What Methods Does Starbucks Use for Coffee Brewing?

Starbucks keeps output consistent across stores by relying on a small set of standardized methods. Four processes cover most of the menu: fully automatic espresso machines, coffee drip machines, cold water immersion for cold brew, and hand-brewed filter cup coffee with paper. Each uses different grind size, water temperature, pressure, and time.

Espresso grinds beans very fine and pushes water at around 94 degrees Celsius through the bed under pressure, producing a small, concentrated shot with roasted nut and caramel notes. Knowing how to make coffee in a machine comes down to matching grind, dose, and contact time to the method, so the same beans can taste rich or clean depending on the setup.

Starbucks stores around the world are able to maintain a relatively consistent standard of output, which is inseparable from the standardization of its coffee-making methods. At present, Starbucks store coffee products mainly rely on four production processes: fully automatic espresso machines, coffee drip machines, cold water immersion extraction, and filter cup with paper hand-brewing. Each method differs in grind size, water temperature control, extraction pressure, and time, and the final flavor also has different emphases. This article will sort through these four processes one by one, analyze their respective output characteristics, and at the same time recommend coffee categories worth trying based on Starbucks' menu structure. For coffee lovers who prefer a rich mouthfeel or pursue a refreshing flavor, understanding these production principles will help them more precisely find the cup that suits them.

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As a globally renowned chain coffee brand, Starbucks generally does not use overly complicated methods in coffee making in order to keep the output of stores in different places at a relatively consistent standard, and its operational steps also tend to rely on fully automated equipment. There are quite a few good-tasting Starbucks coffees, and here I recommend one cold brew coffee extracted by cold water immersion!

At present, Starbucks coffee beverage production can roughly be grouped into four types: made with fully automatic espresso machines, made with coffee drip machines, cold brew immersion extraction, and hand-brewed drip coffee using a filter cup with filter paper.

"Made with espresso machines"

Espresso is a coffee beverage with a very high concentration. When making it, coffee beans need to be ground into an extremely fine powder, and then, with the help of the coffee machine's pressurization function, hot water at about 94 degrees Celsius quickly passes through the coffee powder layer, finally producing a small amount but extremely concentrated coffee liquid.

The flavor of espresso often shows obvious roasted nut and caramel notes. Combined with its very high concentration, the intense mouthfeel may be hard for friends who are new to coffee to accept. Therefore, Starbucks has developed a variety of espresso-based coffee products that add different ingredients for dilution.

For example, adding an appropriate amount of water turns it into Americano, adding an appropriate amount of milk makes it a latte, and adding an appropriate amount of milk and dense milk foam makes it a cappuccino.

"Made with coffee drip machines"

A coffee drip machine is different from an espresso machine in that it does not have a pressurization function. The staff only need to grind the coffee beans to an appropriate degree of coarseness, then pour them into a designated container lined with filter paper. After pressing the extraction button, the machine injects hot water in a non-pressurized manner, and the coffee liquid filters through the filter paper and drips into the container below.

Coffee made with this kind of equipment is called coffee of the day, coffee of the week, or fresh drip coffee. However, this product has currently been discontinued in China, while it is still relatively common in Starbucks stores abroad.

"Coffee extracted by cold water immersion"

Generally speaking, coffee is extracted with hot water, but high temperatures can easily cause coffee to release too many bitter substances, so some people thought of soaking coffee in cold water and then refrigerating it for extraction. This is cold brew coffee.

The advantage of cold water extraction is that under low-temperature conditions, coffee's bitter substances are not easily released, while the sour and sweet flavors in the coffee can also be retained. The disadvantage is that extraction takes a long time, usually requiring 12 to 18 hours of soaking, but the finished coffee's mouthfeel is very full and clean, and the caffeine content is also higher, with a first-rate refreshing effect~

"Hand-brewed drip coffee"

For hand brewing, a filter cup needs to be lined with filter paper, and then hot water is poured using a special pouring kettle, causing the coffee powder on the filter paper to tumble. After the soluble flavor substances in it come into contact with the water, clean coffee liquid drips out through the filter paper. The biggest characteristic of hand-brewed coffee is that it is clean and balanced, and its concentration is also relatively suitable.

However, because the entire process relies on manual operation, the overall output is not as stable as espresso and cold brew coffee, but it is still worth everyone trying~

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.