It all started with a single blender.
Millions of people begin their days by stopping at one of the 30,000+ Starbucks locations around the world. Whether they’re grabbing a sweet and creamy Cold Brew, an energizing double-dose of anti-sleep from the Starbucks espresso machine, or a classically beloved Blended Mocha Frappuccino, everyone has their go-to drink at Starbucks.
Speaking of Frappuccinos — they’re actually the drink that made Starbucks the cultural phenomenon we know them to be today. With this in mind, there’s really no question that Starbucks knows how to make an exquisite blended drink.
So, if you’re making a copy-cat recipe of the world favorite coffee drink, The Frappuccino, there are certainly a few questions about the barista tools recommended by the coffee masters — nobody wants a bad coffee!
We explore some of your most pressing questions: What blender does Starbucks use, and where can I buy one for my kitchen?
What Blender Does Starbucks Use?
Starbucks currently uses their own simplified version of the Vitamix The Quiet One.
This programmable blender offers some impressive specs:
- 3 peak horsepower motor
- Vibration dampening shield
- Laser-cut, stainless-steel blades
- Twist lock
In addition to the standardly included Advance Blade Container, the Vitamix The Quiet One comes with the Air Disc Container to blend cold, wet, and dry foam.
Furthermore, the Starbucks version of the Vitamix The Quiet One has only 4 buttons, which is less than the standard 6 buttons that these blenders typically come with. Each button has a different function — here’s an overview of the settings:
- Button 1: Basic Blending
- Button 2: Extended version of button 1. For smoother drinks — often called the “frozen banana” button.
- Button 3: Wet cold foam
- Button 4: Dry cold foam
Originally, these blenders were distributed to Starbucks stores in tan shade — now, however, you’ll typically only see them in black. The tan machines were phased out of stores and replaced with the black ones as they broke, and as new stores were built.
What Size Blender Does Starbucks Use?
The Vitamix The Quiet One’s standard Advance Blade Container holds 48 ounces, or roughly 1400mL. That’s a whopping 4 venti sized drinks, however, making that many at once is definitely not recommended, per Starbucks’ one-drink-at-a-time standard.
The included Aer Disc Container is somewhat smaller, holding 30.4 ounces, or 900mL.
Additionally, Vitamix offers different sized containers available for purchase.
What was the Old Starbucks Blender?
Starbucks stores used to whip up fancy Frappuccinos with Blendtec ICB3 13Amp Commercial Smoothie Blenders.
These machines, made by a nationally trusted brand, proved to be reliable and sufficient for a long time. Ultimately, however, Starbucks sought to go in the direction of a blender that makes less racket.
The Blendtec blenders were replaced with the obviously quieter Vitamix The Quiet One blenders.
Why Does Starbucks Use the Vitamix The Quiet One?
Well, hopefully the name doesn't give it away too much, but — you guessed it! The Vitamix The Quiet One is remarkably quiet. The vibration dampening shield allows drinks to blend with a hush while book club meetings quietly go on.
The Vitamix The Quiet One is rated as being among one of the best commercial blenders on the market. Its simple design is powerful and straightforward to use, producing the smoothest results for ideal smoothies. These machines absolutely allow you to whip up the best beverages possible — there’s no wonder as to why this is such a popular commercial blender.
Where To Buy Vitamix The Quiet One
While you won’t be able to find the exact same Vitamix The Quiet One that Starbucks uses, unless you source a used one from a reseller such as Ebay, you can purchase regular models on Amazon, or at most restaurant supply stores.
However, if you’re not serving 150+ drinks out of your kitchen window on the daily and attempting to turn your house into something like a Prague coffee shop, then most blender experts recommend sticking with a standard kitchen blender. Mostly because the Vitamix The Quiet One comes at a surprising cost — one comparable to that of a used high-mileage car.
What is Double Blended at Starbucks?
Asking for your drink double blended at Starbucks is exclusive customer territory.
When you ask for this, you’ll get a blended beverage that’s TWICE as thin as the standard Starbucks Frappuccino — it’s blended “double” the amount of time.
Maybe you prefer yours on the thicker side, but for those who’d like to quickly get their caffeine game on and chug their drinks in a short amount of time, a double blended beverage is the proper choice.
Conclusion
After reading through this information, we hope you’ll be informed enough to make the best choice for your needs when it comes to replicating Starbucks recipes at home.
Whatever you’re blending, and whatever you’re blending it in, we hope you enjoy the result!
Michael
Founder of Robust Kitchen
