The 'No-Ice' Hack Starbucks Employees Don't Want You To Know

Ever get an iced coffee drink from Starbucks only to find that it's much more ice than it is drink? Not only can that scoop of ice cubes in your cup make it feel like a total rip off, but in a matter of time, it only ends up watering down your drink, leaving you with a melted puddle of what you originally ordered. You could just order your drink with light ice, but still, that can be completely dependent on what the barista considers "light," nor does it do anything to keep it from melting. The only way is to go no ice — but Starbucks employees don't want you to know that. Plus, you might be wondering, without ice in your cup, how on Earth does your drink still come out cold? 

Well, some Starbucks customers have been asking for their drinks to be shaken with ice and strained, just like a cocktail. This way, the drink comes out cold and filled to the brim — without any of those pesky ice cubes. Only, some Starbucks employees on Reddit have been calling the hack a "pain in their apron," saying that it both uses up more product and noting that they don't always have the tools to do it. Rather than establishing yourself as one of the worst types of Starbucks customers by asking your barista to shake your drink with ice and then to remove said ice — something that might not be a big deal in retrospect, but certainly doesn't make their job any easier — consider opting for another iceless, yet still cold, option.

The real "no ice" hack at Starbucks is much more simple — plus, it's actually backed by Starbucks employees: Simply ask for no ice in your drink. It really is that easy, because most of the drink's ingredients are chilled already, including any concentrates and milks. This will work best with drinks like Cold Brew or Iced Chais, or any other drink that doesn't contain espresso, which is the one hot ingredient that will impact the temperature of your de-iced drinks. But there's also a way to get around that, and, again, it's probably much more simple than you're thinking. If you want a cold Iced Latte without the ice, order the ice on the side. 

Ordered this way, you'll get a cup with your de-iced drink filled to the brim, along with another cup full of ice. Then, you can add in the ice cubes individually, giving them less time to melt and dilute your drink. But honestly, if you prefer your drinks really cold, ordering your drink with "light ice" won't kill you. That is why ice was invented, after all. You will, however, always have more options at home. If you're really passionate about keeping your coffee drinks cold but not diluted, experiment with this ice cube trick that won't water down your iced coffee by making your own coffee, milk, or creamer-infused ice cubes at home. That way, when the ice does melt, it's only going to make your drink taste stronger. It's the best of both worlds.