If you are a regular at Starbucks, you have probably encountered the ‘Venti’ option on the menu. Venti is twenty in Italian. The founder of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, visited Italy and fell in love with the Italians’ coffeehouse culture. He brought a bit of the culture with him when he traveled back to America. He changed the menu by adding a few Italian terminologies, hence the Venti and other confusing Starbucks coffee sizes.
You must be wondering how large and how many shots of espresso are in a Venti. The Venti has 20 fluid ounces and two shots of espresso. The number of espresso shots varies between hot and cold Venti drinks. A Venti iced coffee drink has an extra shot of Starbucks espresso than a Venti hot coffee drink. In this article, we delve deeper into the meaning of a Venti and the amount of espresso in a hot or cold Venti drink so you can see if it is a worthy buy.
Starbucks coffee sizes are a tad confusing because the coffeehouse does not use regular sizes. It all began after the founder, Howard Shultz, visited Italy and remodeled the menu by including Italian terms like Grande, Macchiato, Latte and Venti. In the ’90s, when the Starbucks franchise was expanding, the coffee sizes were Short, Tall, and Grande. Here is a quick rundown of Starbucks’ coffee sizes:
A Venti hot is a different size from a Venti cold. A Venti hot is 20 fluid ounces while a Venti cold is 24 fluid ounces. Venti hot drinks, except the Americano, have two shots of espresso, just like the Grande. Extra milk and syrup make up the extra volume in a Venti hot.
Venti cold drinks have three shots of espresso for milk-based drinks and four shots for a shaken espresso. An article by Business Insider has a former Starbucks barista advising coffee lovers that a Venti iced drink is the best way to get the most coffee from Starbucks.
The number of espresso shots in a Venti drink at Starbucks depends on the type of Venti drink you choose and can range between two and four shots. Here are different Venti drinks at Starbucks and the number of espresso shots offered.
The Americano is purely espresso. The Grande Americano is made with two shots of espresso, yet it is smaller than the Venti Americano. Since water is increased from 473 ml to 591 ml to make the Venti, it only makes sense that an extra shot of espresso is added to compensate. Therefore, a Venti Americano contains three shots of espresso.
All Venti iced drinks at Starbucks have three shots of espresso. However, the Venti iced Americano contains four shots of espresso. You can always ask the barista to give you two shots or add a fourth shot to suit your taste preference for the iced Americano.
Also, if you find the drink too bland, you can lighten it up with a splash of coconut milk or white chocolate mocha sauce.
Shaken Espresso is a frothy and light coffee made without frothing the milk. Freshly brewed espresso is shaken with ice and syrup just like you would shake a cocktail. Starbucks uses four shots of espresso in the Venti Shaken Espresso.
Just like most Venti hot drinks, a Venti Latte contains two shots of espresso at Starbucks. If your priority is to get the most caffeine from a Latte at Starbucks, you will get the most value for your money from the Grande Latte as it also contains two shots of espresso. If quantity comes first for you, then the Venti Latte would do.
A Venti Iced Latte contains three shots of espresso, like many other Venti iced coffee drinks at Starbucks. Therefore, if you are most concerned about getting a java buzz, the Venti Iced Latte is a better choice than the Venti Latte.
A Venti Hot Macchiato contains two shots of espresso. The drink has 150 mg of caffeine which is pretty similar to the Grande Macchiato. In terms of caffeine content, the Grande Macchiato offers better value for money.
Just like the Venti Hot Macchiato, the Caramel Macchiato contains two espresso shots. The Caramel Macchiato, unlike the Espresso Macchiato is more than just espresso with a hint of milk. It is made with vanilla syrup, more milk, and a thick, sweet caramel topping. It looks like a Latte more than a Macchiato.
An iced Venti Macchiato gets you three shots of espresso. If it is iced Caramel Macchiato, you also get an extra pump of vanilla syrup for maximum sweetness. You can enhance your Caramel Macchiato in various ways, including swapping the vanilla pump with a toffee nut syrup or raspberry syrup. Also, instead of dairy milk, you can use coconut milk.
Many people confuse cold brew with iced or cold coffee. According to an article in the New York Times, Cooking, cold brew is simply made by steeping coarsely ground coffee for about 20 hours. Starbucks steeps coffee in cool water for a smooth, full-bodied flavor.
Cold brew does not contain espresso shots because its brewing process results in a whopping 205 mg of caffeine. Adding one or two shots of espresso would compromise its premium flavor. Plus, you would be infusing too much caffeine into your body.
Are you looking to make Starbucks-quality coffee from the comfort of your own home but have no idea where to begin? Well, you must first invest in the right equipment and high-quality coffee. Read our articles on the best super-automatic espresso machines and best coffee grinder for espresso for top-rated options with great value for money. As for coffee, our guideline on the strongest coffee in the world will help you choose the best quality for exceptional flavors and a wonderful burst of energy.
|
Coffee Drink |
Number of Espresso Shots |
|
Americano |
3 |
|
Iced Americano |
3 |
|
Shaken Espresso |
4 |
|
Latte |
2 |
|
Iced Latte |
3 |
|
Macchiato |
2 |
|
Caramel Macchiato |
2 |
|
Iced Macchiato |
3 |
| Cold Brew |
0 |
To get the amount of caffeine in a Venti, we must first deduce the amount of caffeine in an espresso shot at Starbucks. According to consumer reports, a shot of Starbucks espresso contains 75 mg of caffeine. Therefore, a Venti hot drink has 150 mg (2 x 75 mg) of caffeine. A Venti iced drink has 225 mg (3 x 75 mg) of caffeine. A Venti Americano, which contains four espresso shots has 300 mg of caffeine.
Pro tip: if you are looking for the ultimate caffeine boost, go for the Starbucks blonde roast veranda blend drink. It is the most potent Venti drink and contains 475 mg of caffeine.
Do you need a reusable Venti Starbucks coffee cup and have no idea where to get one? Check out the popular Starbucks Cold Cup Venti 24 oz. It is meant for cold beverages only, hence its 24-ounce size. For better value for money, consider the Starbucks 2 Pack Reusable Venti Frosted Cold Cup. It is a pack of two, yet cheaper. The two cups feature a green straw with a stopper and lid. Plus, they are easy to clean as you can throw them in the dishwasher.
A Venti is the ultimate Starbucks coffee size to get if you drink your coffee slowly while doing other tasks. If you down your coffee in one go, it may not be the best choice because it has extra calories, sugar, and an extra kick of caffeine. You can always ask the Barista to tweak your order by adding or reducing caffeine from your drink, especially if you are on a diet or watching your caffeine and calorie intake.
From our detailed review, it is pretty apparent that Venti iced drinks have more caffeine than the Venti hot drinks. This is because they are 4 ounces larger as well, so it only makes sense to up the amount of caffeine. Now, we hope you understand how many shots of espresso are in a Venti.
