Starbucks Is Changing the Type of Ice They Use in Drinks
A Starbucks spokesperson shared the news in a statement to PEOPLE
Slowly but surely, Starbucks will be transitioning to nugget ice in its stores nationwide.
In a statement to PEOPLE, the coffee giant announced its plan to begin changing the ice used in its signature drinks as part of a multi-year rollout starting this year.
"As we continue to innovate and make investments in the Starbucks Experience for our partners (baristas) and customers, we are introducing new machines that make nugget ice to select stores this year," a spokesperson said in a statement Thursday. "Customers who have tried the nugget ice in our hand-crafted iced beverages during testing had a resoundingly positive response."
Many stores will not see the change this year — the company is prioritizing stores that have a high volume of cold drink orders.
Related:Starbucks Drops 2 New Summer Drinks Including a Twist on the Java Chip Frappuccino
One store that does have the new machines inspired a Reddit thread. A Starbucks employee shared a photo of an ice tray at their cafe and claimed their store was one of three cafes testing the new ice. The worker compared it to the ice used in drinks at the fast food chain Sonic.
In response, several users speculated that the new nugget ice would water down their drinks.
"Normally this ice IS IT!!!! But I worry that they will melt too fast in iced espresso drinks," one user wrote.
However, Starbucks said they conducted several tests to confirm that nugget ice does not melt faster than Starbucks' current ice.
Related:Here's How to Get Free Refills at Starbucks, According to a Barista
Many users reacted excitedly to the change as they shared their mutual love of snacking on the smaller cubes.
"I love it. Crushed ice is my fave," one person wrote.
"They chew very easily, so very yummy," added another user, who said they work at another of the Starbucks cafes testing out the new kind of ice. "I like them, little less aesthetically pleasing but make it so much easier to consistently make drinks."
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The rollout of the new ice will happen over the course of several years, and is part of Starbucks' goal to cut its water footprint in half by 2030. The new ice machines use less water, according to the company.
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