Starbucks anyone???

[Mango87]

I was wondering if there are any other Starbuck feens out there and how they take their drink at Starbucks...
-I order a Grande or Venti Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Latte or the seasonal favorite Pumkin, Made with non-fat milk and three splenda
YUMMY!!

[Ralphie_in_Boston]

I get coffee.

[hollyeve]

iced tall soy 1 pump white mocha latte :)
hubby likes a doppio espresso macchiato.

[Addy]

My perennial favorite: Decaf Grande Soy Latte. Sometimes I add two packets of Sugar In The Raw with a few sprinkles of cinnamon & vanilla.

[HungryLetsEat]

Grande Non-fat Latte for me, or when I'm feeling extra tired I'll order a triple venti non-fat latte.

(BTW, I moved from Chicago where it was called "Skim" to Columbus Ohio where it's called "non-fat". When I called it 'skim' here they all looked at me like I had 3 eyes. Usually this was followed by a passive-aggressive chastizing by shouting my order to the barrista with the appropriate local jargon - non-fat. Well!!)

[marmite]

I think part of the reason is that when they write the shorthand order initials on the cup, they use S for soy and therefore cannot use S for skim, so calling it non-fat makes everyone clearer.
The other part could be passive aggression, yes. :p

[femmenikita]

A looong time ago, I worked at various starbucks for about 4 years. It's not passive agressive; most of the seasoned baristas don't care whether a customer knows how to call a drink properly or not. That was our job, not the customer's job. As a matter of fact the people who annoyed me most were the ones who DID know how to say a very long and complicated drink properly, and then stood there, with some smug smile on their face like they deserved a medal. And yes, the distinction between Skim and non-fat is because of the S for soy. Same thing with Val for when they had Valencia syrup. You had to write Val because V was vanilla. And FYI the automatic machines have only been around for about 7 years. Before then your barista really did pull all the shots and had to learn about tamping properly, humidity, etc. If your barista has worked there for any length of time, then ,he or she probably would fit your definition of a "real" barista.

[HungryLetsEat]

Thanks for that bit of insight. It makes sense. But I wonder why the Chicago SBUX cashiers never called the drink non-fat when calling it to the barista.

[femmenikita]

This is just an idea, not based on anything but experience, but I found Chicago to be..er, not the most veggie friendly city in the world. The last time I visited there I was eating only vegetarian, and it seemed everywhere I looked was sausage, salami, triple meat this or that, which to me sort of translates to an attitude of "none of that pansy stuff." Maybe it's just me but i have a feeling that there are not many Chicagoans who are ordering soy milk for their tiny dyspeptic tummies or hippie-esque beverage persuasions. Maybe so few people order soy they can just call it "soy" or abbreviate SY. There are always regional quirks with Bux. I remember a lady once got really upset w/me because we didn't carry Madeleines but HER Bux in another city did, so she was very distraught.

[lulubelle]

I worked at Starbucks in Chicago for years, way back when there were maybe 5-6 stores in the whole city, and we always called it "skim", when the chain started to get larger and began standardizing things, word came down from Seattle that it was to be called "non-fat" milk. I still called it skim milk as did most of the people I worked with. I'm not sure if that term is still hanging around m Good Lord, 15 years later, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was.

[Panini Guy]

Well, Chicago is/was meatpacking capital of the US. Meat has a much longer, stronger tradition in the heartland than does tofu. In Chicago's case, tourists still come specifically to eat at some of the historical steakhouses. Meat = money to Chicago.

It would be like someone who reveled in plastic visiting Pittsburgh and complaining about steel.

Anyway, Intelligentsia's shops in Chicago serve plenty of soy (called "soy") and use Soy Dream because they tested it as both best tasting and most consistent mircofoam ("micro" being the part that Sbux has yet to get a handle on).

[HungryLetsEat]

Ahhhh Intelligentsia...now THERE's coffee. I used to live around the corner from their Broadway store. I miss them...and stop in every time I go back.

[nomdeplume]

The only thing I get is a short cappuccino, and they even screw that up sometimes - I swear to god some of those "baristas" don't even know how to steam and froth milk. Forget the sizes, its that title that really drives me insane. Why does pressing a button on a super-automatic espresso machine make one a barista?

[dalaimama]

My daughter's ballet studio is about three steps from a Starbucks. Once a week she gets chocolate milk and I get either some sort of coffee (tall because I want to sleep that night) or iced green tea (venti because the caffeine in green tea doesn't give me insomnia). Life's too short to worry about chains. Just because you drink Starbucks or eat at McDonald's or whatever every now and then doesn't mean you don't appreciate the good stuff.

[foodcritik]

2 cups of Drip for me everyday!

[sivyaleah]

Venti Iced Skim Latte, unsweet for summer
or
Venti Iced Tea Lemonade, Passion Tea, unsweet for summer

in winter, Grande Skim Latte, unsweet

[jujuthomas]

I swear I got thru my mother's heart surgery solely on chocolate and venti 1/2 caff soy sugar free vanilla lattes - hot and cold! :) Thank goodness the Cleveland Clinic has a Starbucks in their cafeteria! lol
my aunt thought i was crazy when she heard my order, then she tried it. YUM!

[marmite]

Why did she think you were crazy? That's what I get most of the time, sugar-free vanilla soy latte. (But I like ALL the caffeine.) I don't think it's any crazier than anything else I've heard, particularly not my friend's constant order: grande skim 3-Splenda toffee nut 120-degree latte.

[jujuthomas]

my aunt is a plain black coffee lady who lives in the country with no starbucks within 50 miles. she never heard such a complicated coffee order before. that's all.

[starbucksbrew]

It's in my name, so I have to bite:

Ultimate Fave: Green tea latte, nonfat, 1 extra pump of melon. I get really po'd when they forget the melon, or when they are OUT of melon.

Next Fave: Iced green tea (shaken) with melon syrup. I actually like the one I make at home better though.

Third Fave: Cinnamon dolce latte, decaf, nonfat, no whip, 1 splenda.

Also a fan of green tea frappaccino, but not often b/c fattening.

[vibrant]

I also get tea with melon, but black tea and with a splash of strawberry sauce. So it would be venti iced black tea with melon syrup and a splash strawberry sauce

or sometimes venti soy chai latte with 2 pumps vanilla

[jfood]

Jfood does not do the -AY. No frappe, no grande, etc.

"Large coffee, double cup with a holder, leave room for the skimmed milk".

Whatever is brewing is drunk. Less than $2.

[piccola]

I'm with you on this one. Only I get the small coffee. And sometimes, if it's really bitter, I'll add a little soymilk to the skim (don't know why, it mellows it out).

As for the age-old question of "If you don't like it, why do you go?", there are several factors:

-More often than not, because someone else chose the destination (and I value my friends over my coffee).
-Sometimes there's nothing else around.
-Sometimes I need a place to sit down and use Wifi and I don't have time to figure out where the nearest hotspot is.
-Sometimes I really need a bathroom and I give in to the impulse buy.

[ccbweb]

You're kidding. You value your friends over your coffee? What kind of chowhound are you?

I'm happy to see someone else offer up the same thoughts I have: food and coffee are great, but not the most important thing most of the time.

As for the using the bathroom thing...I always think that if I'm going into a private establishment like a restaurant or coffee shop that I should buy something if I'm going to use their facilities.

[jfood]

piccola

glad to see there are others on these boards that value friendship over food.
and jfood likes sbux. but given the choice of good coffee solo, watching people walk by or lousy coffee with a friend, please pass the milk.

[Marvin]

I usually get a Venti Iced Vanilla Latte % milk. Have been wondering lately, since the iced coffee drinks (not the frappacinos) seem to come in the same sized cup and are the same price as their hot counterparts, but would have less of the drink due to the presence of the ice, am I better off ordering the drink hot and asking for a cup of ice, and doing it myself?

[ccbweb]

Well, better off I suppose if you're going strictly by ounces of milk you get in your latte. Other things to consider might be: you'll be using an extra cup that needn't be used, you'll have to pour it in there yourself which probably puts your clothes and hands at risk for stains/burns, it'll be far more watered down since the hot milk will immediately melt the ice, the iced cups are actually slightly larger (I believe someone earlier said that the Venti iced are 24oz vs 20oz for hot).

I also have this odd thing where I just order what I want and pay the price set for it. If I don't feel its worth the price set, I buy something else or go somewhere else.

[kindofabigdeal]

8 ounces of 25 degree ice is powerless against 16 ounces of 150 degree latte, since you want it to be below 40. Nevertheless... considering that iced drinks are less work intensive (no steaming), it is kinda funny.

[Eat_Nopal]

Snobs aside, I think Starbucks lattes are decent enough plus they provide a good space to do some work on the road.... I like a Tall Quadruple Half Caff Latte

[moymoy]

Venti Iced Sweetened...I have no problems with Starbucks taking over the world, they offer consistent service, no attitudes (at least none that I've encountered) and good coffee if you like your beans roasted strong. I like the Tazo Earl Grey, too.

[manraysky]

Starbucks is a last resort place for me, only if nothing else is available. And if that's the case, I get a tall coffee.

Also, what's a Starbuck "feen"? A hybrid between fiend and fan?

[Nutty Squirrel]

Airports and emergency situations only. Double short Latte. Starbucks is in the milk business not coffee nowdays.

[ccbweb]

Always has been, save for some of the Seattle stores where "dry capp" actually means something.

[mollyomormon]

Iced venti non-fat chai latte, easy on the chai, no ice.

[irishnyc]

So is that a glass of milk with a splash of chai? I don't understand the appeal... or point.. of that order.

[mollyomormon]

you probably shouldn't order it then...

[Oh Robin]

Grande Awake Tea with 4 equals and a splash of cold non-fat milk. Great black Tazo tea. I also am partial to a Venti Iced Chai Latte when I'm being bad.

[jacopopoli]

Has anyone had any of the new Latin-inspired pastries- guava and cheese and mango joyas, pineapple empanadas, Mallorcan bread, coconut and cheese danish? They look good.

[Marvin]

They were giving out sample pieces of the empinadas recently, I thought they were pretty good. I don't think I've seen the other items you've mentioned at any of the local Starbucks...

[Sacto_Damkier]

I did not like the mango pineapple empenadas, even warmed. The crust was boring and I did not taste the fruit. I'll stick with the chocolate croissant.

[Sacto_Damkier]

Grande Vanilla Organic Caffe Latte - I even got a free shirt from Starbucks with that order design. It was probably a nice passive-aggressive way to "teach" people how to order there, but it was free! I am the crazy one who still uses real sugar and whole milk in my drinks, but I only drink occasionally to reduce the health impact. There are plenty of better places out there, but few are as convienent and consistent as Starbucks.

[jessicheese]

Venti Iced Coffee- 2 pumps sugar

As a person who doesn't like a very sweet iced coffee, I love that it's exactly how I want it, every time I go, no matter where I go. For me, it's worth the extra fifty cents.

[ElsieDee]

Yep, that's my standard order, too - though I ask for a little room to add a splash of half and half.

Curious: in the past couple of days I've been in a number of different Starbucks (always order the same thing) and it looks like there's been a corporate (or regional)7 change for making the iced coffees - every place started with the classic syrup, then filled the glass with ice before adding the coffee, resulting in significantly LESS coffee in the cup - yesterday one of the baristas saw me looking rather aghast at my cup of ice and said "oh, would you like less ice?" Um, yes please. So today I added "light ice" to my order routine.

[manraysky]

I like to think that Starbucks in the ice selling business.

[ElsieDee]

*laughing* Thank you, I needed that tonight. I actually don't care for their hot coffees/beans at all, but love the iced coffees and occasionally try one of their blended cremes when I need a sugar rush.

[jessicheese]

What a great idea!! I'll have to add the "light ice" part to my order. Especially since the coffee is chilled already!

[Oh Robin]

What's funny is the ice actually ends up costing more than the coffee due to the ice machine.

[kindofabigdeal]

what are they charging an extra 50 cents for? are you just referencing the starbucks markup in general?

[hazelnutty]

I only do Starbucks at Malibu, when I'm there. I get the strawberry smoothie or some strawberry drink (I don't know what it's called), an espresso shot and a side of whipped cream, then I have some fun! hehehe...and I get some mandilion cookies, preferably from a new box.

[mattesq]

Large coffee. And someone generally says "a Venti" or a "Grande." And I merely repeat "a large coffee." "The largest one you have." I know that I may sound obnoxious but I will not be forced to speak "Starbuckian." I just want a cup of coffee damnit. :)

[kindofabigdeal]

then don't get coffee there.

[hazelnutty]

Well it is a coffee place...besides all the names are really silly, not to mention inaccurate.

[kindofabigdeal]

i didn't mean don't get coffee, i meant not there, or just order right, especially when it causes confusion. The workers have to call the drinks with the appropriate names and it doesn't require much on your part to just say "venti."

[hazelnutty]

well I suppose for the workers' sake, it is more practical to order correctly...still though the names are silly and it's coffee, the cheapest commodity and yet it is priced like wine or something. It doesn't matter I only patronize it at certain times and at a certain location. It really doesn't matter to me. By the way venti means twenty--twenty what: ounces??

[kindofabigdeal]

yes venti means twenty ounces, except the iced, which is 24... I'm not defending that one, that is wierd.

[hazelnutty]

Isn't that a lot of coffee? I don't know-two to three sips is all I need or can handle...What kind of bladders do you people have or hearts for that matter? I suppose the body adjusts.

[kindofabigdeal]

oh, it's definitely a lot of coffee, but everyone offers a 20 oz. these days it seems.

[hazelnutty]

Yeah that's true. If I order coffee at most places it comes in a giant cup or in a giant french press...I'm more of a tea drinker.

[mattesq]

Well i guess I touched a nerve, but I'm pretty sure everyone knows what large means. You could pull a first grader off the playground show him a "tall" cup and "grande" cup and a "venti" cup and i bet he/she could readily identify the large cup. When I order a large it shouldn't grind production to a halt. Any by the way it generally doesn't.

[Sacto_Damkier]

I think that the Starbucks "language" is part of the appeal to many customers. Ordering a large espresso with steamed milk does not roll off the tongue quite as much as venti caffe latte. It is all part of the experience. Unfortunately, not playing along only makes things more difficult for the line worker and your fellow customers. At least at Peets here in NorCal, they use real sizes and names.

[ccbweb]

Apart from the size names (Tall, Venti, etc) what is not real about "caffe latte?"

[Sacto_Damkier]

You win the prize, I am wrong about the drink names.

[Panini Guy]

From the tone and construction of the OP, I smell a "Buzz Agent" (someone being paid to promote a product on bulletin boards, forums and blogs).

But I'll bite regardless. I only do SBUX when there are no other options, like in airports or convention centers. And then it's usually their varietal, if it's been brewed in the past half hour, or the small capp (8oz) which is not on the menu. And I do ask that they steam the milk specific for my drink instead of using the old scalded junk in the big pitchers. Because sometimes they say yes. And occasionally I meet a barista who actually appreciates that order.

[ccbweb]

I agree with you Panini Guy, there seem to be a lot of "buzz agents" around the boards. See every thread about "Best Burger at a Sit Down Chain" and "Favorite Item at Trader Joe's." But, for something like a coffee order, I'll also (obviously) throw my $2 in. Inflation just kills you with the prices of coffee these days.

[lulubelle]

How does one get a job as a "Buzz Agent"? I think I would be good at it.

I am one of the few people left in the world who doesn't seem to have a problem with Star$. I worked for them for 5-6 years, way back before the dawn of time, when their only markets were Seattle, Portland and Chicago, and I loved the company. They treated emplyees very well, and the product was great. I know it's changed a lot since then, but from what I understand they are still a pretty good company to work for.

I get a venti iced Americano no water on my way to work every morning. add nonfat milk and a splash of whole. YUM.

[ccbweb]

I've never understood this...you get, what, 8 or 10 ounces of milk wtihout paying for it. I suppose the counterargument is that they're overpriced...but nothing says you have to buy from them. Seems to me that you ought to order the "non-fat venti iced latte."

[lulubelle]

Actually I get it loaded with ice and there is probably room for maybe an ounce or two of milk. I just don't like getting it with water because if I do, by the time I get around to drinking it at work all the ice has melted and it's warm. I

[Anne]

"How does one get a job as a "Buzz Agent"? I think I would be good at it." Lulubelle, here's a link for you:
http://www.bzzagent.com/
My favorite at Starbucks? A tall decaf no-foam latte.

[Mango87]

sorry no buzzagent here, I am simply a starbucks feen and would like to know how others like their cup of energy!

[ArikaDawn]

I typically only do Starbucks when in airports, but for me it is always a Tall Non-Fat Sugar-Free Vanilla Latte w/a half packet of Equal and a dash of Cinnamon.

[TanQ10]

Ugh..CharBuck$$$..they must have crack in their beans becoz i've ordered a Grande Non-fat Capp w' 1 pump sugar-free hazelneut every day for the last 92 days in a row!
That's a plane tticket to somewhere...

[ccbweb]

Small dark roast drip, please. Granted, that's what I say everyhwere I get coffee.