How to Order at Starbucks – Complete Guide 2025

Starbucks is a popular international chain of upscale coffeehouses that can be intimidating to those who do not enjoy coffee or are not Starbucks regulars. It will be easy to place an order at Starbucks once you are familiar with the guidelines for making coffee.

Part-1 Tailoring Your Drink

1- Consider your cravings

To get a drink you will enjoy, it is important to order something based on what you are craving. You don’t have to order coffee when you order at Starbucks; in fact, there are dozens of drink choices, including tea, smoothies, and hot chocolates. You should consider the outdoor temperature and season when selecting a drink.

• You can ask your barista for recommendations if you are not sure what sounds good, as they can tailor a drink to suit your tastes based on your drinks preferences.
• Take into account the sweetness and caffeine levels, as well as whether you’d like the drink hot, iced, or blended.

2- Choose a size

Starbucks has a reputation for having name-specific sizing. Don’t worry, sizing down is easy. A tall is 12oz, a grande is 16oz, and a venti is 20oz in hot and 26oz in cold. Although it isn’t listed on the menu, Starbucks offers a short drink equal to 8 ounces at all locations. A limited number of Starbucks locations in the United States also offer Trenta, which is 31 ounces.

• An espresso shot in a tall is typically one shot, a shot in a grande is two shots, and an espresso shot in a venti is also two shots unless it is an espresso shot in an iced drink, in which case it is three shots.
• You don’t have to resize your drink if you want extra espresso. Extra shots will cost more, but you will be able to get that perfect amount of espresso without resizing your order.

3- Add a Little Flavor

If you order coffee, tea, or any other drink, you always have the option of adding sugar or syrup. You will typically get two extra pumps of syrup when you add a flavor, so if you want your drink to be extra sweet, please specify and you will pay more. Sugar is free, but a syrup flavor isn’t.

• A flavor menu or barista can tell you which popular flavors are available. There are dozens of flavor choices, so don’t feel like you have to choose between “sugar” and “no sugar.”
• There are sugar-free syrup options available for most of the popular syrup flavors, such as vanilla, caramel, and hazelnut.
• The varieties of specialty syrups can vary during the year, depending on the season. For example, pumpkin syrup is available in the fall and winter, but coconut syrup is usually available in the summer.

4- Choose the Liquid Base

You can choose between nonfat, 2% milk, soymilk, and half-and-half milk when ordering. Some drinks are made with milk and others with water. You can specify your preference when ordering. There are also other kinds of milk available at Starbucks, including almond milk or coconut milk.

• The drink can be served hot, cold or blended. If you want a blended coffee drink, you may need to use milk instead of water as the liquid base.
• You can order your drink with extra foam or without it if you don’t like it. Steamed milk produces a rich and aerated foam on top.

5- Consider the Caffeine

Coffee and espresso both naturally contain caffeine, as do black and green teas. If you want less caffeine in your drink, you can order half-caf (half the caffeine) or decaf (no caffeine). If you prefer a little more energy, you can add extra shots of coffee.

Part- 2 Choosing a Drink

1- Get Brewed Coffee

All Starbucks offer multiple brews going throughout the day, so you can sample several different roasts and blends. This is just your basic drip coffee that you might make at home, but prepared in many different flavors. It is also possible to order pour-overs, which are hot water passed through ground coffee while taking longer than brewed coffee. Typically, this takes about the same amount as brewed coffee. Brewed coffee is the cheapest and easiest thing on the menu to order. Stores may also have Clover machines, which can brew both core roasts and reserved coffees.

• If you are looking for other money-saving Starbucks hacks, check out this wikiHow forum post entitled “What are your favorite secret Starbucks hacks for cheap coffee?”.

2- Try a Latte

Steamed milk and espresso shots are combined to make a latte, which can be made hot or iced. Any flavor can be added to a latte, as well as any type of milk.

3- Try an Americano

The espresso flavor in these drinks is strong, making them popular with coffee enthusiasts. Americanos are made with espresso and water only and have one extra shot than other drinks. Just like with drip coffee, cream and sugar can be added along with any flavor you prefer.

4- Try a Cappuccino

The drinks are similar to lattes because they are made from steamed milk and espresso, but cappuccinos are whipped up with a lot of foam. The drink is lighter and flufrier. It is typically served with about the same amount of foamed and steamed milk; you can ask for it “wet” (not so much foam) or “dry” (mostly foam) as you prefer. Feel free to adjust the sugar or flavor.

5- Order a Caramel Macchiato

Caramel Macchiatos are made with vanilla syrup, steamed milk, and foam, espresso, and a drizzle of caramel syrup on top. Macchiato refers to the mark made by espresso poured over the top of the drink, instead of being stirred into it.

6- Get a Mocha

The mocha is a variation of lattes (milk and espresso) with chocolate added. The two mocha varieties are milk chocolate and white chocolate. The latter is much sweeter than the former. It is common for mochas to be made without foam, so ask for a little extra milk if you prefer it creamy.

7- Try a Specialty Espresso Drink

Those who are truly passionate about espresso should order it straight up! Typically, espresso shots are served macchiato style with foam or con panna with whipped cream. You can ask for a single or double shot of espresso, and then add a modifier as you like. Be sure to specify when ordering an espresso macchiato so that it is not confused with a caramel or latte macchiato.

8- Order a Tea

There are many teas available for those who do not enjoy coffee. While most teas are made with hot water, a few latte teas are made with milk. In addition to the ever-popular chai (spicy cinnamon tea blend) and London fog (sweet vanilla and Earl Gray tea blend), any tea can be topped with milk, water, or both, hot or iced.

9- Get a Frappuccino

Starbucks offers many specialty Frappuccinos, usually made with coffee. If you don’t see it on the menu, ask your barista what it is. Frappuccinos like strawberries and cream do not contain coffee. A whip and a drizzle of chocolate or caramel may accompany these drinks.

10- Try other Non-Coffee Drinks

There are several non-coffee drinks available at Starbucks if you are not interested in coffee or tea. If you would like something cold and coffee-free, you can get lemonade or other smoothies. Hot drinks include hot chocolate, steamers (milk with syrup), and apple ciders.

11- Order Your Drink

You can order coffee after deciding on your cup and all its variables. For example, order a “grande chai tea latte with extra foam.” Don’t be afraid to be specific. Start with the size, the temperature (which is always hot, no matter what the weather is like), then the name.

English with Jackie

Final Words

Starbucks ordering may seem complicated at first, but once you get used to the basics of choosing the right size, flavor, and caffeine level, it becomes second nature. Starbucks offers a variety of drinks for every taste, whether you love coffee or not. You can customize your drink to match your preferences by asking your barista for recommendations. After a little practice, you’ll be ordering like a pro in no time!

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