I’ve always been a big fan of the desserty Starbucks drinks. My usual hot drink–the White Chocolate Mocha–has kept my insides warm and cozy for the past couple of years. The effect on my wallet has been sharp but not devastating.
In New York, it is devastating. Tall White Chocolate Mochas now cost (including tax) $4.15. That means for a small cup of milk with a hit of espresso and a few pushes of syrup you must pay almost $5. That is outrageous.
Now this may not just be a New York thing–I know there was a Starbucks price hike recently. If that’s the case, then the Starbucks Corporation has no other corpororate purpose than to MAKE MONEY off its now sweet-drink addicted consumer. What’s that you say? DUH? Well DUH yourself–I miss my White Chocolate Mocha.
My new drink is the Vanilla Latte. Tall. It costs $3ish. If you judge sophistication based on the lack of overpowering sweetness, then this drink is more sophisticated than my former drink. And cheaper. My wallet hurts a bit less. But the child in me (I eat children) just wants his White Chocolate Mocha and doesn’t want to pay a small fortune for it. (Inversely, the Jenny Craig in me says, “Adam, the Vanilla Latte is less fatty than the White Chocolate Mocha–no whipped cream.”)
So if I get skinny, beautiful and rich, I think I’ll have Starbucks to thank.
you know you have a problem when your morning coffee costs more than your lunch.
my soy chai is my weekend only indulgent. sometimes, i am sad.
Must be a NY thing. Out here in CA I can get my grande Vanilla latte for under 3.50. Admittedly, it used to be 3.15. The price hike didn’t seem to have a major impact on the state of my wallet, but I sympathize completely.
My tall nonfat latte runs me $2.57 every morning in Pittsburgh…
Isn’t starbucks going bankrupt?
We pay $4 in California too, at least in my neck of the coast.
I went from two percent mocha to skim vanilla latte a few years ago when I gave up chocolate one year for Lent. Now I only get mochas when it’s a treat or a dessert and I feel much better about the accompanying peanut butter chocolate chip cookie I get to offset the calories saved by getting skim milk. Ha!
To SPICE UP YOUR LIFE, try getting different combinations of flavors — Irish Creme/Hazelnut, Vanilla/Cinnamon, Carmel/Hazelnut. Perhaps it will make you miss your white chocolate mocha a bit less?
I just paid $3 for a SHORT caffe mocha. Short!! It’s like the size of my pinky.
Are you interested in making it at home?
2 oz or so of espresso
2 T. white chocolate melted or choc syrup (sweeter)
1/3 cup or so of milk
sweetened whipped cream for top
cinnamon or cocoa for top
four bucks for a cup of milk and sugar. milk and sugar are really cheap. make it yourself.
Give this a try and I swear you can’t tell the difference …
For White Chocolate Mocha
1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz. package PREMIUM white chocolate (chips or bar)
1T. GOOD vanilla extract
extra strong coffee or espresso
French Vanilla Cool whip
Heat milk in microwave or on stove top until warm.
Stir in chocolate until melted.
Stir in vanilla.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Fill cup with coffee, add a big scoop of white chocolate mixture stir until well mixed.
Add more if needed to taste.
Top with a dollop of Cool whip and enjoy!!!
or for Dark or Milk Chocolate Mocha
1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz. package PREMIUM chocolate (chips or bar – dark or milk)
1T. GOOD vanilla extract
extra strong coffee or espresso
Cool whip
Heat milk in microwave or on stove top until warm.
Stir in chocolate until melted.
Stir in vanilla.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Fill cup with coffee, add a big scoop of chocolate mixture stir until well mixed.
Add more if needed to taste.
Top with a dollop of Cool whip and enjoy!!!
Not only do they taste great but you’ll save a bundle!!!
Here in California (San Diego) I can get a Venti White Chocolate Mocha for $4.15. Ouch for the NYC costs! I’m sorry! I eat children too, I know the feeling! ;) I just bought an espresso machine and bought a 24 oz white chocolate syrup from Ghiradelli ($12.00) so I’m off to experiment once it arrives on Tuesday! :)
I’m considering buying white chocolate syrup and experimenting, also. If anyone is interested I have a cool recipe for the summer when it’s real hot. This is a knock off of Arby’s Jamocha shake.
Heat 3 oz. water in microwave
Add 1 tsp. instant Coffee
1 tsp. sugar
Pour over a blender filled (don’t pack)
with vanilla ice cream.
Blend until smooth. Makes two 12oz drinks.
torani also makes an affordable, delicious white chocolate syrup for diy white mochas. i got a bottle for $4 at world market, which are everywhere. mixed it with some milk and coffee, and voila! delicious.
I used towork in an espressoo bar that served SBC coffe (which starbucks now owns). Anyway the owner acutally got a slab of real white chocolate (white choc is really vanilla and cocoa butter). We would shave the block into slivers and then use a contraption that melted it and kept it melted. That was for ease of making a bunch of crinks. All u need to do is put the white chocolate at the bottom and add espresso. The heat of the espresso and the steamed milk will melt it down jsut fine. I still buy mine from Starbucks because I havent purchased a top line espresso machne yet. If u dont want to shave white chocolate, another option is to buy white chocolate chips and use that in ur drink. White CHoc mocha (grande size) is 540 calories…yikes!
Did you read that above??
Gabrielle eats children???
I’ve just recently discovered the wonderfulness of the White Chocolate Mocha. The fat and calorie content really isn’t so bad if you do the nonfat and no-whip, but $4.15 in NY? Eeeek! Thank goodness for Oregon and no sales tax! Still … reading all the other comments too … maybe I should quit now before it becomes a habit!
Get a Senseo machine for 70.00 and buy the Senseo pods…buy the dark blend…cost only .24 cents for 4 oz serving and coffee is better than Starbucks…or do you have to be seen at Starbucks..Dunkin Donuts Turbo is better..Starbucks is yesterday and way overpriced….that is the facts.