As A Former Starbucks Employee, I Hated Making One Thing

Working at Starbucks can be something of a sensory overload, and for those who might be sensitive to being over stimulated, it's certainly something you should know before applying to work at Starbucks. The crowds can be intense, there are alarms and notifications every which way, and now and again, you hear the sound of screaming milk from the espresso machine. And while there's plenty I loved about working at Starbucks, there was one menu item (well, category) that I truly hated making as a barista: Frappuccinos. 

A Frappuccino is an elevated frappe and something like a coffee milkshake. The chain offers Frappuccinos with both cream and coffee bases. While it's true that Frappuccinos are an ideal starting place for customers visiting Starbucks for the first time, baristas generally don't like making them.

I worked at Starbucks as a barista many years ago, long before the abomination that was the unicorn Frappuccino. But Starbucks Frappuccinos were still a trial to make. There's some consistency across Frappuccino recipes like the amount of ice that goes in each one or the pumps of syrup, but Frappuccinos can also easily change based on a recipe and they often fall victim to new ingredients or processes.

Please don't misunderstand me. I admit that Frappuccinos can be absolutely delicious. In fact, I've even been known to order a Frappuccino, even after my days as a barista came to an end. However, there are a few reasons that the Frappuccino is truly one of the worst drinks to make on the menu. 

First, Frappuccinos are typically made in a different area than most bar drinks at a Starbucks location. While the footprint may vary, in general, the Frappuccinos will be made near the blenders. Typically, everything was within reach, but frequently, there will be syrups that are on the opposite side of the counter that will lead to a more complicated routine for making a drink.

Frappuccinos can also be some of the more complicated drinks to prepare. After all, Starbucks loves coming out with layered creations that might look absolutely beautiful in an Instagram post, but when there's an actual person that needs to layer the ingredients on top of each other, things can get obnoxious and dicy. To make it even worse, Frappuccinos are often the target of secret menu creations. These drinks tend to be more than a little experimental, and often ride the line of what is actually reasonable (or even enjoyable) to create for a Frappuccino.