Starbucks Is Testing a New, Special Type of Ice

[{"selector":"#anim-5a6fd059-b350-4e43-8b56-1c4c834405c4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2631797d-894d-4079-b200-6375114fb0af","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f4bb608c-a117-4fb7-b85d-f78d7fc06e0c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c15d6356-befb-490b-aa0b-611811184468","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Starbucks is testing a highly anticipated product, possibly a new Frappuccino or cold brew. You're wrong. This new product is ice, which is swirled into cold drinks. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-1e298e7c-2073-4e13-bdcb-67c803b678f5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2934ce5c-b466-42bb-880f-77208d05a6fd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fc34edee-33fd-47e7-93c0-e636a3ce070f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b0cd2ccb-5cbe-4183-9aa9-23045bb037cb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Starbucks has been testing nugget-shaped ice cubes for weeks, according to social media speculation. This week, a Starbucks employee Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-5fa37922-5789-4df2-b375-c5fdf7d8246d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9cdb186f-3202-4c84-948f-faf291845593","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-255b2dbb-71e6-4aba-94c3-49a1e9473917","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1ea2b38d-1ade-48b9-997d-f157131e68a9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] posted a photo of a large tank of nugget ice on Reddit, indicating their location was one of three serving it. TikTok also has the claims. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-c165d5e8-c5cc-49c3-b5f5-7606e6e30e86","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-83ce49a1-2e33-4228-ac48-4dafa2bbb5e9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d6688d46-0d2c-47e8-9da9-733370a60d10","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ec9aae06-cf57-4af8-baea-fb9262209c1f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Ice innovation may not seem relevant to some consumers, while others think shape and texture matter in drinks. Nugget ice, or "good ice," is popular among ice lovers. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-33f0f395-1c91-4f8e-ba26-d5923a9ed54b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d6e5170f-d375-44b3-9b9e-564fe197d458","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f8290e83-c7eb-4e09-8237-3f5abb9c77f2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-51d60654-31c7-44b6-8821-b39b0c1f55a4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Size and texture distinguish nugget ice from ice cubes. Pressed ice flakes make the little, cylindrical pellets softer and easier to chew than Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-3aca2a25-e1cf-41d0-a801-2a320616ec26","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2fe3d310-9a3f-44a4-b413-821c9b944601","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-14c27fd9-9374-4b13-9d27-1aea897bf561","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-41633e53-9cc5-4e8f-9c60-4d294b1c9ee9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] ice machine cubes. According to Helen Rosner's 2021 New Yorker article "Pellet Ice Is The Good Ice," the ice's flaky layers resemble a Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-a068daf2-fff0-468b-9e6c-f891b48f7cbc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8426a4ea-06c0-42d7-9d89-e0091680d018","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2b17867c-5555-43b3-96a2-b0d47fd67a50","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-01110a3a-010c-40fb-b0e0-ee8fb8884d8d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] "well-laminated pastry" with "crevices and tiny caves into which your drink can penetrate, and a yielding texture perfect for chewing. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-6193e809-d35c-4725-acb0-f804e2789bf6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a5d83654-39f1-4a35-8300-2f6e4714a81d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5086ad92-f2c3-4f46-84ab-06bdc944225a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-84316613-51bf-45a2-a1de-4e73911ddd90","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Starbucks hasn't confirmed its nugget ice experiments, but many customers were excited by the change. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-fec5e232-a954-4093-b103-e41b30c18345","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ec1acd7a-a064-49c4-86b1-477349a5449e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f8f7f00b-cedb-4fed-b5e9-a3f685baa090","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3a8af45e-2dd3-42c1-b8e0-11f5db41e10f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] If confirmed, this ice move would be Starbucks' second major change this week. The coffee chain recently announced Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-0730a55c-4e45-4065-b5ad-bbf7e23b90dd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-43a12c25-af5e-4f3d-a5c0-cd829a318658","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3cfc4051-9b06-4b5d-a7bc-c4933a4c0be4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b7c3c3e0-80a2-4871-bc1f-16c8fc2e580b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] that it now charges $1 more for Refreshers with the "no water" personalization, which has divided enthusiasts. Learn More Arrow

Check our new stories

[{"selector":"#anim-145dac96-e689-4b4e-9c06-304de063f0cd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-77bc25cc-d533-4e88-a384-fc9ddaf9a709","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.22767%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more