Starbucks lingo

king kamehameha

Poly Beach Comber
Joined
Aug 16, 2011
Messages
393
Half caf, skinny vanilla, grande...etc. I don't speak Starbucks!:crazy2: Is there a quick course We can take prior to entering the Magic Kingdom? ;) All we want is a decent cup of coffee but we don't want to sound stupid doing it. pirate: (posted just for fun)
 
Half caf, skinny vanilla, grande...etc. I don't speak Starbucks!:crazy2: Is there a quick course We can take prior to entering the Magic Kingdom? ;) All we want is a decent cup of coffee but we don't want to sound stupid doing it. pirate: (posted just for fun)

Coffee, black. Large.
 
Coffee, black. Large.

:lmao:


Tall=small

Grande= medium

Venti=large

Trento=big gulp

Americano=half coffee half hot water (if you don't like strong coffee)

Blond=light roast. (Yeah some one didn't think that name out)

Pike Place =medium roast

Dark=dark roast

Brewed=plain drip coffee

I'd like a tall blonde with ff milk and Splenda. (See its all in the context)

I'd like a grande Americano with sugar. (This will actually get you simple syrup) (and again context)

I'd like a venti brewed. (Usually gets you whatever medium roast they have ready without any additives)

I'd like a tall brewed with room. (This means they don't fill it all the way up so you can add your own stuff)

That's pretty much the basics.
 
Traditionally an Americano is espresso (not coffee) with water, and I thought that's how Starbucks did it as well.
 

Traditionally an Americano is espresso (not coffee) with water, and I thought that's how Starbucks did it as well.

Oh you're probably right. I used to get that because it was recommended for me as I don't like strong coffee. I have since switched to blonde roast which is more my strength preference.
 
Yes, americano is espresso with steamed water whereas a latte is espresso with steamed milk.

For some reason a grande americano contains 3 shots of espresso but a grande latte has only 2 shots. And the americano is cheaper.
 
Oh you're probably right. I used to get that because it was recommended for me as I don't like strong coffee. I have since switched to blonde roast which is more my strength preference.

It's different, but I'm not sure how it compares. Espresso is much stronger. Also, it's probably all the same in the end, but boldness of the roast is not the same as strength. You could make a weak dark roast coffee by adding a lot of water, or a strong blonde by brewing it with half the water. One is the bean, and one is how much water you put in the coffeemaker.

Additonal response to OP:
If you just say "coffee" I think they default to Pike's, black. Then they might proceed to ask you stuff like "do you want room," etc. This is the way to do it if you are particular about the amount of creamer, sugar, etc. If you want heavy whipping cream or soy, you have to request it from them. You can check what's out on the counter first, so you can request it if you don't see what you want.

short/kids = 8oz (for chocolate or espresso)
tall = 12oz
grande = 16oz
venti = 20oz
trento = 30z (for iced tea)
 
Yes, americano is espresso with steamed water whereas a latte is espresso with steamed milk.

For some reason a grande americano contains 3 shots of espresso but a grande latte has only 2 shots. And the americano is cheaper.

That's where the ghetto latte comes in (google it). I wouldn't recommend it. I can't imagine it tastes as good as the real thing.
 
Drink Sizes

Short: 8 oz. The smallest size Starbucks offers, and not generally shown on the menu. If you ask for a small, you will get a Tall, not a Short.

Tall: 12 oz. The small size.

Grande: 16 oz. This is the medium size. Pronounced GRAHN-day, more or less.

Venti: 20 oz. hot, 24 oz. cold. For some reason iced Venti cups hold four more ounces; for this reason, Venti espresso drinks often have an extra shot of espresso in them, and cost a little bit more. Prounounced VENN-tee.

Trente: 30 oz cold. Only some drinks are available in this size, mostly variations on iced tea.

Basic Drinks

Coffee: Plain black coffee, brewed less than an hour ago. If you want them to leave room in the cup for milk, go ahead and ask. Also available in decaf and (sometimes) mild, which is a lighter roast.

Iced Coffee: Plain coffee, brewed double-strength so the ice wont dilute it, and kept in the fridge. Not just regular coffee poured over ice.

Tea: Starbucks has several varieties of tea: black, green, herbal, blends, decaf, you name it.

Iced Tea: Also available shaken (with ice). Comes in regular or passion, with or without lemonade, sweetened or unsweetened.

Caffe Misto / Cafe au lait: A drink consisting of half coffee, half steamed milk and a bit of foam. Can be made decaf, nonfat, etc. Misto is the Starbucks name, cafe au lait is the more general term.

Espresso Bar Drinks

Latte: Espresso, steamed milk, and foam. Not sweetened in any way unless you ask for syrup or sugar in it.

Cappuccino: Like a latte, only much more foam. Normally half milk or half foam, unless wet or dry is specified. This is also not sweetened.

Caramel Macchiato: Basically a vanilla latte with extra foam and gooey caramel drizzled on top. If it doesnt taste sweet enough when you first try it, be sure to stir it well! Caramel sauce doesnt really dissolve well in milk. If its still not sweet enough, ask for extra vanilla, not extra caramel. Macchiato, by the way, is pronounced mah-kee-YAH-toe.

Americano: Espresso diluted with hot water until its roughly the strength of regular coffee. An Americano will usually have one more shot than a latte of the same size. Sometimes if the regular coffee you want hasnt finished brewing yet and you dont want to wait, the barista may offer you an Americano instead.

Mocha: Espresso and steamed milk mixed with chocolate and served with whipped cream. Despite being chocolatey, these are not terribly sweet. If you dont want to taste the espresso, try asking for flavor syrup (such as orange or raspberry) or try a white mocha instead.

White Mocha: Espresso and steamed milk mixed with white chocolate syrup and served with whipped cream. These are a lot sweeter than regular mochas, but also a bit less healthy and a bit more expensive.

Toffee Nut Latte: A latte flavored with toffee nut syrup, which tastes & well, toffee-like. Originally introduced as a seasonal drink, it appears to have been permanently added to the menu.

Espresso: Just espresso, nothing more. A solo espresso is a single shot, which is a bit less than an ounce. A doppio espresso is two shots, a triple is three, and a quad is four.

Espresso Macchiato: Espresso dropped into a cup of milk foam, and only foam. Like a small, extremely dry cappuccino. These are ordered not by cup size, but by the number of shots.

Espresso Con Panna: Espresso in a big squirt of whipped cream. Also ordered by number of shots rather than cup size.

Non-Espresso Bar Drinks

Hot Chocolate: Chocolate and steamed milk, with a little bit of vanilla added, served with whipped cream.

Steamed Milk: Just steamed milk, usually with a bit of foam. Usually these are ordered with flavor syrup added, which used to be called a steamer but was changed to a creme when the creme Frappuccinos came out.

Chai Latte: Sweetened Chai syrup (tea, spices, and sweetener) added to steamed milk and hot water. If you dont want it so sweet or so milky, you can also get Chai made with a tea bag, which is black tea and spices without the extra stuff. Both versions have caffeine, since its made with black tea.

Steamed Cider: Apple juice / cider (not sure what the distinction is) steamed to a nice hot temperature. You can also get plain, cold apple juice.

Caramel Apple Cider: Steamed cider with cinnamon syrup, whipped cream, and caramel sauce.

Blended Drinks

These are cold, blended drinks, like a milkshake. They can be made with or without a coffee base, with most kinds of flavoring, and even with soy milk or a lower-calorie light base. Check the menu at your local Starbucks or ask someone there for suggestions.

Miscellaneous Extras

Foam: Fluffy milk foam produced when steaming. Lattes, macchiatos, and cappuccinos usually have this. You can always ask for for more, or less, or no foam at all.

Wet / Dry: These pertain only to cappuccinos. A normal cappuccino has about half milk, half foam. Wet means more milk, dry means more foam.
Whipped Cream: Made fresh from whipping cream, not the kind of stuff you get out of a can. If you really want whipped cream, or really dont, make sure you tell the person taking your order. Its a lot easier to write the info on the cup than try to fix it later.

Extra Hot: Some people like their drinks extra piping hot. Some people just want it to stay at a drinkable temperature for longer. Be very careful if you order this, you dont want to burn yourself! Anything over 170 degrees F may scald the milk, however.

140 degrees: Some people dont like their drinks so hot. This is about ten to twenty degrees cooler than the usual drink temperature  nice and warm, but not hot.

Kids: Hot drinks for children can be no hotter than 130 degrees F. Keep this in mind if youre saving money by ordering a kids hot chocolate.
 
I always thought the Americano was a little milder than the regular coffee.

But still stronger than my preference.

I tend to go the iced coffee route, but occasionally order hot.

The iced or blonde can also be strong so I guess it's more strength then roast that I notice.

I never did the bakery on MS because I'm not a pastry/baked goods fan, but I o drink coffee so I guess I'll be trying the new shop.
 
I'm a two time per day Starbucks addict! My favorite is a Grande Sugar Free Vanilla Breve Latte. Basically a Latte made with half and half instead of milk... it is DELISH... ;)
 
You can get any of the mixed coffees, like Carmal Macchiatto, done upside down too. They willl construct it so you dont have that layer of sweetness on the bottom.
 
So I guess I'm the only one who just let's her son order for her, because she's too lazy to remember all of this stuff?

I get completely intimidated, unless it's a frozen drink. And I'm still bummed they no longer have the pomegranate frappucino, and that they now use that fake tasting strawberry sauce for their strawberries and cream frappucino.

Other than that, I stand there clueless. So thanks for tutorial!
 
me too there's enough shorthand to know RFID< AP PAP<NFL :sad2: Just give me my coffe in plain english thank you

That's how I feel around here. Just give me my Disney in plain English thank you. :rotfl:

OP said they want regular coffee, but since a PP already brought up fancier drinks, I'd suggest Raspberry White Mocha Frap. It's not on the menu but I later found that others call it Raspbery Cheesecake. Highly recommended for any raspberry fan.
 
That's how I feel around here. Just give me my Disney in plain English thank you. :rotfl:

OP said they want regular coffee, but since a PP already brought up fancier drinks, I'd suggest Raspberry White Mocha Frap. It's not on the menu but I later found that others call it Raspbery Cheesecake.

Feel the same way about Disney too ! I never had a fancy $$$$ Starbucks coffee in my life I can't imagine having to learn a new language at my age I'll probably just point and nod :rotfl:
 
At my local Starbucks I ask for "no room" to get a full cup since I don't add cream or sugar. For example: "Venti, 3 Region, no room"
 
I've never been happier to not be a coffee drinker then right now. What a pretentious bunch.

One thing as a non-coffee drinker that I have always wondered, why does coffee come in different flavors besides coffee. Don't coffee drinkers like coffee or are they just doing it for show.

I drink a lot of Iced Tea and I do not understand why so many people have to have it tasting like lemonade. If they want Lemonade why not just order Lemonade? Some of the mysteries of life that I will never understand, I guess.
 
... why does coffee come in different flavors besides coffee. Don't coffee drinkers like coffee or are they just doing it for show...

I don't like flavored coffee; however, there are different varieties of coffee beans that grow in different regions. They have different flavors. I tend to like blends like the current Three Region Blend. The Tribute blend was also very good. I prefer a blend to say "Italian Roast" or even "Pike Place".
 












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