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i think starbucks has become a brand name in coffee.
but thats besides the point, what i really wanted to do is ask around about the kashrus status of starbux coffee( not the coffee–the flavors, fraps, machiatos, whipped cream, etc.). i know that there are OUs on all the flavored syrup bottles, but thats about it.
also, dont suggest kosherstarbucks.org because many of the stuff they post, the OU disagrees with. i know because ive called.
You think starbucks has become a brand name in coffee? where in Montana do you live?
Starbucks does market their own coffee under their name, and I believe it has a hechsher, if I am not mistaken. So does Dunkin’ Donuts. I would not purchase anything of theirs except for plain coffee, were I inclined to go into a Starbucks. I did once go to a Starbucks, did not like the coffee at all, and I liked the price even less.
Could it be that there is a problem with bishul akum with their coffee? (Please don’t attack, I’m just asking)
I think i would feel uncomfortable having a drink from starbucks, its a goyishe place…
Halachically Speaking recently put out an issue addressing these questions.
I was recently in the starbucks on the corner of Park and 34th in the city and asked for a: grande, sugar free cinnamon dolce latte with 2% milk, 3 splendas and whipped cream. And the non-jewish barista told me i cant get the whipped cream because it isn’t kosher. this was the second time i had this happen in a starbucks. Once in one near lakewood i asked for a similar drink and the woman behind the counter informed me that that flavor doesn’t have an OU. I thought it was the Hashpah of BMG that even the goyim knew halacha but how does that explain the incident in the city?
Azi, that is the Starbucks right near Stern. I am sure they are very well versed on kosher because who but college kids (living off their parents money) can actually afford starbucks too often?
I heard a shiur about it last year.
Basically, nobody gives a hechsher on the store itself. Regarding the kashrus of the utensils used, there is a machlokes between the OU and the CRC regarding it. Basically, the OU holds that the cleaning process doesn’t make the keilim treif, while the CRC holds that it does.
So, I guess in New York, you can go to Starbucks, and in Chicago you can’t.
Just to note, cleaning the utensils can be an issue because some of the items aren’t kosher, and all the utensils get washed together.
SJSinNYC,
Right, and both Lakewood Yeshiva and that area’s YU campus (the Stern buildingd) are named after the same Henry Beren. It like Jewish Geography, literally.
Feif, that’s interesting, because I know many who hold only by the cRc in Chicago who will get a plain coffee at Starbucks.
For what it’s worth, there are a number of locations in Chicago where the employees are incredibly well-versed about what is kosher and what is not, and things similar to azi’s story happen frequently. I might be wrong, but I believe in the stores situated in or right near heavily Jewish communities, management actually “trains” the staff to be able to identify kosher and nonkosher products. Really quite crazy, but then again, knowing your customers and providing accurate service keeps people coming back for more…
The real question regarding all these anecdotes of Yidden ordering non-kosher products, and being informed so by the Starbucks employee, is why is he ordering something he isn’t absolutely 100% certain is kosher — and is in fact not.
There is a gas station in BP that also has some kosher shakes, but the Kashrus of these places that also sell hotdogs and ham is questionable.
I mean for those of us that live in populated Jewish areas like BP, LKWD, Flatbush etc, there are loads of coffee shops, r u gonna say that Starbucks sells something that Cafe K doesn’t?
r u gonna say that Starbucks sells something that Cafe K doesn’t?
I don’t like Starbucks coffee and have only beent here twice, but does Cafe K (I have never been there) make the same type quality of fresh-ground coffee as a Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts? We hve a kosher DD by us, and no restaurant I have been to makes a cup of coffee as good as that one. So yes, Starbucks might conceivably sell something that Cafe K doesn’t. Or maybe Cafe K’s coffee is outrageous!
illini07, plain coffee isn’t an issue. Pretty much all Rabbonim hold that you can order a plain coffee from anywhere, even McDonalds. The issue is the flavored drinks, which they mix using other utensils.
feif un….I am puzzled by your posting…the cleaning process comes under the label “noisen ta-am lifgam’ because the cleansers damage any flavor and therefore the cleaning process should actually “kasher” the keilim -even if you assume that they have been used for something un-kosher.
Hence, I would like to hear whether this psak that you mention is genuine.
rabbiofberlin, it has to do with the method used for cleaning. When I went to the shiur, there was a handout sheet with an article printed by the CRC. I’ll see if I can find it.
I found the link tot he article on the CRC’s website:
http://www.crcweb.org/kosher/consumer/articles/Latte%20Article%20R%27%20Fishbane.pdf
Thanks for the clarification and link Feif Un, much appreciated. I do know people who order flavored drink, but I can’t think of any who hold strictly by the cRc over OU.
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