Never Order Anything On Starbucks' Menu With Extra Hot Water. Here's Why

Order a Starbucks Caramel or Espresso Macchiato in person and you can request your barista to make it warm, steamed, or extra hot. You can even do the same on the Starbucks app by selecting your preferred temperature under the customization section. However, while this works if you're ordering something that features milk or non-dairy milk, it isn't worth doing if you're ordering anything on the Starbucks menu that requires hot water, such as oatmeal (winner of Tasting Table's best Starbucks item for vegan foodies), Americanos, or tea. 

This is because the baristas have no control over the temperature of the water. According to a Starbucks barista's post on Reddit, the water used to make hot drinks comes out of the spouts and brewers at a fixed temperature that the staff cannot alter. This means that even if you kindly request that your cup of tea be made extra hot, the barista won't be able to oblige. However, they can make other beverages, such as lattes and cappuccinos, extra hot because they can steam the milk portion of those drinks. 

It should be noted, though, that heating milk too far past the standard steaming temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit alters the protein structures and destroys its texture and flavor. Indeed, a Reddit user who claims to be a Starbucks Coffee Master confirms that "anything with milk we can make hotter, there's literally no way for us to make hot water drinks any hotter as they're already hotter than we're allowed to steam." Other liquids, like lemonade and apple juice, can also be served extra hot because they are heated via steaming.

One work around if you want your Starbucks oatmeal to be as hot as possible is to ask your barista to sub some of the water for extra hot milk. While this will change the consistency and calorie content of your breakfast, you'll be gifted with a cozier and richer tub of oats. You could also consider upgrading your Starbucks oatmeal with fruity inclusions, such as freeze-dried strawberries and dried blueberries, to add extra flavor and textural interest. Some might say that requesting a coffee extra hot seems pointless when Starbucks has plans to serve brewed coffee within 30 seconds of ordering (or within four minutes for more complex beverages); surely that first sip should be hot enough when the java is freshly prepared and served at speed? 

However, some Starbucks customers prefer their drinks to be extra hot if they're planning on savoring their coffee over a long period of time. That way, their beverage is still warm after they've finished chatting with friends. Ordering an extra hot drink is also a useful move if the weather is particularly cold — a latte is likely to cool down at a faster rate if made with warm or steamed milk rather than extra hot. Moreover, if you're someone who orders ahead and collects your Starbucks en route to work, you may want it to be made extra hot as an insurance policy in case you hit traffic.