grande

It always amuses me when I go to Starbucks with people and they order tall drinks. For those of you who live under a rock, “tall” is actually small, “grande” medium, and “venti” large. Sure, when you order a tall, you don’t have to risk mispronouncing “grande” or “venti,” but with what it costs for a drink at Starbucks, it seems hardly worth it to me. Talls, are, well, too small, and you only get one shot of espresso!

Ventis, on the other hand, are absurdly large. I suppose if I were going on a road trip overnight or something I might get one on the way out. I find holding the large cup a little awkward, too. When someone orders a venti drink I know they are a serious addict, unlike the mild addict which I am.

Finally, we have the grande, which I can say is just right (while channeling Goldilocks). It’s two shots of espresso, a perfectly-sized cup and amount of beverage, and usually only twenty or thirty cents more than the tall. Just right.

About Maura

Maura likes cooking and various nerdery and lives in Atlanta, GA. more →
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10 Responses to grande

  1. Roberlan says:

    In portuguese… “grande” is “big”. :)
    Hey, this comment form is very cool…
    :)

  2. Eric says:

    An even bigger ripoff is getting the normally hot drinks as iced drinks. A few months ago, I got a caramel macchiato as an iced drink (pretty sure that’s what it was…). The iced drink cup isn’t much bigger than the hot drink cup, and all of that ice (and they put in a lot of it…) displaces a lot of the coffee. Hence, ripoff.

    Full disclosure though, when I order my (hot) caramel macchiato, it’s normally a tall, because a grande would really get me wired.

    (and did you change some javascript or something in this form to make things “highlight”?)

  3. Reen says:

    I was a Starbucks employee and at my store, tall drinks were rarely ordered. Also, the majority of the hot venti drinks also come with two espresso shots. What you’re paying extra for is the milk.

    Eric? For the cold drinks, the actual liquid part never really goes pass the second green line on the cold cup. So half the drink really is ice — if it’s made correctly that is.

  4. alexis says:

    i never know how to order. i say everything different everytime.

    anytime i say things like “grande” and “cafe’” how they’re pronounced in spanish, my friend tells me that i’m saying it all wrong.

    i’m so confused. :(

  5. Eric says:

    Reen — I have a feeling they’re making it perfectly right, then.

  6. Erika says:

    mmmm. Grande Cafe Mocha/Caramel Skinny. mmmm. Let’s leave time for a Starbucks run after Lenny’s, k?

    When in doubt on pronouncing the sizes…most Starbucks employees will respond to requests for small/medium/large.

  7. winn says:

    all i can say is…..

    never go into a “real” coffee shop and order something by it’s starbucks name.

    you will be laughed at, ridiculed and possibly stoned.

    trust me.

  8. Denise says:

    I usually order tall drinks. [ here is me hanging my head in shame ] I know that grande is the best one, but sometimes I know I won’t be able to finish a grande and those thirty cents for the extra coffee will go to waste.

    mmmmmmm, now i want to go to starbucks.

  9. Kayleigh says:

    i have a starbucks in my building and i never go to it.

    coffee just doesn’t seem that exciting to me.

  10. david says:

    i gotta go with Kayleigh… usually i just have water or juice in the mornings. Maybe a Mountain Dew if i need a rush…