The Seattle Coffee Buzz
Start writing a post
Food Drink

The Seattle Coffee Buzz

Save money by making your own budget-friendly version

28
The Seattle Coffee Buzz
https://www.pexels.com/photo/six-white-ceramic-mugs-1251175/

Seattle is known for many things: Amazon, Microsoft, the Space Needle, "Sleepless in Seattle", Macklemore, Nirvana... and of course, Starbucks. With a Starbucks on literally every corner of Seattle, I was exposed to coffee at a very early age. I remember when I was in preschool, my mom and I would have coffee Frappuccino dates at our local Starbucks just down the street from our house. In elementary school, my friends and I would hang out and sip our beverages out of the iconic white and green cups. At that age, we thought that drinking coffee made us cool and mature, but in all honesty, we were probably drinking ten times more sugar than coffee in our drinks. In high school, my go-to order were iced caramel machiattos and vanilla lattes. As soon as I entered college though, my tastebuds changed, and my sugar tolerance became very low. On my way to class, I would order a plain soy latte or americano to get me through my 8:30am classes. No syrup, no whip, no added sugar. Luckily for me, I had a meal plan to burn down for the first couple of years, and so spending $4 something on a coffee everyday did not seem like a huge deal to me. However, once I discontinued my meal plan, I only then began to realize how ridiculously expensive Starbucks is. If I ordered a tall (12-oz) soy latte everyday for just one month, I would spend over $125 or over $1500 a year. As a college student who relies on coffee everyday, I sought out alternatives to satisfy my caffeine needs without breaking the bank.

The Best Alternative: Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee packets ($6.29/box of 8 packets or $0.79/packet).

This is my go-to product. I like the VIA packets better than the Keurig version because I find them stronger and more flavorful. My favorite is the Pikes Place Medium Roast. I've tried the Colombian, French, and Italian Roasts, but my Seattlelite tastebuds prefer the hometown coffee. I sometimes drink it black, but I usually like mixing some milk into it to make it creamier. The best part about using VIA, is that it only takes 3 minutes or less to make my simplified soy latte in the morning. Not even a Starbucks cashier can take my order that fast!

3- minute Soy Latte Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Vanilla Soymilk (I prefer unsweetened, but Starbucks uses sweetened in their version)
  • Pike's Place VIA Instant Coffee Packet
  • 1 cup of boiling water
  • 1 16-oz mug or travel mug if you're heading to class

Instructions:

  1. Pour the VIA coffee packet into your mug BEFORE you add boiling water to it. Otherwise, the coffee grounds will stick to the sides of the packet when you try and pour it into mug due to condensation from the hot water.
  2. Shake the soy milk carton. This is a very important step because it creates a nice foamy layer of milk to go on top of your coffee.
  3. Measure 1-cup of the shaken soymilk and microwave for 30-45 seconds in a microwave-safe cup ( I like to use a Pyrex for easy pouring).
  4. Pour the steamed milk into your mug and stir with a spoon or chopstick.
  5. Enjoy! :)

I will admit that this recipe is not a perfect substitute for a Starbucks soy latte. You can't beat the flavor and smoothness of freshly ground beans, but for time and cost-saving purposes, this is a great hack for busy college students. Also as a side-note, I prefer soy milk to cow's milk or almond milk for coffee, because I find that the velvety texture goes perfectly with coffee. However, feel free to substitute your favorite milk. This recipe could also work for iced coffee. Just add ice and skip microwaving the milk.

Hope you all have a Beau"latte"ful day and comment below your favorite way to drink coffee!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

57785
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

37237
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

958937
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

191980
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments