Starbucks has a huge number of options for its drinks and it can be confusing and expensive to try and sort through all of the choices when you go to your local shop. The folks at TastingTable are helping out with a list of 17 best-value drinks to order that can make your selection simpler and save some money as well. Here’s what they have come up with the caveat that prices could vary depending on your location.
- Espresso con panna – this drink features two espresso shots and a dollop of whipped cream for $3.45 and Starbucks specialty sprinkles are a good addition.
- Espresso macchiato – two espresso shots with foamed milk instead of whipped cream for the same price as the espresso con panna.
- Brewed coffee – this is the simplest drink that Starbucks offers at $3.45 for a Grande size. It’s always ready and for 30 cents more you can add cream or a portion of flavoring or whipped cream.
- Chai tea – the simplest chai drink uses only chai tea bags and water, but if you spend $2 more you can get a chai latte that uses chai concentrate and steamed milk.
- Iced chai latte – Starbucks iced chai latte is cheaper than the chai Frappuccino that they offer and you get double the amount of chai concentrate so it’s a better deal. You can add pumpkin foam to this drink during the fall months.
- Iced coffee – this drink is only a dollar more than the iced tea and you can get a reward for a free one for only 100 stars in the Starbucks rewards program. Other drinks require double the number of stars at 200 so this is a good deal.
- Iced Americano – this consists of ice, water, and espresso shots instead of iced coffee. It’s also cheaper than the iced coffee and a Grande Iced Americano has 225 milligrams of caffeine compared to 165 milligrams for a Grande Iced Coffee.
- Steamed apple juice – by ordering steamed apple juice and adding whipped cream and cinnamon dolce syrup you can duplicate the more expensive caramel apple spice drink for a dollar less. You can’t order caramel drizzle on the app but you can order it in-store.
- Coffee Traveler – for $20 you can get 96 ounces of Starbucks brewed coffee with 8-ounce cups to get 12 8-ounce servings of coffee for $1.50 a cup compared to the regular price of $2.85. It comes in a portable container making it easy to serve multiple cups of coffee.
- Hot tea – Starbucks uses Teavana for their tea blends and the price of their hot tea is extremely affordable compared to drinks such as the latte.
- Honey Citrus Mint Tea – consisting of steeped tea, hot lemonade, and honey, it’s a little more expensive than the standard hot tea but still one of the more affordable drinks.
- Iced tea – a dollar cheaper than iced coffee, Starbucks also gives you complimentary refills on their iced tea.
- Steamed milk – you can order this in a kid’s size that is served at lower temperatures or order for yourself and customize it with whipped cream and flavoring to get a hacked version of the standard Vanilla Crème for less money.
- Honey Almondmilk Flat White – similar to a latte, the flat white has a ristretto shot and whole milk but the Honey Almondmilk version is made with almond milk and a honey sweetener which is great for those who can’t drink dairy products.
- Blended Strawberry Lemonade – this drink is a dollar less than the Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino and can be customized by adding syrups or toppings.
- Lemonade – Starbucks iced lemonade is best ordered in a Venti or Trenta size because of the ice-to-liquid proportions and can be customized with flavors of your choice for a better value than the Refresher lemonade.
- Cinnamon Dolce Latte – a Grande Cinnamon Dolce Latte goes for $5.65 and if you want it iced it’s only 10 cents more. It’s a better deal than the standard latte with added cinnamon dolce syrup, whipped cream and cinnamon dolce topping so you’re getting a deal on this drink.
Source: TastingTable