10 of The Worst and Most Fat-Filled Starbucks Beverages

To the chagrin of the traditional coffee house, Starbucks has become a mainstay in cities across America and the world. As we know, coffee can have many health benefits including benefits to cardiovascular health. Starbucks, however, serves up some of the most unhealthy and calorie filled “coffee” drinks on the market. Here we take a look at 10 of the worst drinks that you can order up at your local Starbucks. If maximizing your total calories and fat intake is on your list of priorities then this is the definitive beverage list for you.

*Note that the chart reflects the venti with whole milk and whipped cream options. Please see below for 2% and nonfat milk options.

[View with PicLens]

1. Peppermint White Hot Chocolate with whole milk and whipped cream. Damage: 730 (690 with 2% milk) calories venti, 27 (22 with 2% milk) grams total fat in venti.

2. Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with whole milk and whipped cream. Damage: 700 (680 with 2% milk) calories venti, 26 (23 with 2% milk) grams total fat.

3. Mint Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino Blended Creme with chocolate whipped cream. Damage: 680 calories, 21 grams total fat (same calorie and total fat count for the venti whole milk, 2% milk and nonfat options according to Starbucks.com).

4. Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino Blended Coffee  with whipped cream. Damage: 660 calories, 19 grams total fat (same calorie and total fat count for the venti whole milk, 2% milk and nonfat options according to Starbucks.com).

5. Tazo Green Tea Frappuccino Blended Crème with whipped cream. Damage: 650 calories, 15 grams total fat (same calorie and total fat count for the venti whole milk, 2% milk and nonfat options according to Starbucks.com).

6. Eggnog Latte. Damage: 630 calories (610 with 2% milk), 30  (27 with 2% milk) grams total fat.

7. Iced White Chocolate Mocha with whole milk and whipped cream. Damage: 630 (610 with 2% milk) calories, 27 (24 with 2% milk) grams total fat.

8. Java Chip Frappuccino Blended Coffee with whipped cream. Damage: 600 calories, 23 grams total fat (same calorie and total fat count for the venti whole milk and 2% milk options according to Starbucks.com).

9. Caramel Brulee Crème with whole milk and whipped cream. Damage: 600 (560 with 2% milk) calories, 22 (16 with 2% milk) grams total fat.

10. Espresso Truffle with whole milk and whipped cream. Damage: 560 calories, 21 grams total fat (whole and 2% milk options not available).

Some things to note: all of the items here are the venti counterparts. You can definitely knock down a few calories if you:

• Drop the size of your drink to a grande or a small.
• Choose 2% or nonfat milk over the very fattening whole milk option.
• If you want to drastically reduce the total fat count then pass on the whipped cream option.
• Just say no to anything Peppermint from Starbucks.
• Stay away from their Frappucinno menu but I quickly found out that simple drinks like hot chocolate can be just as dangerous.
• If you just have to have a Frappucinno then get one of their light blended options.

If you enjoyed this post then please consider being a fan of Call Me Thirsty on Facebook!

Photos provided by Flickr users: danielparece, AK37, PowerBookTrance, iiraa, KenobiWanX, Katherine Ridgely, and raspberryteacup.

How To Prepare Espresso Video

Check out this excellent video from the guys at The Department of the 4th Dimension, a design and production studio. They examine what goes into making a cup of espresso by interviewing Kyle Glanville, a barista at Intelligentsia Coffee in Venice, California.

Some take home points:

• Every variable in espresso making is very critical.
• Any misstep will manifest itself in the cup.
• Feel the grind and then adjust accordingly.
• Preheat cup with hot water while you prepare the espresso.
• Make sure your filter basket is nice and dry so that the oil released from the coffee can do its job.
• Redistribute coffee in basket so that the water can extract the coffee evenly.
• Proper espresso extraction will take about 20-30 seconds.
• Adjust grind depending on the look and taste of your espresso.
• If your espresso shot looks pale, tastes a little thin then you might have to adjust grind a little finer.
• If your espresso shot looks black, too short and tastes super bitter and compact then adjust grind a little coarser.

Espresso, Intelligentsia from Department of the 4th Dimension on Vimeo.

Nespresso Concept D290 + Aeroccino

The Nespresso D290 Concept Automatic Coffee-and-Espresso Machine with Aeroccino Milk Frother is one sexy machine. It might be pricey, but think of it as an investment considering that you spend an arm and a leg on coffee and espresso at your favorite “not-to-be-named” coffee shop anyway. This model comes with the Aeroccino milk frother so that  you can make the perfect milk froth in mere seconds. They also have a model sans the Aeroccino if you could care less about froth.

Features:

• 1250-watt single-serve automatic espresso machine designed for coffee capsules
• 19-bar pump; ThermoBlock heating system; backlit control buttons; removable 40-ounce water tank
• Capsules eject semi-automatically into collection container; auto and programmable coffee quantity
• Includes 12 capsules, espresso cup, lungo cup, saucers, and 1-touch Aeroccino milk frother
• Machine measures 14 by 8-2/3 by 12-1/5 inches; milk frother measures 3-1/2 by 3-1/2 by 5-5/7 inches

Buy the Nespresso D290 Concept Automatic Coffee-and-Espresso Machine with Aeroccino Milk Frother from Amazon for $438.58.

Thirsty Spotlight: Costello’s Travel Caffe

Costello’s Travel Caffe has been serving up coffee and other delights to people in PDX for the last 5 years. The little euro style cafe was started by Chris Costello in 2004 out of his passion for travel and film. Stop by the Caffe during the week and be pleasantly surprised with live classical and jazz music, foreign language conversation nights, and travel trivia.

“In keeping with a passion of travel, Costello’s hosts weekly foreign conversation nights, foreign films, and international soccer. From the Soccer World Cup to the Tour de France, Costello’s has been a fixture for devoted fans to enjoy sporting events from each corner of the globe. Live music is played on Thursday and Friday night from 8-10pm, ranging from toe-tappin’ Gypsy jazz to Brazilian bossa nova. Foreign Film Night, Wednesday at 8pm, has been a longtime favorite as customers crowd the café to see some of the world’s best films.”

If you own an independent coffee shop, tea lounge, bar or know of one that you especially love then let us know about it so we can share it with the world!

Costello’s Travel Caffe
2222 Northeast Broadway
Portland, Oregon 97232
503.287.0270

Black Ass Coffee

First of all, I love the name of this brand – Black Ass Coffee. What’s not to love? They currently have 7 different blends available, including the seasonal fall blend, The Great Pumpkin. How could you resist wanting to brew a cup of Black Ass with names like Secret Agent (dark roast), Jacques Cousteau (French roast) and Rico Suave (medium roast)?

“Black Ass Coffee was formed by two serious coffee drinkers who were tired of overpriced, stale, burnt coffee. Who said “burnt” is “better” in the first place? And why pay a premium for “over-roasted” coffee? So, stubbornly, we started the hunt to find good “strong” coffee.”

Buy an 11oz. Bag of Black Ass Coffee (Ground or Whole Bean) for $9-$10.

Coffee Art by Karen Eland

Karen Eland likes coffee. Okay, Karen Eland really likes coffee. So much so that she has made a name for herself as an artist who paints in espresso. The Oregon based artist has been busy recreating some of history’s most famous paintings, including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. You can even find an 8 foot mural of The Last Supper hanging in one of Karen’s favorite coffee shop, Nordaggios Coffee in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Different print sizes are available and prices vary based on print size.

“Coffee art is a truly unique art form. It requires a thoughtful and delicate touch. Capturing the depth of these classic works is only possible through a slow and sophisticated process of building layers upon layers of espresso. I first thought of the idea of painting with coffee while watching rich, red-brown espresso pouring perfectly into my cup. As I enjoyed my hot latte, it occured to me that perhaps I could take my passion for coffee to a deeper level. So I dipped my brush and began painting, and to my delight, it worked beautifully.”

Buy Coffee Creations from Karen Eland for $5 – $500.

Thirsty Spotlight: New Wave Coffee

I love coffee shops with large open spaces. I guess that I am just a large open space kind of guy. New Wave Coffee Shop is based in Chicago, Illinois at Milwaukee & Logan. They feature Metropolis Coffee, grilled sandwiches and free Wi-Fi. I love the look of New Wave, very 80’sish. If Vans (the shoe company) ever opened up a coffee shop, I am pretty sure this is what it would look like. New Wave looks like a place that I’d love to spend a lot of time at.

“New Wave Coffee takes its name from the musical revolution that occurred in the mid 1970s through the mid-1980s infusing punk rock and funk, urban influence and ska, electronic instrumentation and glam rock into a landscape that had formerly been dominated by disco, folk and pop. Our name signifies our dedication to the rebels, the radicals and the revolutionaries—those who bring about a sea change in their various arts and sciences. We are dedicated to: New art, New music and New thought.”

If you own an independent coffee shop, tea lounge, bar or know of one that you especially love then let us know about it so we can share it with the world!

New Wave Coffee
3103 W Logan
2557 N Milwaukee
Logan Square, Chicago
773-489-0646
info@newwavecoffee.com

Cremapresso Espresso Machines

If you’re looking for a reason to splurge on a home espresso machine then look no further than the AEG EA 260 Cremapresso Espresso Machine. This German produced machine will bring the Italian taste of espresso in style. The EA 260 features semi-transparent cover integrated into the drip tray. It also has a heated cup hold which will come in handy when it comes to keeping your espresso hot. The Creamapresso is equipped with a programmable button function for 1 cup or 2 cups.

Buy the AEG EA 260 Cremapresso Espresso Machine from X for € 300.

A Coffee Machine for the Wii Generation

If Douwe Egberts BeMoved Coffee Machine is the future of coffee then count me in because I am excited. Could you imagine having one of these ineractive coffee machines at work? Productivity would probably go down 15% because everyone would be playing with the coffee maker instead. This is probably as close as we’ll get (for now anyway) to a robot barista.

“The BeMoved concept is innovative in the areas of technology, design and interaction. The machine can be operated by means of a large touch screen, or by activating a motion sensitive camera. Users can choose from a selection of eye-catching interfaces, such as “drag-and-drop” (drag the ingredients into the cup), “explore” (discover your coffee in the “living” tree), “picture it” (the machine has been programmed with the user’s preferences), and a “shoot-em-up-game” (you “earn” your coffee by jumping). In addition there is a selection of different types of flavourings, including hazelnut and caramel. Finally, users can check the latest share prices, weather forecasts, real-time traffic jams and the most recent news, as the machine can be connected to the Internet.”

Jura-Capresso Automatic Coffee Center

This piece of coffee making hardware both scares me and impresses me at the same time. I went shopping for a coffee machine at Williams-Sonoma over the weekend and oh my god do some of them have hefty price tags! Seriously, $2,500 for a coffee maker!

So I wonder, what do you guys use at home when brewing a cup of joe in the comfort of your own abode? Inquiring minds want know! Leave a comment below and let Call Me Thirsty know what your weapon of choice is.

And just in case you’re wondering, the Jura-Capresso ENA 3 Automatic Coffee Center features:

• Espresso machine with stainless-steel-lined thermoblock and 18 bars of pressure
• Grinds, tamps, brews, and cleans in under 60 seconds–at the touch of a button
• Conical steel burr grinder; pre-ground coffee funnel; removable water tank; frother
• Customizable strength, temperature, and amount; rotary dial for easy programming
• Measures 17 by 9 by 14 inches; 2-year limited warranty

Buy the Jura-Capresso ENA 3 Automatic Coffee Center from Amazon for $891.07.