Are Starbucks Drinks Served Too Hot? Training Standards and Liability in Burn Cases

Starbucks trains every employee using detailed manuals that set out how drinks should be prepared and served. These manuals cover everything from steeping tea, steaming milk, securing lids, and handing drinks to customers. While they are meant to create consistency, they also show that Starbucks recognizes the risks of hot beverages — and that failure to follow these standards can lead to accidents.

When customers are injured by burns from coffee or tea, Starbucks’ own training guidelines may help establish what the company knew about the risks, and how employees were supposed to prevent them.

What Starbucks Training Manuals Emphasize

Based on Starbucks’ internal training documents, baristas may be instructed on:

• Drink temperature ranges – Espresso, milk, and tea water all have recommended ranges. Teas are often steeped in boiling water (≈200°F).
• Lid security – Employees are trained to place lids firmly on cups before handing them to customers.
• Cup fill levels – Drinks should have “leave room” or “safe space” to reduce spill risk.
• Customer handoff – Employees are instructed to hand drinks carefully, especially in drive-thrus.
• Product warnings – Employees are told to warn when a drink is “extra hot” or ordered without ice.

These policies may help prove that Starbucks knows its drinks can be dangerously hot and that there are established safety practices that must be followed to reduce risk.

Why This Matters in Burn Injury Lawsuits

When someone is burned by Starbucks coffee or tea, liability may hinge on whether:

1. The drink was unreasonably hot compared to safe industry standards.
2. The cup was overfilled or lid not properly secured.
3. The employee failed to warn that the drink was “extra hot.”
4. The drink was handed off carelessly, especially in a drive-thru.

If Starbucks’ own training requires baristas to do these things — but in reality they don’t — it helps show negligence.

Industry Standards on Safe Beverage Temperatures

Food safety experts note that liquids served hotter than 150°F–160°F pose scalding risks. At 180°F–190°F, burns can occur in just one second. Starbucks drinks, including teas and lattes, are routinely served in this higher range.

When combined with improper handling (like overfilling or failing to secure lids), it becomes clear that Starbucks is not just selling hot drinks — it may be creating foreseeable hazards.

Hypothetical Example

Imagine a customer at a Starbucks in Miami receives a green tea brewed with water at 200°F. The cup is filled to the brim and the lid is not snapped properly. When the customer picks it up, the lid pops off and scalding liquid spills onto their lap.

Starbucks’ own training manual may show that:

• Employees are supposed to secure lids firmly.
• Cups should not be overfilled.
• Drinks this hot carry obvious risks.

This combination could strongly support liability in a Florida burn injury case.

How Plaintiffs Can Use Starbucks Training in Court

Attorneys may point to Starbucks’ training guidelines as evidence that:

• Starbucks recognized the danger of hot beverages.
• Employees were specifically trained on how to reduce that danger.
• The injury resulted from a failure to follow Starbucks’ own policies.

This makes it harder for Starbucks to argue the injury was the customer’s fault.

Key Takeaways for Consumers

• Starbucks teas are often hotter than coffee and carry greater risk of burns.
• Employees are trained to reduce risk — but mistakes happen, especially in busy stores.
• If you are burned by Starbucks, their own training manuals and safety standards may help prove liability.

Starbucks Burn Injury Claim Lawyers in Florida

Starbucks apparently knows its beverages can cause burns — its training manuals may prove it. When employees don’t follow instructions on temperature, fill levels, lid security, or handoffs, customers may be left with painful, life-altering injuries. Victims of Starbucks coffee or tea burns in Florida, New York, New Jersey, and across the country may have the right to pursue compensation.

If you or a loved one suffered a burn injury from Starbucks, call the Law Offices of Jason Turchin at (800) 337-7755 for a free consultation.