Among the upscale coffeehouses in the world, the name Starbucks is well known. So, for a new person ordering at Starbucks, it can get a little intimidating but you don’t need to be scared of it. With a few basic guidelines on coffee making, you can get that order from Starbucks in a jiffy.
Follow these guidelines on how to order coffee at Starbucks.
1. Tailor Your Drink:
The first step on how to order coffee at Starbucks, you need to select the coffee and how you want it. For this section, we have divided it into simple parts to help make the process simpler.
What are your Cravings?
In order for you to enjoy a drink, you need to order a drink based on your cravings. Making an order at Starbucks is not always about coffee because there are actually dozen of other drinks that you can choose from like hot chocolates, smoothies, and teas. A helpful tip in deciding the drink is to take into consideration the temperature outside and the season.
- If you are still not sure what to order, don’t hesitate to ask the barista for a recommendation. These baristas are well-informed on all the drinks and can offer you a suggestion for the right drink that is tailored for you.
- Be sure to remember if you want this drink to be blended, iced or hot or if it should have caffeine and sweeteners.
Choosing the Size for the drink:
One thing other than coffee that Starbucks is known for is its specific size naming. Again don’t be scared as you can get these names easily. They have the following sizes.
- Tall size, which is equal to 12 oz
- Grande, which is equal to 16 oz
- Venti, which is equal to 20 oz for a hot drink and 26oz for an iced drink
- While it is not on the menu list of all the Starbucks stores, their Short size is a drink of about 8 oz.
- There is also a special size for US customers at Starbucks called Trenta, which is available for a limited number of drinks and is around 31 oz.
A tall drink at Starbucks comes with a shot of espresso, a grande size has 2 shots of espresso, and Venti comes with also 2 shots and if it’s an Iced Venti drink, then there are 3 shots of espresso in it.
If you wish to have more shots of espresso in your drink regardless of size, simply ask the barista for it but it will be a little costly.
Adding some flavour to your drink:
You don’t have to worry if you order coffee, tea or some other beverage, you can choose to add in it sugar and syrup. If you opt to add syrup, this gives you 2 pumps of syrup and if you still want the drink to be sweeter, ask the barista to add more syrup but it will cost you more. While sugar is free, the syrup is not.
- If you are not sure about which flavor you would like in your drink, ask the barista for the flavor menu or simply ask for their recommendation for popular ones. Starbucks has dozens of choices in flavours, so do not limit yourself to just simple sugar.
- Some of the popular ones include flavours like caramel, hazelnut, and vanilla and they also come in sugar-free options. We advise a Sugar-free syrup flavour for a healthy choice.
- Also, ask for seasonal flavours as Starbucks has a wide range of seasonal flavours for every time of the year. For winter and fall seasons, Pumpkin spice is the best while coconut is best for summer and spring seasons.
Choosing the liquid for the base:
Some Starbucks drinks have a water base while others have a milk base. If you like one more; tell the barista specifically about it. As for milk options, they have typical, 2% milk, half and half, soymilk, and non-fat. Starbucks also offers special kinds of milk like coconut and almond milk.
- Customers can enjoy many iced, hot, and coffee drinks blended. For changing the form of the drink you might also need to change its liquid base. E.g. In order to enjoy a blended coffee, you need to have a milk base and not a water base to have the right consistency.
- As milk is steamed, milk forms an enriched aerated foam which is like a warm whipped cream helping on the top of the drink. You can ask the barista to have extra foam for your drink or none at all.
Caffeine amount:
Coffee drinks and espresso typically have caffeine in them; also green and black teas. If you want a drink with less caffeine, order a half-caf which is half the amount of usual caffeine in the drink, or order a decaf for no caffeine. Customers can opt for extra shots of coffee in their drink if they are looking to enjoy more energy from their drink.
2. Choosing the Right Drink:
In the next step in the process of How to order coffee at Starbucks, you need to choose the right drink for yourself. There are dozens of coffee-based options for customers to choose from at the store.
Brewed Coffee:
This is the basic coffee drink that one usually makes at home but at Starbucks, it is made with different flavours. Starbucks has multiple brewing options these days with different blending and roasting techniques for coffee beans.
One such method is Pour Over, which is basically hot water passed between coffee beans but it is a time-consuming option. The cheapest of all coffee drinks is brewed coffee and is on all Starbucks menus. Some Starbucks stores have the Clover Machine that allows for brewing core roasts as well as reserving coffees.
Latte:
Latte is a drink that is basically a drink with a steamed milk base and some espresso shots. You can add any of the dozen flavours in a latte or any kind of milk. These lattes are available in both hot and cold options.
An Americano:
Americano is among the popular Starbucks drinks and especially among coffee enthusiasts because Espresso has a strong punch to it. Americano is made with a water base and espresso shots. It also has one extra shot of espresso in it as compared to other coffee drinks. Sugar and cream can be added by choice like in drip coffee and add any flavour you like.
A Cappuccino:
They are quite similar to latte drinks but are made from espresso and steamed milk. One thing they have different is that it has a large quantity of foam over it. This makes the drink light and fluffy instead of being a typical liquid drink.
A cappuccino drink usually offers equal parts of steamed and foamed milk which can be ordered as either Dry or Wet preferences. Also, you can add sugar or flavours.
A Caramel Macchiato:
Macchiato is the word in the Italian language that means Marked. This name suggests that a mark of Espresso is poured on top instead of being blended into the drink. They are made to have steamed milk foam, caramel drizzle, a shot of vanilla syrup, and a shot of espresso.
Mocha:
A mocha is also a latte drink that is made with espresso and ilk with one additional thing; Chocolate. The 2 variants of the mocha drink include white chocolate or milk chocolate with one being a bit richer in chocolate taste while the other is a little sweeter. Mochas are made without foam but you can always ask the barista making it to add foam on top.
Special Espresso Drink:
For an Espresso lover, they can order a straight-up meaning first ask for 1 or 2 shots of espresso and later ask for a modifier. Espresso shots are usually served with a dollop of foam in a macchiato style or a con Panna that has some whipped cream on it. Espresso Macchiato is often times confused with latte macchiato or caramel Macchiato. So be sure to tell the barista what you want.
A Frappuccino:
Frappuccino is a blended drink that is made with coffee and is often a speciality at many Starbucks stores. So if you do not find it on a Starbucks menu ask the barista to make it for you. There are a few Frappuccinos that do not have coffee in them like the Strawberry and Cream Frappuccino. These types come with a drizzle of caramel or chocolate on top of whipped cream at the top of the drink.
Conclusion:
Once you have decided which coffee drink you are going to order with all the variables for flavours and helpings, make an order to the barista. Startup with the size of your desired drink, its temperature, the name of the drink, and any changes if you wish to make any. Last but not least, do not hesitate for making any changes and taking your time to decide on a drink. You are a paying customer and you should get your money’s worth.