Frequently Asked Questions

Cold brew coffee is a smooth and refreshing beverage to savor year-round. Learn how to create your own at home with a coffee press or even a mason jar. ​

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There are so many ways to make a delicious, café-quality cup of Starbucks^® coffee at home. Discover your own preferred brewing method or upgrade your cup with an array of flavorful recipes. ​

A typical cup of decaf coffee has about 2 milligrams of caffeine, in comparison to a regular cup of coffee that contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine. Learn more about how decaf coffee is made.

Easy, delicious and fluffy. A Dalgona, also known as whipped coffee, is an exciting yet simple way to elevate your everyday cup. Create your own by visiting Starbucks^® Dalgona Whipped Coffee, or add a seasonal spin with a Pumpkin Whipped Cold Brew at home.

There are two different types of coffee trees: arabica and robusta. Starbucks roasts only arabica coffee beans ​to create our entire roast spectrum. This includes the smooth and flavorful Starbucks^® Blonde Roast, the well-rounded and smooth medium roasts, and the rich and bold dark roasts. Find the roast that's right for you by taking our Coffee Finder Quiz. ​

A Caffè Latte, more informally known as a latte, is made of one part espresso, two parts steamed milk and a dollop of milk foam on top. Create your own Caffè Latte at home or make it iced with our Iced Latte recipe. Want to take your coffee knowledge even further? Explore The Heart of Starbucks^® Crafted Coffee to learn more about delicious coffee drinks, from foundational espressos to café-inspired macchiatos. 

The coffee press is a great brewing method that allows you to achieve a delicious, full-bodied cup at home with ease. Access step-by-step coffee press instructions by visiting our How to Brew with a Coffee Press page. ​

Starbucks has three main espresso roasts you can brew at home: the café-brewed Espresso Roast and Espresso Decaf with notes of molasses and caramelized sugar, and the Blonde Espresso Roast, which is soft and balanced. Explore how to make café-inspired espresso drinks anytime, with recipes like the dreamy White Chocolate Mocha or the smooth Blonde Vanilla Latte. For information on specific café favorites, please visit the Starbucks café menu. 

Smooth, buttery and always delicious, a drizzle of caramel sauce is a great way to elevate your everyday cup. With Starbucks^® coffee recipes, you can create all your café-inspired favorites at home, including the caramel sauce featured in our Caramel Macchiato. 

The cornerstone of our approach is Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices, which is a comprehensive coffee-buying program that ensures coffee quality while promoting social, economic and environmental standards. We buy from more than 400,000 farms in more than 30 countries while also sourcing 100% arabica coffee beans that adhere to the standards of C.A.F.E. Practices. Learn more about our approach to ethical sourcing, and how we promote responsible purchasing practices, farmer support efforts, social responsibility standards for suppliers and environmental programs.​

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It's a common misconception that coffee beans or grounds keep better in the freezer or refrigerator. This actually reduces the freshness and can dilute the flavor because the moisture condenses on the coffee itself. The best place for storage is ideally in an opaque, airtight container at room temperature and, if possible, away from sunlight and heat. Learn more about how to keep your coffee fresh. ​

The decaffeination process begins with green coffee beans after they are harvested. Once picked, there are three primary ways to create decaffeinated coffee: the Direct Contact Method, the SWISS WATER^® Process and the Natural Decaffeination Process. In each of these methods, the green coffee beans are soaked in warm water, making the caffeine more easily removeable while preserving the flavor within the bean. From there, the caffeine is extracted or dissolves before the beans are roasted to bring out the aroma, acidity, body and flavor. Learn more about your favorite Starbucks^® decaf coffees and the decaffeination process.

First start at puncture, peel lid and dispose. Then empty the grounds and dispose or compost them. Lastly, check locally* and recycle the empty cup. Recycling information can also be found on any of your favorite Starbucks^® K-Cup^® pods product pages. Visit the Keurig^® recyclability page for more information on how to recycle K-Cup^® pods. ​

*Not recycled in many communities

Yes! Our whole bean, ground and K-Cup^® pod packaging has a new look, but the Starbucks^® coffee you know and love hasn't changed. 

First, call Nespresso^® customer service at 877-964-6290 to receive a recycling bag. Next, bring used capsules to a Nespresso^® Boutique, collection point, waste collection center or partner store. Or, you can mail them out in a Nespresso^® recycling bag. More questions on recycling? Learn more by visiting the Nespresso^® FAQ page. 

No, K-Cup^® pods are not compatible with any Nespresso^® Machines. You must use Nespresso^® compatible capsules when using a Nespresso^® machine. Explore which Starbucks^® coffee by Nespresso^® is your perfect fit with Starbucks^® by Nespresso^® for Vertuo or Starbucks^® by Nespresso^® Original Line. 

Check your Starbucks^® coffee K-Cup^® pod or packaging for the most reliable expiration date for your coffee. 

If you're looking for your favorite Starbucks^® coffees and espresso capsules for Nespresso^® Vertuo, you can explore our line of delicious Starbucks^® coffees by Nespresso^® for Vertuo that are compatible with Vertuo machines. We also have a delicious array of compatible authentic Starbucks^® espresso capsules for Nespresso^® Original Line Machines to choose from. 

No. We discontinued our Starbucks^® Naturally Flavored Syrups in 2022, but you can still add those classic tastes along with a touch of sweetness to your cup. Our recipes are easy to make and are full of bold flavor.

Use our store locator to find where to purchase your favorite Starbucks^® coffees and other products in-person or online. 

While we do not have a coffee supply shortage, some items might be out of stock due to national supply chain issues that vary by market and store, with some stores experiencing outages of various items at the same time. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working quickly and closely with our supply chain vendors to restock items as soon as possible.

Use our store locator to find where to purchase your favorite Starbucks^® coffee by Nespresso^® for Vertuo capsules in-person or online.

For information about ingredients and nutrition in our café creations, please refer to our café menus. You can also learn to create some of your favorite café-inspired beverages at home by visiting our recipe page.

For packaged foods and beverages, allergen information can be found on the product label. 

In 2018, Starbucks Corporation and Nestlé S.A. joined forces to grow the global reach of Starbucks packaged products outside of Starbucks retail cafes leveraging Nestle’s sales and distribution infrastructure and Starbucks brand and coffee expertise. Nestlé is an authorized distributor of Starbucks^® packaged coffee and other products for at home use and operates this website as a licensee of Starbucks.  Accordingly, Nestlé’s privacy policy and terms of use govern use of the Site.

There are a comprehensive set of social, economic, environmental and quality guidelines that evaluate how coffee should be ethically sourced. That’s why in 2004, Starbucks developed Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices in collaboration with Conservation International to evaluate and uphold the ethical sourcing practices. This verification program has helped Starbucks create a long-term supply of high-quality coffee sourced through sustainable agricultural practices and promoting social responsibility within the regions it’s produced. Learn more about sustainable coffee farms and how Starbucks is working toward a more sustainable future. 

The cornerstone of Starbucks ethical sourcing approach to buying coffee is Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices. Developed in collaboration with Conservation International, C.A.F.E. Practices is a verification program that measures farms against economic, social and environmental criteria, all designed to promote transparent, profitable and sustainable coffee growing practices while also protecting the well-being of coffee farmers and workers, their families and their communities. Learn more about C.A.F.E. Practices and Starbucks dedication to quality sourcing.

Starbucks Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices are the backbone of how Starbucks approaches ethical sourcing and high-quality coffee. Discover how C.A.F.E. Practices are used, from safe farming environments to water and energy conservation. 

Starbucks^® coffee is ethically sourced as verified through Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices. The program promotes sustainable agricultural practices including measures to protect water quality, improve soil health, preserve biodiversity, reduce agrochemical use, and conserve water and energy. Learn more about sustainable coffee farms and how Starbucks is working toward a better future for quality coffee. 

We are committed to sourcing coffee responsibly, for the betterment of both people and the planet. Starbucks^® coffee has been verified as nearly 95% ethically sourced. While we are constantly striving for 100%, it is that last gap where some of our most important work happens – bringing on new farmers and cooperatives to help ensure the long-term future of coffee. Learn more about sustainable coffee farms and our dedication to ethical, high-quality coffee beans. 

In addition to our ethical sourcing program for purchasing coffee, we are focused on providing holistic support to farmers and their communities to ensure a sustainable future of coffee for all. We have invested more than $150 million to date to increase the prosperity and resilience of the farmers and workers who grow coffee around the world by investing in coffee communities, sharing technical coffee knowledge and innovating with new agricultural approaches. Learn more about how we approach sourcing and how that supports the future of high-quality coffee.