Starbucks Tests a Big Change That Sparks a Spirited Debate Among Customers

Starbucks is testing a small change that is already drawing a surprisingly strong reaction from some guests. The coffee chain does at least as much business in cold drinks as hot ones, so the size, shape and composition of their ice cubes are very familiar to customers. Last week, a Reddit user who said they were a Starbucks employee posted a photo on the social media platform saying that some locations will be testing new ice machines, and the response was surprisingly heated.

"New special ice (we are 1 of 3 cafe stores testing the new ice,)" the user wrote. "What do you guys think? It looks like the ice at Sonic." The comments took off with a mixture of pros and cons for this bulkier shape of ice cube. On the one hand, many people thought it was a trick to take up more space in each cup so that there would be less coffee, tea or juice in there overall. On the other hand, some were excited as they believed these ice cubes would be quieter when moving around. The discussion went back and forth with points like this – each more nuanced than the last.

New special ice (we are 1 of 3 cafe stores testing the new ice). What do you guys think? It looks like the ice at sonic.
by u/Cupcake_Great in starbucks

"My anemic coworkers are gonna love this," one person wrote, and several others agreed. Another person wrote: "Normally this ice IS IT!!! But I worry that they will melt too fast in iced espresso drinks."

The post itself got over 2,400 upvotes and 370 comments, and many of the top comments got hundreds of upvotes as well. In addition to the original poster, many of the commenters claimed to be baristas at Starbucks themselves, though no others had seen this change in ice at their stores. Starbucks typically has little variance between locations, so it seems unlikely for a few cafes to stick with a different ice machine while the rest go on as usual.

The ice at most Starbucks locations right now comes in the form of chips that are about twice as wide as they are thick, and are prone to breaking down in the cup to disperse as crushed ice. However, the more important difference for the commenters on this post is the color and consistency – current Starbucks ice is generally clear in appearance and very solid to the touch. The ice in this photo has an opaque frosty appearance and crumbles more easily. That's why so many commenters talked about eating it in its solid form.

The crumbly ice has a surprisingly enthusiastic following among fast food connoisseurs online, who refer to it variously as "crunchy ice," "pellet ice," "nugget ice," "Sonic ice" or "Chick-fil-A ice." According to a report by The Street, it is intentionally frozen with air bubbles inside which makes it melt faster and disperse within the drink as cold water. Many commenters said that this has its applications, but it is not what they want in their coffee. So far, it's unclear if Starbucks really intends to adopt this style of ice on a wider scale.