Order Education

Coffee? Espresso? Refresher? Frappuccino? Whats the difference and how do I order the drink of my dreams?

Imagine this, you're three people away from the front of the line. You've had ten minutes to figure out what you wanted. The menu looks like it's written in a different language. Mocha what? Grande who? You start sweating because it's almost your turn to confidently tell the barista your well rehearsed order. You start second guessing yourself after hearing the people in front of you customize every box. The time is now, the barista asks what they can make for you today. You look around to see who all is watching and judging based on the complexity of your Starbucks order. If you don't customized enough, everyone might think your knowledge of coffee is minute. If you customized to much, you just look needy. The barista politely asks again for your order.

"I'll take a small coffee."

You don't even know the correct sizes. You reluctantly take your *Tall* coffee, even though it tastes nothing like the almond milk, 2 pump mocha, blonde espresso, caramel macchiato your friend shared with you last week.

If you've had an experience like this at your local coffee shop recently, then you're experiencing Order Anxiety. This is an extremely common thing that I as a barista witness in my wonderful, yet stressed out, customers everyday. Walking into a Starbucks or your local coffee shop should be a stress free, exciting time. The art of ordering and customizing should be the fun part of your day.

Thats why my blog, is going to give all you stressed out orderers an Order Education.

My name is Madeline Shook and I've been a barista for the last four years. I've worked at 3 different coffee shops and enjoy all types of coffee and espresso more than most. When I was a freshman in college I began my barista journey. I needed a job and crafting caffeinated beverages seemed appealing. Since being a college student means that coffee is considered one of the major food groups, I felt qualified.

I was not.

Training at a Starbucks to become a barista was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I knew the difference between espresso and coffee. That was it. The depth of knowledge that must be acquired to become a certified barista is far more intense than anything I could have imagined. The combinations of syrups and espresso to milk ratio is a chemistry class in itself.

I instantly realized the numerous amount of Starbucks order errors I've been making for years. I felt like an incompetent fool. After my 40 hours of training I felt relief. I know understood the difference between a caramel macchiato and a caramel latte. The menu board had finally been translated to comprehendible words.

That feeling of relief I had was the gained confidence in my coffee knowledge. I could now go and order as I pleased without that line waiting anxiety. This feeling is something I want my loyal caffeine followers to have. I want to give you the coffee confidence to order that over customized (a tad bit pricey) drink of your dreams.

I'll be referring to myself by my barista persona, Siren. For those of you unfamiliar with the Starbucks logo, the girl on the cup is a siren. They are Greek mythological creatures depicted as women who were dangerously beautiful and lured sailors to their death. At Starbucks, they lure tired people to the source of their daily energy.

Check back next week to learn the difference between the source of most Starbucks ordering confusion: Espresso vs Coffee.

Sincerely, Siren