How to Order at Starbucks so That Baristas Don’t Judge You
When it comes to mainstream and ubiquitous chains, Starbucks is as simple and ubiquitous as it can get, yet its rules and rituals still confuse even the most seasoned coffee drinker.
Before I tricked Lifehacker into paying me to tweet, I worked as a barista at Starbucks for a little over a year, waking up at 2:45 a.m. to get to the store by 4 a.m. to open time. In that short, terribly sleep-deprived time, it became very clear that most people are willing to learn a little more about the Dos and Don’ts when ordering from Starbucks. Here’s my guide.
Order in advance using the Starbucks mobile app
Simple and straightforward: if you don’t want a barista to judge you or your order, use the Starbucks app so they never get a chance. A couple of tips if you do it like this:
You should only place orders through the app if you visit Starbucks regularly.
This is because the app only allows you to pay through itsrewards program , which requires you to download the app with a gift card or money from your credit card. So, if you only plan to go once, you will probably have a couple of bucks left on a card that you will never use again. But if you are a regular customer, it probably will be worth it .
Double check the details of your order before submitting it
Few things annoy a barista more than making a drink exactly as ordered and then having to throw it away and remake it because the customer made a mistake when ordering.
Many drinks, such as iced tea, are sweetened unless otherwise noted.
If you don’t want your iced tea to be sweetened, press Flavors and then press the Minus button until the No Liquid Cane Sugar message appears.
Your drink may not be waiting for you where there are regular orders
If you can’t see your drink on a handover plane (which is Starbucks’ term for what most people call a “counter”) where baristas shout out orders in a store, check to see if the counter has a separate mobile ordering area. … Sometimes they are located at the exit so that people can get in and out in a hurry without pushing through the crowd. If you don’t see such an area, you can simply ask the barista where you should pick up your mobile order. This gives the added bonus of attracting the attention of the barista; they are more likely to make sure that your drink is not lost or lost.
Of course, if you’d rather just place your order in person, that’s fine. But I have some tips if you do, and some pitfalls that I want to help you avoid.
When you order in person
To ask questions
If you don’t know the difference between a latte and a cappuccino, ask! (If you want to ask, cappuccino has more froth and less steamed milk than lattes.) If you’ve never tried one of the seasonal winter drinks, such as the chestnut praline latte, you can simply ask the barista to describe it. Nobody expects customers to know everything , and it’s much easier to solve problems before you place an order than after you already have a drink in hand.
Remember how much espresso and sweetener is added by default for each size.
Starbucks does everything according to a standard recipe, and the amount of each ingredient varies depending on the size you order. Here’s a quick overview:
- In short: one shot of espresso; two pumps of syrup . (This is an eight-ounce size that you can only order for hot drinks , although it’s not usually advertised very well.)
- High: one shot of espresso; three pumps of syrup .
- Grande: two servings of espresso; four pumps of syrup .
- Venti (hot): two cups of espresso; five pumps of syrup . (Note that the amount of espresso is the same as the grande. If you want more espresso in a hot latte, perhaps stop at the grande and just ask for an extra portion. It will have less milk, sugar and calories – and it will probably cost a little cheaper.)
- Venti (iced): three espresso six pumps of syrup . (The cold Venti drink is slightly larger than the hot Venti – I don’t know why – hence the extra pump and espresso.)
- Trenta: Seven pumps of syrup . (Starbucks doesn’t serve espresso that size.)
There is one big exception (I can think of) to the above: Americans get an extra shot of espresso.
Feel free to change your order
Being considerate of low-wage service workers is great, but Starbucks baristas expect – and have been trained – to customize anything in the drink. Don’t be discouraged by changing (or two or three) drinks if you don’t like the standard recipe.
If you ordered iced coffee last time but found it too sweet, ask for less syrup – if not at all. Or maybe ask for a completely different syrup. Iced coffee usually comes with a simple, unscented syrup, but you can substitute vanilla, caramel, or whatever you like. These settings are completely commonplace, and you shouldn’t feel like you’re worried about them. Well, you are currently in pain, but no more than almost everyone around you, so order away.
This is not the case for people who order things like “caramel frappuccino but with an extra drop of caramel on the inside of the cup instead of on top of the whipped cream,” which is very real and very annoying for people. more than it should.
If possible, say your order in the correct sequence.
Typically, the first thing you should tell the cashier is the size of your drink and whether you want it hot or cold. If your cashier writes the order details on your cup, he won’t be able to write anything until he receives a cup that matches your order. So, if you say “Six pump vanilla latte. Grande. Yes, and with ice ”, they may ask you to repeat your order, because only at the very end of your order did they know which cup to take. Instead, say “Iced grande six-pump vanilla latte.”
Don’t get carried away with names
Don’t tell them your name is Trump 2020, America, or Fart. (If that really is your name, then good luck.) It is humiliating enough for a barista to pretend to be cheerful when they have a drink and a drink since six in the morning; It’s like a slap in the face if you have to fake a smile and say, “I have some iced coffee with skim milk for … Tinkerbell .”
Don’t order from the secret menu
Secret menus are n’t real at all. These are finicky orders made up by customers and usually require a lot of work on the part of store employees. It’s okay if you want to order an inventive drink you’ve seen on the internet, just make sure you know exactly how it’s made and be prepared to pay for all those extra ingredients. Don’t walk up to a Starbucks barista and ask them to brew you a butter beer during rush hour, and then run up against the price when they’re all hooked up. They will hate you.
Don’t just say “skinny” before the name of the drink willy-nilly.
At Starbucks, “skinny” means a very specific thing: skim milk, sugar-free syrups and no whipped cream. You might say you want a “skinny vanilla latte” or “a skinny mocha,” but if you say you want a “skinny pumpkin spice latte,” your barista will have to explain to you that Starbucks does not offer sugar-free coffee. seasoning pumpkin syrup. Instead, you would order a “low fat pumpkin spice latte, no whipped cream.”
Don’t say, “Is this mine?”
The person who prepared your drink is not the person who took your order. If you ask, “Is this my drink?” the barista won’t know . Look at the damn bowl! Your order – and probably your name as well – is written on it! This is how the barista did it!
Do not soar
Give the barista some room. If you are not actively trying to get the barista’s attention due to the fact that he messed something up or lost your order, move to a convenient distance. Not only are you making the baristas uncomfortable watching their every move, but you are probably not letting other customers grab their drinks.
Don’t try to strike up a conversation about what stupid size names are at Starbucks.
You are the millionth person attacking them with such jokes today and it’s not funny. It was never funny.
This story was originally published in 2019 and has been updated with new information on 03/03/2020.