What Your Coffee Order Says About You According To A Former Starbucks Employee
You either take your coffee seriously or you don't.
Dean Drobot | Shutterstock When you grab your morning coffee before work, desperate to get some caffeine into your system, you're likely unaware of how telling your order is.
To people in the know, your preferred coffee can reveal a whole lot about your personality.
Here's what your coffee order says about you, according to a former Starbucks employee:
According to Christian Medrano, a former Starbucks barista who worked for the chain for four years, the coffee you ask for reveals both what kind of person you are and your familiarity with the caffeinated beverage.
Caramel Macchiato: You’ve never drank ‘real’ coffee in your life
According to Medrano, caramel macchiatos are sweet drinks that have little coffee in them and are mostly composed of milk and sugar. Customers who go for caramel macchiatos are likely not huge fans of coffee and prefer to have just a hint of the taste.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love caramel macchiatos; those were one of my go-to's when I was barely starting to drink coffee,” Medrano admitted. “But I mean, it’s pretty sweet, it’s pretty sugary, and you really can’t taste any coffee.”
Vanilla Latte: You like to play it safe with your coffee order
If you order a vanilla latte, Medrano suggested that you likely just skimmed over the menu and decided to go with the most basic coffee order.
“You just felt that vanilla was pretty safe,” he said. “I don’t blame you.”
When deciding on a coffee flavor, you can’t go wrong with vanilla. It’s simple, perfect for picky people, and just the right amount of sweet.
Black Coffee: You like to needlessly torture yourself.
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No Splenda, no creamer, no milk — just straight-up coffee and maybe some ice. Your coffee order can’t get more bitter than that, and some people, including Medrano, are unable to understand how those who get black coffee are even able to enjoy the taste.
“You were probably just on your way to work in the drive-thru,” he theorized about those who order black coffee, admitting that he's “a little bit scared” of them.
It's more likely, however, that it's genetic. Researchers out of Northwestern found that people with the black coffee gene variant metabolize caffeine faster than their milk and sugar counterparts, and it also makes them more likely to choose dark chocolate over milk.
Frappuccino: You don’t like coffee but get it just to say you got ‘coffee’
If you’ve ever had a Frappuccino, you presumably felt as if you were drinking a milkshake. And in hindsight, it is probably closer to a milkshake than it is to coffee.
“You’re most likely in high school and you decided to go to Starbucks just to say you went to Starbucks,” he said. “You probably got dragged to Starbucks by your friend, girlfriend, or something.”
Matcha Latte: You also don’t like coffee but order this for the aesthetic
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Matcha lattes do make for a cute photo, but they are not exactly coffee.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love Matcha, but the people who usually order Matcha just order Matcha to say that they ordered Matcha,” Medrano said.
Matcha is made up of green tea leaves and will be a healthier (and a prettier option) than Frappuccinos for those who don't like the taste of coffee.
Hot tea: You are a calm person
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Not just a calm person, but, according to Medrano, "you're probably the most calm person I've ever met in my life."
Macchiato: You are serious about your coffee.
“From my entire experience in working in coffee, these were the people that took their coffee so seriously,” Medrano said. “And they believed they knew way more than the barista anyway. They would ask these questions that they felt like they already knew the answers to.”
In Medrano’s experience, customers who order macchiatos know what they want when they want and don’t settle for anything less. However, if they are so particular about their coffee, they may want to invest in an espresso machine to make it just the way they like it!
Obviously, Medrano’s opinions are just his own observations as a barista. Your coffee order does not define who you are as a person.
You could love the taste of coffee, but order a Frappuccino to treat yourself on a rough day. You may prefer tea, but sometimes may grab a macchiato when you have a busy day ahead and need a caffeine boost.
However, all of us coffee drinkers can agree that anyone who goes for caffeine has good taste!
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.