How Many Coffees Is The Average Barista Expected to Make in 2023?

With summer now in full swing, lots of us are getting more adventurous with our coffee choices switching up our usual hot cup of joe for a more refreshing iced latte or cold brew instead.

Whatever the weather, coffee is a morning essential that most Americans can’t do without – in fact, almost 80% of Americans drink at least two cups of coffee per day while at home during the week.

For those of us who like to treat ourselves to a takeaway cup or two, the choice is now seemingly endless!  A key benefit of this variety is that it’s now easier than ever for those with food sensitivities to enjoy a cup of coffee on the go. The number of alternative milks, syrups and flavorings available can accommodate far more dietary restrictions.

So, exactly how many different coffees is our favorite barista expected to make in 2023? To find out, YorkTest pulled product data from all the possible coffee drink combinations at five of the biggest coffee shop chains in the country to determine just how many different variations there are.

We then analyzed the number of syrups/flavors, sweeteners, toppings and creamer/milk/dairy variations, and calculated the total variations at each chain, as well as an average number of variations per drink.

How many coffees do baristas need to make?

Amazingly, Starbucks has almost 500,000 possible variations of drinks, working out at an average of over 3,500 potential options per drink for baristas to make. That’s a lot of mochas and lattes!

The coffee giant offers up to 12 different syrups, and 10 different creamers/milks, creating a much wider range of variation options per drink than the other four chains combined.

Peet’s Coffee was the next coffee chain on the list, with the Californian specialty roaster offering an average of 118 variations per drink. While Biggby Coffee baristas could be tasked with making just over 1,500 coffee drinks with an average of 11 variations per drink.

Kerri Ferraioli, expert nutritionist at YorkTest commented:

“It’s great to see so many options available for those with food sensitivities. With as many as 30 million Americans having some degree of lactose intolerance by the age of 20, it’s vital that consumers are offered alternatives and, thanks to the five chains analyzed, there are certainly plenty of options.

“It’s really important that when ordering a coffee from somewhere new or simply just trying a new coffee out, you ask about the ingredients to identify any potential allergens or sensitivities. If you do suspect you have a food sensitivity, you should take a food sensitivity test to avoid any nasty surprises with your daily coffee treat.”

Methodology

We analyzed product data from the websites of five of the biggest coffee chains in America to determine the possible number of variations of coffee drinks. We then calculated an average variation per drink based on the total number of variations for each brand.

All data correct as of June 2023.