The Clever Reason To Order The Next Size Up For Your Starbucks Drink

Starbucks is known for its unique cup size names, but whether you're ordering a tall, grande, or venti, you still have a little room to play around with the size of your drink. In fact, Starbucks is an ideal place to completely customize your order, as evidenced by a whole secret menu full of creative beverages. But the drink ingredients aren't the only element you can adjust.

When you order through the app or website, you can select a choice from the "cup options" dropdown, no matter what size drink you originally chose and you can ask for this in-store too. For example, when getting a grande cold brew coffee, you can choose to have it poured into a tall, grande, or venti cup. Of course, your barista may be a little confused if you choose to get a grande in a tall cup, but there are a few good reasons why you may want to order it this way. 

The next time you make a trip to Starbucks for your morning java, try ordering your drink in the next size up. Why? Unless you're getting black coffee, your beverage likely will come with a little cream or milk. You could order your drink asking for extra room, but that just means that the barista will leave a little coffee out so they don't overflow the cup when adding in the creamy element. Ordering a venti, when you really want a grande, gives you the most bang for your buck — you'll get a grande-sized amount of coffee, with some extra room to add in the milk or cream yourself.

Even if you just want a straight black coffee, it's still a strategic move to get a bigger size cup. Since most lids now come with little holes for drinking out of, instead of the former ones with straw holes, it's easier to spill your drink when you're driving or running around. A bigger cup gives you a little extra wiggle room here, which is especially valuable if you're ordering in a drive-thru.

And if you love an ice-filled beverage, you could order your drink with extra ice, but once again, you're taking away from your coffee content here. To get as much java as possible while leaving room for ice or milk, try ordering a larger-sized cup.