Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc)
Starbucks shops serve many kosher and non-kosher items, with the most serious non-kosher items being hot meat sandwiches. The standard daily clean-up at Starbucks includes a hot wash of all utensils and some parts of that washing are done without soap. This cleanup process challenges the kosher status of the otherwise kosher products and each product must be judged by a competent halachic authority.
When evaluating these issues, Rav Yona Reiss, Av Beis Din of the cRc, acknowledged that there is basis for being lenient on many of the items being sold at Starbucks stores, but directed the cRc to be true to the mission of a reliable Kashrus Agency which only recommends items that are free of all shailos and not those which are only acceptable b’dieved. He noted that this is especially true because there are viable alternatives in every Starbucks store.
One significant change in recent years is that almost all Starbucks stores – even smaller kiosks – serve hot non-kosher sandwiches and wash all utensils in shared sinks (and some also share sinks or dishwashers with nearby non-kosher stores).
Accordingly, certain differences which used to apply to kiosks are no longer relevant.
To fully explain the details, questions, and shailos involved in this issue the cRc printed an analysis of the topic in the Spring 2011 edition of The Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, and that article is available on the cRc website.
The following list is accurate at this time for stores in the United States and Canada, and since the information is subject to change this list should not be used after July 31, 2024. [The list is limited to beverages and does not address foods sold in Starbucks, or toppings and other items added to beverages.] It is also worth noting that many items sold at Starbucks are dairy and chalav stam, and that many of the “flavors” are now certified as “DE” (dairy equipment).
This is all based on if you are not makpid on cholov yisrael, as is evident from the check by cold milk.
However us lubavitchers are obviously VERY makpid on cholov yisrael, and therefore this list doesn’t work for us.
Please col clarify this in the article, thank you.
This list doesn’t address the issue of many of these drinks not being chalav yisroel, so this list does not help most people here…
Items with a check could actually be NOT Cholov Yisroel
What about plain hot coffee?
Also known as an Americano, which according to this list is fine.
Americano is NOT prepared in the same way as regular coffee, rather made with an espresso shot.
Americano is espresso with hot water added. Not classic brewed black coffee
Regular hot coffee has a potential issue of the brew basket being washed with non kosher keilim (see ‘j’).
R’ Sholem Fishbane, CRC director, said it’s not good in an interview on Torah anytime, as there’s no consistent cleaning method for the brew baskets at different Starbucks, and the way it’s cleaned is very problematic at many Starbucks he’s visited. However, an espresso or Americano is fine. An Americano is a shot of an espresso with hot water, which is essentially a black coffee, and their machine for that doesn’t come apart to be cleaned with other treif stuff.
Didn’t read the articles but was this point addressed?
If the owner is not jewish
Are free of shailos
What is this suppossed to mean? What are you suppossed to do?
Just not buy anything in Starbucks… maybe a closed bottle of kosher juice or water. But then there’s maaris ayin..
Don’t categorically prohibit Starbucks, @Answer.
First, if the Torah is matir something, you’re saying against the Torah if you say it’s asur.
Second, even if a lot of these are below “Lubavitcher” kashrus, well a lot of Lubavitchers advise baalabatim who don’t keep our standards! It can be useful to say that an “Americano” is “better” than a Brewed Coffee, even if I wouldn’t have it myself.
Buy the things with no shaalos (with a check near them)
If one keeps a standard of cholov Yisroel.
And see if anything is ok for those who keep cholov yisroel.
Is espresso dairy or parve?
Generally pareve