HOW Much?!
Over the Christmas break, I discovered the joy of a strong latte – as opposed to the “milkshake” that is a standard latte from the main chains.
This could become expensive …
To make a latte drinkable, I’m now looking for an extra shot; this isn’t so true at Caffe Nero, where they already proudly advise that they use a double espresso shot in all their coffees – which I’m finding is just about strong enough.
For Costa Coffee and Starbucks however, I need an extra shot. Starbucks charge an additional £0.15 for the shot (free if you’re using one of their rewards cards), but Costa charge a whopping £0.35!
So what does my new favourite tipple cost then?
- Caffe Nero: £2.30, or £2.07 including their loyalty scheme
- Costa Coffee: £2.70
- Starbucks: £2.55, or £2.40 with a rewards card
Interestingly, I’m finding that the quality of the latte at Nero is questionable (especially at their Nero Express bars), whilst both Costa and Starbucks are pretty much bullet-proof; this contrasts strongly with my experience of Americanos, where Starbucks have been awfully patchy in the past. It appears that the latte is more forgiving, presumably with the milk providing some space for a sub-optimal espresso shot. Not sure why the Nero isn’t working – unless it’s just me?
Upshot, though, is that I’ve now got a use for the Starbucks rewards card that Marna gave me for Christmas …
[...] actually a little cheaper than Costa. And they have a better loyalty scheme than Costa (see here). So my go-to drink nowadays is a grande skinny latte from Caffe Nero. So [...]