Chef shares 6 favorite Starbucks beverages and 6 she never orders

As a chef who frequently requires a caffeine boost, I frequent Starbucks. However, I do not enjoy every beverage the chain offers.

Here are my favorite menu items, as well as the beverages I typically avoid.

There is nothing better than an English breakfast tea latte.

It is about time that some other teas get the royal treatment that Earl Grey has had for far too long in a London fog (a lavender tea latte).

English breakfast tea is more robust, robust, and delicious. It’s also wonderful with steamed milk and foam on top (I get extra).

Plain, hot green tea is also a popular beverage.

When I want something light but warm, I order a cup of Emperor’s Clouds and Mist green tea from Teavana, which is sourced by Starbucks.

It has a trace amount of caffeine but does not taste as thick or grassy as a matcha latte.

I prefer my green tea unadulterated.

I’ve come to appreciate the honey flat white with almond milk.

Honey and coffee is an underrated combination that works exceptionally well in a flat-white.

It is delicate, with a slight sweetness that is not overbearing.

Due to the fact that almond milk does not foam as well as conventional milk, a flat white is an excellent method to showcase it in a steaming coffee beverage.

I am aware that an oat-milk cappuccino will awaken me.
Starbucks’s cappuccino.

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When I’m craving caffeine from Starbucks (or any other coffee establishment), I always get an oat-milk cappuccino.

Oat milk contributes a slight sweetness and foams up beautifully.

I request extra foam and extra heat so I can relish each drink.

When I need a lift in the afternoon, I order a chai latte.

I really enjoy a chai latte as an afternoon pick-me-up on chilly days.

I prefer to request one less pump of chai syrup, as I believe Starbucks’ chai concentrate to be excessively sugary.

If I need a little extra kick, I’ll add a shot of espresso for bitterness (also called a “dirty chai”).

My preferred cold beverage is a vanilla-sweet-cream nitro cold brew.

At Starbucks, I tend to choose hot beverages over cold ones. But when I’m in the mood for something cold, I adore the velvety texture of nitro cold brew with a hint of sweet froth.

The vanilla sweet cream neutralizes any bitterness in the coffee, creating a milkshake-like flavor without the added sugar.

In contrast, I do not believe crème brûlée flavor belongs in coffee.

The crème brûlée experience requires breaking through a sugar coating reminiscent of glass.

In my opinion, Starbucks’ ultra-sweet caramel-brulee latte does not do honor to the sophisticated French treat.

Given that a grande cup has 48 grams of sugar and 150 milligrams of caffeine, I would definitely crash.

Starbucks is the one coffee shop where I never order a basic espresso.

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A basic shot of espresso is too harsh, too fleeting, and too caffeinated for my tastes.

It puts me on a fast train to jitterville, with an ultimate destination of a headache, therefore I avoid it.

I find the toasted white-chocolate mocha Frappuccino to be very sugary.

I typically avoid anything with white chocolate, and Starbucks’ frozen beverage is no exception.

The seasonal beverage is topped with whipped cream and sugar sparkles, as if the toasted white-chocolate mocha wasn’t enough to throw me into a sugar coma.

I believe the steamed apple juice is not worth the price.

In general, I’m team cider over apple juice.

But if I ever had a cause to consume hot apple juice, I would likely utilize my microwave and save $3.

Occasionally, I’ll consume a hot London fog, but I don’t believe it works as an iced beverage.

Adding ice to a latte diminishes its enjoyment.

I enjoy the foamy top on a steamed tea latte, but Starbucks’ iced London fog rapidly becomes a diluted milky tea.

The matcha latte from Starbucks is not my favorite.
An espresso with matcha from Starbucks.

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I enjoy matcha, but I rarely get it at Starbucks because the business utilizes a presweetened powder that I am unable to modify to my liking.

I’ve also discovered that it lacks the power and flavor of pure ground green tea.

If you’re seeking for an excellent matcha latte, find a café that prepares it using bamboo whisks and creates it from scratch.