Starbucks - Tips and Tricks, share

[jACEDesignsLtd]

Just got my gold card in the mail. WTF? didn't know this program was going on; I just use my SB card. So I looked up online and found this page

-Need a smaller drink? Order a "Short". The short is 8-ounces and is priced significantly lower than a tall.

-Dog treats? Order a "Puppy Latte" (aka "Puppicinno"). It is whipped cream in a sample cup. They are free (or at least at most locations, if not, they would be pennies).

-Want a latte without the espresso? Sometimes you need the taste of one of their lattes, but you don't want the espresso. Order it as a steamer. A steamer is just steamed milk to which you can add any pumps of flavor you want.

-Is your drink too sweet? Order it with fewer pumps. The sweet is in the pumps, so if you reduce your pump count by one, you can reduce the sweetness. For example, the recipe for a white mocha has 3 pumps for a tall, 4 pumps for a grande, and 5 pumps for a venti.

-Want a frappuccino but not the fat or caffeine? With the new frappuccino blends they are using as of last summer they can now make a non-fat and/or decaf frappuccino. Prior to the change that wasn't possible.

-Want a unique chai? They can make any tea into a chai tea latte. My wife does say that you don't want to do this with the Passion tea as the hibiscus in the tea blend will cause milk to curdle. My wife's recommendation would be to order a "London Fog." The corporate stores will know how to make that.

-Need Wi-Fi? Wi-Fi is free now at Starbucks stores. It also allows access to some premium content such as the Wall Street Journal.

-Have extra foreign currency? Before you leave the country stop at a Starbucks and load up your Starbucks card with all your left over currency. That converts at rate to your home currency without bank fees.

-[Added 3/2/11] Drink doesn't taste right/don't like what you ordered? At most corporate stores in the US/Canada you can try new pump combinations and drinks with no risk. If in the first few sips you don't like the taste tell the barista and they will remake the drink. If you just don't like the drink because you tried something new tell them what you don't like about it and they should make you something else using what you don't like as a guide to something that would better fit your palate.

-[Added 3/2/11] Need a quick shot without the latte price? Order a "solo espresso in a tall (or short) cup". They will put the shot in the cup and you can fill the rest of the cup with milk and sugar as needed. This is priced about the same as an Americano, which is a shot of espresso and then the cup is filled with water.

-[Added 3/2/11] Need to save cash when having a get together at a store? If you and several friends want to enjoy brewed coffee you can order a "coffee press" which will serve about 8 cups of coffee and is cheaper than ordering all those cups separately.

There are a couple of others that I want to touch on, but they didn't really fit into the above.

-Know the difference between a corporate store and a licencee store. A Starbucks in Target, Barnes & Noble, Safeway, etc is not a corporate store. The people working those stores do not go through the same level of training and those stores are the last to get any new products. The people working at, for example, Safeway Starbucks kiosks are employees of Safeway and are often borrowed from other departments like the deli department.

-Get a Starbucks card and register it. Yes, it is a rewards program and you do have minimum qualification levels, but it gives you discounts and free drink coupons. Additionally, you will need the card for the foreign currency trick and having it registered allows you to track the balance.
As I detailed in a thread in the Delta forum, Starbucks owns Seattle's Best, so many of these tips and tricks will work at Seattle's Best as well. However the lingo may be a bit different depending on what you are ordering.'']

Starbucks Tips and Tricks | milepoint

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Anyhow, the changing the currency one I never thought of. Will do, as I travel frequently to the US. My bank doesn't like to convert US coins.

And if you have a registered card, charge the drinks separately as each individual transaction to earn your stars way easier. E.g. Buying 2 lattes, ask barista to do 2 transactions.

[MindBomber]

Fairly well known already, but this is my favourite trick; I study at Starbucks routinely and always make use of it.

Originally Posted by Starbucks

Free Refills on Brewed or Iced Coffee or Tea
When you’re at Starbucks you feel at home. Paying with your registered Starbucks Card gets you brewed or iced coffee or tea refills at no charge during the same visit to a participating store.

[JizzMasterZero]

Instead of ordering a vanille latte, I order an americano misto with 3 pumps of vanilla. With a SB card that's green or gold level, you get free syrup and free milk options so you only pay for the price of an Americano, I believe it's $2.74 (taxes in) for a tall rather than over $4 for the latte.

[Energy]

If you order a chai latte and have a registered card you should order a steamed milk with chai syrup instead.

A chai latte is half water (ugh) and half steamed milk so you get more milk and pay less with this trick

[noots]

If you're getting an iced drink (iced teas, iced coffee, iced espresso drinks), as for easy ice. The standard drink preparation calls for ~30% of the cup being filled with ice.

If you're getting an americano/coffee and like to put milk/cream in it ask for room so you don't have to dump any out. Or ask for a tall in a grande or grande in a venti and add your stuff. You can also do that with with iced drinks.

If you're getting a frappucino and like your drink really smooth/less chunks of ice, ask for double blended.

[xmisstrinh]

[dvdjels]

if you're getting some sort of steamed milk (ie. soy), ask for no foam. some branches fill half the cup with it...

[Vale46Rossi]

The gold card is awesome

[iam_dan]

If you want two of the same tall drinks, order a venti and split into two.

[jACEDesignsLtd]

Originally Posted by Energy

If you order a chai latte and have a registered card you should order a steamed milk with chai syrup instead.

A chai latte is half water (ugh) and half steamed milk so you get more milk and pay less with this trick

That's awesome!

since we get free pumps of syrup as benefits, just ask for steamed milk/soy (cheaper price) and get them to add it..

[BlueSedanRUS]

used to do it when was in school ....
get a double cup coffee,and if you have a registered SB card you can refill for.free,works up to 5 drinks at ones.

[vafanculo]

SB trick 28:

If you want better coffee, go to Tim Hortons

[Phozy]

^
I do not agree

Unless it is "If you want crappier service, go to Tim Hortons"

[Levitron]

Originally Posted by Energy

If you order a chai latte and have a registered card you should order a steamed milk with chai syrup instead.

A chai latte is half water (ugh) and half steamed milk so you get more milk and pay less with this trick

...or do what I order: chai latte, no water.

[Levitron]

Order a "grande americano in a tall cup".
This nets you an extra shot of espresso, but cheaper than adding on an extra shot. Also not as watered down as a grande would normally be.

Anyone miss Chantico?