How to Order Decaf Coffee at Starbucks in 3 Easy Steps

Clearly:

Decaffeinated coffee drinks are less popular at Starbucks as customers always seem to opt for more caffeine. Yet, Starbucks has an impressive lineup of decaf coffee options on their menu.

This leaves you the option of enjoying your coffee with or without caffeine.

However:

You may be unsure of your options as the Starbucks menu is not always complete.

Also:

You may not be familiar with the decaf coffee ordering process at Starbucks.

As a result:

Your order may be chaotic, thus creating unnecessary hassle for yourself and your barista.

So:

How do you order your decaf coffee at Starbucks?

Well:

Before delving into that, it is important to understand the meaning of decaf coffee.

A decaffeinated coffee is one in which the active ingredient, coffee, has been significantly reduced.

In essence:

Decaf coffee is not entirely caffeine-free. It contains caffeine, but in a small amount, as it is always present in the coffee beans.

The table below compares the amount of caffeine in both decaf and caffeinated Starbucks-brewed Pike Place Roast.

Pike Place	Decaf	Caffeinated
Short (8 ounces)	15 mg	155 mg
Tall (12 ounces)	20 mg	235 mg
Grande (16 ounces)	25 mg	310 mg
Venti (20 ounces)	30 mg	410 mg

Having noted this detail:

I’ll now take you through how to order decaf coffee at Starbucks in three steps.

Step 1: Choose Your Cup Size

Also shown in the above table are the cup sizes at Starbucks (short, tall, grande, and venti).

Basically:

The cup size is the first thing you order when you walk into a Starbucks shop. Know the names of the different sizes so you can avoid going back and forth with your barista.

Step 2: Choose Your Flavor

After selecting your preferred cup size, proceed to choose the flavor of decaf coffee you want. You should know the add-ons (if any) to add to your decaf coffee.

Customization is perhaps the most important thing when ordering your decaf, or even caffeinated coffee. This is because using the wrong add-ons can ruin the drink entirely.

If you’re trying to cut your sugar intake, consider opting for flavors like vanilla or caramel that have no sugar element.

Remember:

Baristas are coffee experts. So, you can always ask them to help you if you’re unsure about the flavor you want.

The following are the decaf coffee options at Starbucks:

All Espresso Drinks

In every Starbucks outlet you visit, there is always an espresso machine hopper that contains decaf espresso beans.

It gets even better:

The decaf espresso beans contained in the hopper is actually a Decaf Espresso Roast with molasses and caramelized sugar.

Therefore:

Every espresso drink at Starbucks can be made with decaf espresso beans.

In other words:

Coffee drinks such as macchiato, mocha, latte, flat white, americano, and cappuccino all have their decaf variants.

Iced Decaf Coffee

Some flavors of Starbucks’ iced coffee, like the Cold Brew and Iced Coffee line of drinks, don’t have decaf options.

However:

There are other iced caffeinated coffee drinks to choose from, such as:

• Iced Espresso (decaf)
• Iced Americano (decaf)
• Iced Shaken Espresso (decaf)

Brewed Coffee

This is another interesting decaf option that is cheap, easy to order and always available. Starbucks’ brewed coffee has the following flavors:

• Cold Brew
• Cold Brew Latte
• Freshly Brewed Coffee

Clover Brewed Coffee

The clover brewed coffee is the kind of coffee made with the clover coffee maker. It is a costly machine, working like a reverse french press.

So:

You may not find it in all Starbucks outlets.

The machine has a filter that dispenses different flavors of oil into the pot of coffee.

Once the pot containing the grounds is in the clover, it is filled with hot water. The barista stirs it continuously to allow the hot water to completely cover the grounds.

When the barista stops stirring, the grounds are lowered, and the machine filters them out with its metal filter. The coffee is then poured into a pitcher before being transferred to a cup.

Factually:

Coffee quality is better when prepared with the clover coffee maker; thus, it is more expensive.

However:

It is not just the quality that makes this coffee more expensive. You also get a bit of an experience watching the barista make your coffee with the fancy-looking machine.

No wonder:

A lot of people say the clover brewed coffee is the best coffee they’ve ever had.

So:

If you’re lucky enough to find a Starbucks shop with the machine, you have the following decaf coffee options.

• Espresso Roast
• Pike Place
• Sumatra

Pour-Over

Pour-over is a single cup of hot coffee that is manually brewed. It can be made with any roast, including decaf roast. To make it, your barista pours hot water over the coffee grounds in a circular pattern. After that, the coffee is poured into the cup using a filter.

Typically:

It takes 3 to 4 minutes to make a pour-over coffee.

Decaf Frappuccinos

Making up the list is this Starbucks specialty. Starbucks has two types of frappuccinos—Creme Frappuccinos and Coffee Frappuccinos.

The base ingredient in the former is Creme Frappuccino Syrup while the latter is Coffee Frappuccino Syrup.

So:

If you want a taste of coffee without caffeine, ask your barista for a decaf Frappuccino. You’ll get a coffee Frappuccino syrup which you can replace with decaf espresso shots.

Step 3: Choose Your Drink

So:

After selecting your preferred cup size and flavor, you go on to choose the drink you want.

The following are examples of what your decaf coffee order should sound like:

“Can I have an iced Americano Decaf with vanilla and sweet cream?”

“Can I have a Decaf Frappuccinos with 2 shots of decaf espresso?”

 

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Ordering Decaf Coffee at Starbucks

Syrup Overload

Flavored syrup is a great way of adding taste to your decaf coffee. However, you must be careful so that you don’t overdo it and make your decaf coffee undrinkable.

Typically:

In a tall latte at Starbucks, there are 3 pumps of syrup, 4 in grande and 5 in venti. Consider sticking to this rule of thumb.

Adding too much Cream

Virtually everyone loves adding the half-and-half swirls into their decaf coffee. Yet, It is easy to overload your decaf coffee with it while you’re lost in the pretty shapes it creates.

To ensure that your coffee doesn’t taste like a milky disappointment, keep the cream moderate.

Conclusion

We’ve learned the following facts so far:

• Decaffeinated coffee is less popular than caffeine coffee.
• Starbucks has a wide range of decaf coffee options.
• Decaf coffee is not completely caffeine-free. It contains a small amount of caffeine.
• You can customize your decaf coffee with your favorite flavors.
• Every espresso drink at Starbucks is available in their decaf form.
• The clover coffee maker is not available in all Starbucks outlets.

Having learned all these:

If you have further inquiries or contributions about Starbucks decaf coffee, please leave a comment below.

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