According to Starbucks, there are 170,000 ways to customize your beverages at their store. So don’t feel bad about making a tweak or two to your drink. Baristas expect—and are trained—to customize your order at Starbucks.
Customization Tips from Starbucks Baristas
Try these tips if you want to personalize your Starbucks beverage to better suit your taste preferences and dietary needs.
Choose Starbucks Blonde Espresso
Try the Starbucks Blonde Espresso instead of the signature espresso at no additional cost. This espresso has a smooth and mildly sweet flavor and will work great for both hot and iced Americano or Cappuccino drinks.
Choose Your Milk
The milk options at Starbucks include whole, 2% milk, or nonfat milk, and even non-dairy like soy, coconut, and almond milk. Also, oatmilk is available at over 4,700 Starbucks stores in the US.
Reduce the Syrup Pumps
If you want your flavored drink to be less sweet, request fewer pumps of syrup. Or you can go with sugar-free syrup, available in Vanilla or Cinnamon Dolce.
Try Sweetener Alternatives
You can substitute your usual sweetener with options like Sweet’N Low®, SPLENDA®, or Stevia Blend from Whole Earth.
Request “Less Whip” or “No Whip”
If you want to lower the amount of whipped cream or eliminate it entirely, you can ask for “less whip” or “no whip.”
Go “Skinny”
Many handcrafted espresso and Frappuccino® blended beverages can be made “skinny,” meaning they will be prepared with nonfat milk, sugar-free syrup and no whipped cream.
Add Cold Foam
This creamy layer is great for enhancing the texture and flavor of an iced coffee or cold brew.
Customization Tips Shared by Starbucks Fans
So how to customize your order at Starbucks like a pro and avoid annoying the barista or the people waiting in line at the counter? Here are some tips shared by SBUX fans:
Request Light Ice
If you find your drink has too much ice and not enough liquid, ask for light ice next time to get more of the beverage itself.
Order Your Latte Extra Hot
To keep your coffee hot for longer, you can ask for your latte to be “extra hot.” The barista will steam the milk longer to increase the temperature.
Specify Unsweetened
Some Starbucks drinks are pre-sweetened, like iced coffee, iced teas, and the Green Tea Latte. Iced coffee comes with two pumps of Classic syrup by default. To avoid extra sweetness, be sure to specify unsweetened when ordering.
Customize Your Milk Preference
Starbucks offers almond, coconut, and soy milk as dairy-free options. Unless specified otherwise, 2 percent milk is used in all drinks. So, if you prefer whole milk, nonfat milk, or a plant-based alternative, be sure to let them know.
Order Tall Coffee in a Grande Cup
To avoid wasting coffee when adding milk, order a smaller size coffee in a larger cup. This gives you more space without asking for “room.”
Try the “Short” Size
Did you know there’s a size smaller than tall at Starbucks? The short size, which is eight ounces, costs around $2 to $3 for a drip coffee, though it’s not listed on most SBUX menus.
Ask for No Water for Stronger Tea
Starbucks dilutes iced tea drinks with water. To enjoy a stronger tea flavor, request no water.
Add an Extra Shot
If you need an extra caffeine boost, you can add an extra shot to any drink for about 60 or 70 cents. Tall lattes have one shot, grande drinks have two, and venti drinks have two (hot) or three (iced).
Adjust Syrup Pumps
Drinks with syrup flavors come with a set number of pumps: three for tall, four for grande, and five or six for venti (hot or iced). You can ask for more pumps at no extra cost or fewer pumps for a less sweet drink.
Go for a Different Sweetener
You can customize your drink with syrups, sugar, raw sugar, honey, Sweet and Low, Equal, or Splenda. There are also sugar-free syrup options like raspberry and vanilla.
Order Hot Tea Over Ice
If you prefer cold tea, ask for your green or herbal tea served over ice. The barista will steep the tea and pour it over ice in a plastic cup which takes about five minutes.
How much espresso and syrup is in a Starbucks drink?
Starbucks follows a standard recipe for its beverages, with the quantity of each ingredient varying based on the size of the drink.
Short
Contains one shot of espresso and two pumps of syrup. (This eight-ounce size is available for hot drinks only and isn’t widely advertised.)
- Tall – Comes with one shot of espresso and three pumps of syrup.
- Grande – Includes two shots of espresso and four pumps of syrup.
- Venti (hot) – Has two shots of espresso and five pumps of syrup. (Note that this has the same amount of espresso as a grande. If you want more espresso in your hot latte, consider ordering a grande with an extra shot for less milk, sugar, and calories, and probably a lower price.)
- Venti (iced) – Contains three shots of espresso and six pumps of syrup. (An iced venti is slightly larger than a hot venti, which explains the additional pump and shot of espresso.)
- Trenta – Includes seven pumps of syrup. (Espresso beverages are not available in this size.)
* There’s a notable exception to these guidelines – Americanos come with an extra shot of espresso.
How to Order Correctly at Starbucks?
When ordering at Starbucks, start by specifying the size of your drink and whether you want it hot or iced. This helps the cashier grab the correct cup for your order. Saying things like: “Vanilla latte with 4 pumps. Venti. Oh, and iced,” might confuse the cashier because the correct cup isn’t clear until the end of your order. What you should say instead is – “Iced Venti 4-pump vanilla latte” to streamline the process.
Can You Customize Your Drink on the Starbucks App?
Absolutely. All you have to do is open the Starbucks app, enable location services, and tap the “Order” icon at the bottom of the screen. You can then customize your favorite Starbucks drinks before you add them to your shopping bag. Choose a store for pickup, and the app will estimate the wait time. To request a drink blended, select your drink, select “customize,” and then “add blended” under the Preparation Method.