All 7 Starbucks Cup Sizes

There’s no such thing as a “small”, “medium”, or “large” at Starbucks. And if you’re not used to ordering coffee there, words like “tall”, “grande”, and “venti” may seem a little foreign (and rightly so, because they actually are…but more on that later).

Here’s a cheat sheet to break down all seven sizes (yes, seven, because a venti gives you four extra ounces for cold vs. hot).

Cup Size	Capacity	Hot or Cold	Standard Shots for Espresso Drinks
Demi	3 oz	Hot	1 or 2 (espresso only)
Short	8 oz	Hot	1
Tall	12 oz	Hot + Cold	1
Grande	16 oz	Hot + Cold	2
Venti	20 oz 24 oz	Hot Cold	2  3
Trenta	31 oz	Cold	N/A

On top of these cup sizes, there a plethora of menu options and equally as many customizations to explore, from milk alternatives and cold foam to flavored syrups and sauces, and there’s even a secret menu to try to keep track of.

Keep reading as we clear up any confusion on each of the sizes (e.g. certain cups can only be ordered for certain drinks)!

The seven sizes of Starbucks

You may notice that most Starbucks menus offer four cup sizes as the main options when you place an order. But there are actually six official sizes that your drink can come in: demi, short, tall, grande, venti, and trenta. Seven if you count “venti hot” and “venti cold” separately. Here’s how much coffee each size holds and how it’s typically ordered at Starbucks.

Demi: 3oz 

At just 3 ounces, demi (also called a quad, likely because it can hold four .75-ounce espresso shots) is the smallest size cup at Starbucks – but you won’t necessarily see it on the menu and only certain drinks will come in this size. This is typically what’s handed to you if you order a single or double espresso, or an espresso drink with a small amount of milk (like a cortado or an espresso macchiato). And if you happen to order some cream on the side of your coffee or ask for extra milk, it’ll most likely be served in a demi cup. 

Short: 8oz

The short cup holds 8 ounces, which doesn’t seem that small – but it’s smaller than Starbucks’ standard small size of 12 ounces. The short size cup has come and gone at Starbucks, and it can only be ordered for hot drinks, but it’s a great option if you prefer a smaller drink with less calories or less caffeine. Espresso drinks ordered in a short size will come with one shot of espresso. And if you ask for something in a kids size, that’ll come in the short cup. 

Tall: 12oz

This is where things start to get a little confusing. The tall size cup is essentially equivalent to a Starbucks size “small”. Aside from espresso drinks that come in a demi, you can order pretty much any Starbucks drink (hot or cold) in a size tall, which will get you 12 ounces. Most tall espresso drinks, like lattes and cappuccinos, come with one shot of espresso.

Grande: 16oz

At 16 ounces, think of the grande as the “medium” size at Starbucks. Originally, a grande was the largest size at Starbucks (until the next two came along). Today a grande cup of coffee is one of the most popular sizes ordered, and it’s what the default size is when you order Starbucks online or on the mobile app, whether it’s hot or cold. Most espresso drinks will come with two shots of espresso in a size grande.

Venti: 20oz + 24oz

The venti is one of the largest cup sizes at Starbucks (which conveniently still fits into most car cup holders). It wasn’t introduced to the menu until the early ‘90s, but has since become a popular size to order. This one’s a bit different for a couple of reasons. First, the hot and cold cups are actually different sizes: hot drinks come in a 20 ounce cup, while cold drinks come in a 24 ounce cup to account for the ice. And the espresso ratios are different, too. Like the grande, hot venti espresso-based orders will come with two shots of espresso as the standard. Meanwhile, a cold venti order will come with three espresso shots.

Trenta: 31oz

At a whopping 31 ounces, the trenta size can only be ordered for certain iced drinks like iced coffee, cold brew, iced tea, and Refreshers. It’s caused some controversy due to its “supersize” quality and a somewhat concerning fact that many have brought to light: it holds more capacity than most human stomachs.

Why are Starbucks cup sizes named the way they are?

Try to order a “small” or “medium” coffee at Starbucks and you might get looked at funny…you have to be in the know on this seemingly secret language of sizing to order correctly.

But sizes named “grande”, “venti”, and “trenta” seem foreign because they are: Starbucks cup sizes originate from the company’s Italian-inspired roots. The coffee shop was initially named Il Giornale (Italian for “newspaper”), with a vision from its founder Howard Schultz to model the chain after the coffee bar experiences he had in Italy. 

Schultz wanted to give the sizes distinct names, so Il Giornale originally had a three-tier sizing system: short was small, tall was medium, and grande was large (as a nod to the Italian word grande, which means “big” or “large”). When the chain was renamed Starbucks in 1987, its original sizes remained. A few years later, venti – which is Italian for “twenty” – was added to the lineup. Then demi, which derives from the French word “demitasse” (aka small, fine cups typically used to serve espresso), and finally trenta, which is Italian for “thirty”. 

Use ANY cup…by making your own Pumpkin Spice Latte at home…here’s how:

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