Coffee shops keep getting more and more pricey as time goes on. You're not alone if you find yourself constantly taken aback by the total cost of your daily coffee runs.
However, there may be some modifications that are quickly racking up the total cost of your daily brews—like adding pumps of syrup! A pump of syrup at Starbucks costs $0.60 to $0.90. Note that this is a one-time fee for your drink, no matter how many pumps of syrup you request the barista to add.
So here you'll find which modifications may unknowingly blow your budget.
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Sauces Vs. Syrups: How Much Should I Expect To Pay?
The words sauce and syrup may seem interchangeable, but they mean something quite different in the coffee world.
Syrups at Starbucks are generally clear and are made up of sugar, water, and other flavorings. You can expect each syrup at Starbucks—regardless of the flavor—to be about 20 calories. However, sauces vary depending on what specific flavor you decide to add.
But what about the cost? This is where it can get a little bit more complicated.
The cost of additional pumps of syrup has changed throughout the years and likely will continue to change periodically. The cost of a pump of syrup at Starbucks will vary depending on your location and what drink you’re ordering.
In general, additional pumps of syrup will cost about .60-.90 cents per drink. Additional pumps of sauces should be the same price as your syrups.
When are Extra Pumps Of Syrup Free?
There are some factors to take into consideration when you’re pricing out your Starbucks drink. First, you will only be charged once for adding additional flavors to your drink. This means adding 1 pump of vanilla syrup to your drink will cost you the same as adding 10 pumps of syrup.
However, one big thing to note is that you won’t be charged an additional fee for adding more pumps if your drink already contains sauces and syrups. Drinks that contain sauces and syrups include frappuccinos, flavored lattes, iced coffee, iced teas, and more. This is because, for most handcrafted drinks, the syrup and sauce upcharge is already worked into the price.
How Can I Modify My Drink For Free?
There are always plenty of ways to ensure you’re still getting an enjoyable drink at Starbucks without accidentally racking your bill up to astronomical levels. First, adding splashes of milk to your drink is free of charge. This means any amount that is less than 4 ounces. This even includes steamed milk, so if you wanted to spruce up your hot brewed coffee with steamed milk, this would be entirely free.
Additionally, for a little sweetness, you can always add any powdered sweetener like raw sugar, plain sugar Splenda, or Sweet n’ Low for free.
What Drinks Will Syrup Cost Extra to Add?
The only drinks that will require any additional charge to add syrups and sauces are the ones that don’t already come with any. This will include drinks like hot brewed coffee, Americanos, Cappuccinos, Cold Brew, regular Lattes, and hot teas.
For instance, drinks like the Starbucks Iced Coffee come standard with pumps of classic syrup, an unflavored sweetener. This can be swapped out with any Starbucks syrup flavor at no additional cost. However, this also means that you will be charged for syrup regardless of whether or not you even want syrup added,
The opposite is true for Cold Brew, though. While Cold Brew and Iced Coffee are close cousins, Cold Brew doesn’t come standard with any sauces or syrups added. This means you must pay a little extra to sweeten it.
What Other Modifications Cost Extra?
Syrups are not the only thing that could be causing your Starbucks coffee bill to soar! Other modifications include using alternative milk like almond, coconut, oat, or soy milk. These could cost you about 70-80 cents to swap out for regular cow's milk.
Adding toppings like mocha drizzle and caramel drizzle could also cost you 60-80 cents extra. Adding other components like cold foam could cost you a dollar or more!
This means you could easily be paying $2-$3 additional dollars past the original cost of the drink—just from simple modifications.
Final Thoughts
Enjoying a craft coffee beverage from a coffee shop like Starbucks is a treat! There are millions of different combinations of drinks you can try and an ever-changing menu of items to modify.
Accidentally racking up your coffee bill is easy, so ensuring you have a general grasp of how much your drink modifications will cost beforehand is always worthwhile. Coffee never tastes quite as good when you’re plagued with buyer's remorse.
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