Starbucks just has shitty espresso. When it cools down, you can taste it more. When it’s super hot - you don’t notice, it’s just coffee goodness

Kind of like how crappy beer tastes better if it’s super cold.

Starbucks will never stop perpetuating their dead shots thing though so might as well do what you can to get the espresso in the drink faster

I’ve heard the 10 second rule as well when I first got my training, but I looked it up back then and I found that shot dying is a myth. The taste doesn’t change, but the espresso does cool down quicker than a larger amount of coffee would.

It *used* to be a standard, before beverage repeatable routine was introduced. Shots should be incorporated into beverages as quickly as possible. Regardless of this, if the body of the shot is pitch black, it’s probably been sitting too long. Best source for current information would be the Beverage Resource Manual on the Partner Hub.

I worked at a different cafe before sbux, and trust me, shots die. You have 25 seconds. Also if your cup is cold they will bitter

7 year partner and I was trained that after 10 seconds they die. Try making two grande lattes. One with shots as soon as they drop and than one made with shots that have set for 20 seconds. They taste very different to me.

shots ABSOLUTELY die. I've worked in two other "hipster"/small coffee brew shops before coming to Starbucks, and both times I've been trained with the knowledge that if you let a shot sit, it'll go bitter and have that sort of "old ashtray" taste. coffee isn't too far off from baking -- it all comes down to science.

it's like how you can't make a pot of coffee, let it get cold, and then blame the quality of the coffee grounds for the coffee now tasting stale/bitter.

It's complicated. Taste-wise there might be some change as elements break down (less roundness, less boldness, possibly some bitter or astringent elements), but with espresso, you get out what you put in. For all of the criticism over how StArBuckS RoAstS ToO DaRK, that dark roast serves its purpose in terms of consistent taste across a large quantity beans and it is pretty much the best option when we are talking economies of scale. It will just taste the way it tastes, like it or hate it.

The main issue is how the shots incorporate with milk. Shots are going to break down chemically and crema is also going to diminish (already low in a shot at Starbucks with less freshness of beans/dark roasts). These breakdowns affect how well the shots mix with the milk. Shots that have sat out a bit longer are going to dominate a bit more flavor-wise in say, a latte, as the chemicals in espresso that would typically bond with fats and other lipids in the milk are among the first to break down.

Is your latte going to taste disgusting? Possibly, also possibly not depending on if the shot itself is tasty and if you like the taste of espresso (the drink likely will be more espresso-forward).

Are you going to have more difficulty doing things like latte art or crafting that "perfect" latte? Yeah, probably.

All in all, if you are sequencing two drinks at a time, it's probably a moot point since you will be able to incorporate well before the chemical breakdown becomes an issue.

I’ve only been a partner for a year and a half, after all the times being on bar there is a considerable difference in how a shot looks when it’s first pulled and after it’s sat 10 seconds. I’ve never heard about this “shots are dead myth” and in my personal experience if you use a shot that’s “dead” it tastes like butts. I also feel like it’s more noticeable in blonde shots, because they are lighter so you can witness it cooling and changing color easier. I dunno man, it might just be taste buds and placebo on the color change but to me it looks like they die.

It was drilled into our heads for MANY YEARS that you had to use them within 10 seconds. It was in the Beverage Resource Manual (BRM) that were always collecting dust on shelves in the back of most stores. It was law.


We'd have to stand behind people learning bar and count in our heads or out loud, then pour out shots that were 12 seconds old telling them to: do it again. They're NO good. dumping and steaming new milk for a cappuccino because they waited too long.


We'd force people to sip a fresh shot vs a old shot and have them tell us that they taste different, and that is why you NEVER serve a 15 second old shot EVER!


only to have them say: "ha, you know as fast as you can!" after the repeatable routine came about.


I still have an old manual someplace that I'd love to find.

amazing how i have been hypnotized for the past two years on this subject. i have ALWAYS thought their quality lessened after 10 seconds and i’ve wasted so so so many shots thinking they were expired/gross. in reality, it’s probably to keep dt times low 🤡

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