As a chef who often needs a caffeine boost, I’m a regular at Starbucks. But I don’t like every drink the chain has to offer.
Here are the things I love to order, plus the drinks I tend to avoid.
It’s about time that some other teas got the royal treatment that Earl Grey has had in a London fog (a lavender tea latte) for far too long.
English breakfast is a bolder, stronger, and more flavorful tea. It’s also delicious when topped with steamed milk and foam (I get extra).
When I want something light but warm, I’ll get a hot cup of Emperor’s Clouds and Mist green tea, which Starbucks sources from Teavana.
It has a touch of caffeine but isn’t as rich or grassy-tasting as a matcha latte.
I prefer my green tea with nothing added.
Honey and coffee is an underappreciated pairing that works really well in a flat-white drink.
It’s light, with just a bit of sweetness that’s not overpowering.
Since almond milk doesn’t foam as well as regular milk, a smooth flat white is a good way to do it justice in a steamed coffee drink.
When I’m looking for caffeine from Starbucks (or any coffee shop), an oat-milk cappuccino is my go-to order.
Oat milk adds a subtle sweetness and foams up nicely.
I ask for extra foam and make it extra hot so I can savor every sip.
I love a chai latte, especially as an afternoon pick-me-up on a chilly day.
I find that Starbucks’ chai concentrate can be a little sweet, so I like to ask for one less pump of chai syrup.
If I’m looking for an extra jolt, I’ll add a shot of espresso for some bitterness (also called a “dirty chai”).
I tend to choose hot over iced drinks at Starbucks. But if I’m in the mood for something chilled, I love the smoothness of nitro cold brew with a touch of sweet foam.
The vanilla sweet cream cuts through any bitterness in the coffee, so it tastes like a milkshake, without all the extra sugar.
The crème-brûlée experience is a very specific one that should involve cracking through a glass-like sugar shell.
Starbucks’ super-sweet caramel-brulée latte doesn’t do the elegant French dessert justice, in my opinion.
I’d inevitably end up crashing as a grande cup has 48 grams of sugar and 150 milligrams of caffeine.
For me, a plain shot of espresso is too bitter, too short-lived, and too caffeinated.
It sends me on an express trip to jittersville, with a final stop at a headache, so I steer clear.
I tend to avoid anything white chocolate, and Starbucks’ frosty drink is no exception.
If the toasted white-chocolate mocha wasn’t enough to send me into a sugar crash, the seasonal drink comes topped with whipped cream and sugar sparkles.
In general, I’m team cider over apple juice.
But if there was ever a reason I wanted to drink hot apple juice, I’d probably use my microwave and save the $3.
Adding ice to a latte sort of cancels the fun.
I love the foamy head on a steamed tea latte, but Starbucks’ iced London fog turns into a watered-down milky tea all too quickly.
I love matcha, but I tend to skip it at Starbucks because the chain uses a presweetened powder that I can’t adjust to my taste preferences.
I’ve also found that it doesn’t seem to have the same potency or flavor as pure ground green tea.
If you’re looking for a great matcha latte, find a cafe that makes it fresh and prepares it with bamboo whisks.
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