I worked at Starbucks for a year.
I worked at Starbucks for over a year, and sometimes mistakes can ruin drinks.
Red flags to look out for are frantic baristas, loud steam wands, and "dead" espresso shots.
refining your order can go a long way in helping you get a bad drink.
Spending a little too much money on a disappointing Starbucks drink can really set the tone for the rest of your day.
Mistakes happen to everyone, and a bad drink isn't always avoidable. Sometimes the signs are in front of your face and you can change your expectations or get out of there before you waste your time and money.
Some of the biggest red flags to look out for are listed below, as someone who worked as a Starbucks barista for over a year.
Good drinks are not made by baristas.
Food service is not for everyone. It can be tiring and physically demanding.
Even the most experienced barista can have an off day, so you want to see the person making your drinks in a calm, cool, and collected manner.
They are most likely not thinking clearly if they seem overwhelmed. There's a chance that the barista will make a mistake if they are panicked.
If you want a drink with dairy milk, loud steam wands aren't a good sign.
Before steaming, baristas should aerate the milk.
I don't want to order anything using steamed milk or foamed milk if I hear a loud scream from the espresso machine.
It is a skill to steam milk. There's still room for error with Starbucks, but it's a little easier with automatic machines.
When using non dairy milk, a screaming noise can indicate that the barista didn't aerate the milk enough before plunging the steam wand into the pitcher. It doesn't make for a good latte if the milk is left unaerated.
If you want to hear the sounds of dairy milk, it should be like tearing paper for one to eight seconds, and then a gentle bubbling until the steam turns off.
During a rush, there shouldn't be an out of place barista doing menial tasks.
Depending on the time of day, you can see baristas behind the counter at Starbucks.
When it's slower, you'll see some of the employees in the café doing side tasks. If there's a huge line and you see someone replenish mugs, that's a recipe for an overwhelmed barista stuck making drinks for frustrated and impatient customers.
I'm sure you can guess how that story ends if you've ever had to pick up the slack for a coworker.
It's always a risk to order most coffees in the afternoon.
I'm not a fan of Starbucks' coffee.
Starbucks coffee is not good. I said it there.
If you're the kind of person who loves instant coffee or store-brand coffee, then Starbucks' roasts might be the crme de la crme to you. I think it leaves a lot to be desired between the quality of the beans and the process used in cafés.
If the coffee is your jam, your timing can make a difference between a cup of joe and a taste of regret.
Starbucks sees most of its business before 10 a.m., so many stores stop making more than one kind of coffee before noon. The medium roast of the Pike Place Roast is only available in the afternoon.
I can tell you from my experience that the pots of coffee that are supposed to be dumped and fresh every 30 minutes don't always happen. If you order a drip in the afternoon, you're more likely to get a mediocre cup of coffee.
If you want to make sure you get a fresh cup in the afternoon, you can ask the barista to make your own pour-over.
It's not a good idea to have shots of espresso on the counter for a while.
There's a lot of debate among baristas and coffee lovers about whether or not a shot of espresso can actually die.
There is a myth that shots can die in a matter of seconds. After it's poured, an espresso shot from Starbucks will taste the same as it will five minutes later.
It's best to have espresso immediately. If you notice a barista pulling shots and letting them sit for more than a minute or two, that's not a good sign.
It's not a good idea to order a drink with cold foam on your phone.
Cold foam won't last long on top of a drink.
Pumpkin cold foam, Irish-cream cold foam, almond milk-honey cold foam are just a few of the popular cold brew varieties.
The biggest mistake you can make is ordering the drink too early, because a barista can make good cold foam.
If you use the Starbucks mobile app to place your order, I wouldn't recommend getting anything with cold foam until you're at the store or in the parking lot. It's easier to get your timing right if you know how long your order will take.
The foam can start to melt or weep into the rest of the drink if the drinks sit for a long time. The texture of the cold foam is a delight in itself, even though a little mixing can taste nice.
The same principle applies to any drink. The drink volume and flavor can be improved by shaking the espresso. You're left with a less satisfying drink if you let it sit for too long.
Adding or subtracting the wrong ingredient from your order is a possibility.
Some Starbucks drinks have surprising ingredients that make a big difference.
The caramel macchiato is the most common example of this. When customers want a sweeter drink, they often ask for extra caramel drizzle. The drink's sweet taste is due to the fact that the syrup is made from vanilla.
You'll end up with a lump of caramel at the bottom of your cup if you add more drizzle.
If you don't like how a drink tastes, you can ask your barista what you can do to make it better.
If your barista looks confused by your order, you might not be using the right language.
There are some unique terms that Starbucks uses.
Starbucks has a language all of its own.
I can't tell you how many different ways someone has described a strawberry-acai refresher or a caramel macchiato. Many customers have ordered a Frappé instead of a Frappuccino.
Most baristas are used to making simple mistakes, and we can usually figure out what you mean. If the barista looks at you with confusion or tries to ask you a lot of clarifying questions, you might not be using the right language to order your drink.
How can you expect them to make it correctly if they don't understand what you want?
politeness may get you a better drink, and there's no reason to be rude to your barista.
A lot of the time, the way to make a great drink is by showing your barista a little patience and kindness.
A barista will never make a bad drink on purpose, but they will always take extra care when making a drink for a kind regular or a customer who politely asks for help.
Don't be afraid to ask the barista to remake your drink if you aren't happy with it. Don't be rude about it, it's Starbucks policy to make the moment right.
Starbucks responded to Insider's request for comment with an official statement on the company's policy.
Starbucks has been the leader in coffee quality and the coffeehouse experience. We are committed to delivering the highest quality beverages and taking great care in making each one of our customers' beverages perfectly crafted to their liking. If a customer doesn't like their drink, our baristas will make a new one for them.
The original article is on Insider.
