What It Means To Order A Splash Of Milk Or Cream At Starbucks, According To Reddit

What exactly classifies as a "splash" of cream? That's the age-old question — and, like many of life's pressing questions, your answer is only a Reddit thread away. At least, that's the case with your Starbucks coffee, where baristas have been chiming in on the matter for years. But, the truth is, there's no exact answer. As one Starbucks employee explained on a Reddit thread, "Sweet cream/dairy/non-dairy additions in general are free-poured in drinks that aren't already milk based, so there's no way to really know how much you're going to get, and it'll almost definitely be a different amount every time." So, for the most part, however much your requested "splash" of cream constitutes depends on whoever is making your drink.

Even so, many baristas took the opportunity to disclose what they personally consider to be a "splash." In another Reddit thread, one Starbucks barista said, "My definition is a one-second pour." However, one second to someone could easily be considered two seconds to another. Another barista said in a separate Reddit thread, "For me, I do a quick pour and immediately flick my wrist back" while another in a different Reddit thread said, "We don't really have a standard for splash. Light is ¼ inch, which is most likely what they'll put through as your order when you say splash." Apparently, at Starbucks, many baristas consider a "light" pour to be ¼ inch of cream and an "extra" pour to be ¾ inch — but, still, that depends on what a ¼-inch pour looks like to them.

Obviously, Starbucks is far from the only coffee shop where you might experience some miscommunication surrounding how much a "splash" of coffee is. But the difference is that, at Starbucks, it won't be something you have to worry about for much longer. In fact, in October 2024, Starbucks announced that it'd be bringing back an iconic café feature: the condiment bar. After disappearing during the COVID-19 Pandemic it was brought back to stores in January 2025, stocked with everything from stirrers to sweeteners, plus a variety of cream and milk. While some baristas weren't looking forward to the change, many are happy that this coffee bar staple is back for the sole reason that they won't have to add the cream to your drinks for you anymore. 

Instead, you'll be able to do it all yourself. In another Reddit thread on the condiment bar's resurgence, one Starbucks employee said, "Cannot wait to stop ripping open five to 12 ... packets of sugar for people's coffee. Also for people to stop coming at us for pouring too much milk in their coffees ... So much time and resources saved by this." Until then, the best thing you can do is remember to ask for your cream or alternative milk on the side of your cold brew or iced coffee drink, this way you can just pour it into your coffee yourself and save the barista's time.