they are delicious.”
Emma’s announcement excited fans, with many rushing to get their hands on the canned coffee as soon as it was released. But when it comes to first impressions, Chamberlain Coffee’s newest launch has not met the hype.
TikTok user @kinley.thomas shared her thoughts on the vanilla latte flavour. Since posting her first impression on TikTok, the video has amassed over 4.3 million views.
“this is the worst thing, i’ve ever tasted never get this,” she writes. “literal farts in a can.”
With almost 550k likes and over 3100 comments, other TikTok users seem to agree with Kinley’s review.
“canned coffee is always baaad i stg,” one wrote.
“idk why the drinks have a mix of 2 different milks [Coconut cream and almond milk]. they should have just released a drink for each milk instead. the mixing of milks is probably why,” another shared.
Other internet users have found an issue with the coffee curdling – with many wondering whether it has something to do with the milk in the recipe. Users like @tpwkgigi and @alexsanoella even shared how they noticed the texture appearing “chunky” as they drank the canned coffee, bringing this issue to the attention of other TikTokers.
Chamberlain Coffee’s official account commented on Gigi’s TikTok, explaining that “our ready-to-drink product is natural and contains coconut cream and almond milk so some separation is expected.”
Coffee enthusiasts have since come to Emma’s defence.
With internet users eager to share their first impressions of ready-to-drink coffee, many are recording themselves straight after they purchase the product, often in the car. That said, many users have overlooked the instructions recommended by the company, where the coffee is best served, shaken and chilled.
One of the top comments under @whostammam’s review of the canned coffee asks whether the drink was “cold or just straight off the shelf?” claiming that it “makes a big difference” to the taste. Since the creator seemed to have tried the latte straight off the shelf, this could explain why he was less than impressed with Chamberlain Coffee’s new product drop.
Given that the coffee is based on Emma’s recipe, some of her fans have also pointed out that her preferred taste may not be to everyone’s liking.
Over the years, Emma has made it clear that she likes strong coffee – a preference that stands in stark contrast to the popular Starbucks drinks that are often laden with syrup, cream, and sweeteners. This is something that gossip account @SpillSesh_yt noted in her TikTok review of Chamberlain Coffee’s ready-to-drink collection.
“Emma has always liked her coffee strong, so I am expecting it to taste like black coffee,” she shares. “You guys, I don’t think it is that bad… I do like my coffee strong, so if you like strong coffee, you will probably like this.”
While past Chamberlain Coffee products have been generally well-received, the ready-to-drink lattes have seemingly stumped fans. As the company (hopefully) expands the range and more consumers try the canned coffee, we’ll be eagerly awaiting the reviews to determine if the initial negative reactions were simply a result of TikTok users jumping on the bandwagon or if there are legitimate concerns.