Tag: Starbucks latte

According to standard specialty coffee guidelines, a 20 oz latte often contains a triple shot of espresso to ensure a balanced flavor. However, this number can vary significantly depending on the café's specific recipe, with some major chains using fewer shots to balance flavor and drink volume. Understanding how many shots are in a 20 oz latte helps you predict both flavor and caffeine content.

While the name "latte" simply means "milk" in Italian, the number of espresso shots in a caffè latte is far from uniform. In fact, it can vary significantly depending on the drink's size, where you order it, and personal taste. Understanding whether a latte is 1 or 2 shots is key to ordering the perfect beverage.

Since 2007, Starbucks has used 2% reduced-fat milk as the standard dairy option for all its espresso beverages, including lattes. This means that unless you specify otherwise, a regular latte will be prepared with this milk. However, Starbucks also offers a wide variety of milk choices to suit different tastes and dietary needs.

While a cup of plain black coffee contains only about 5 calories, the creamy, satisfying ingredients in a large latte can dramatically increase its total energy content. So, how many calories does a large latte have, and what factors contribute to this wide variance in nutrition?