Starbucks offers drinks in a variety of sizes, the largest of which are Trenta and Venti. But exactly how big are these two cup sizes, and how much more drink do you get with a Trenta compared to a Venti?
What is Trenta size?
The Trenta is Starbucks’ largest available hot or cold drink size. Trenta means “thirty” in Italian, and refers to the 30 fluid ounces (890 ml) of drink contained in the cup.
The dimensions of a Trenta cup are approximately 6.5 inches tall with a diameter of 3.8 inches at the base. It has a capacity of 30 fluid ounces.
What drinks are available in Trenta size?
Starbucks offers the following cold drinks in a Trenta size:
- Iced coffee
- Iced teas
- Refreshers
- Pink Drinks
- Iced lemonades
- Iced coffees
- Cold brew coffees
- Blended Crème frappuccinos
Starbucks Trenta sizes are not available for hot coffee drinks, frappuccinos, or other blended beverages besides the blended crème frappuccinos. The Trenta is a size intended for cold beverages only.
What is Venti size?
The Venti is the second largest available Starbucks drink size. Venti means “twenty” in Italian, referring to the 20 fluid ounces (591 ml) contained in the cup.
The dimensions of a Venti hot cup are approximately 7.25 inches tall with a diameter of 3.8 inches at the base. Venti cold cups are around 6.5 inches tall with a 3.8 inch base diameter. They hold 20 fluid ounces of drink.
What drinks are available in Venti size?
Unlike the Trenta, the Venti size is available for both hot and cold drinks at Starbucks. Hot drinks offered in a Venti include:
- Coffee
- Lattes
- Cappuccinos
- Americanos
- Macchiatos
- Mochas
For cold drinks, options available in a Venti include:
- Iced coffees
- Cold brew coffees
- Iced teas
- Refreshers
- Lemonades
- Blended crème frappuccinos
- Most other frappuccinos
How much bigger is Trenta than Venti?
The Trenta is a full 10 fluid ounces larger than the Venti.
The Trenta contains 30 fluid ounces of drink, while the Venti holds 20 fluid ounces.
So when you upgrade from a Venti to a Trenta size, you get 50% more drink volume.
Volume comparison
| Size | Fluid Ounces |
|---|---|
| Trenta | 30 fl oz |
| Venti | 20 fl oz |
As you can see from the table, the Trenta size has 10 more ounces than the Venti, equating to a 50% larger drink size.
Price difference between sizes
Unsurprisingly, the larger Trenta size comes at a higher price than the Venti.
On average, upgrading from a Venti to a Trenta costs $0.50 to $1 more at most Starbucks locations in the United States.
However, Starbucks sometimes offers special promotions where there is no upcharge for ordering a Trenta over a Venti.
Average price comparison:
| Size | Average Price |
|---|---|
| Trenta | $4.25 – $6.75 |
| Venti | $3.75 – $6.25 |
As you can see from the average price ranges, Trenta sizes typically cost about $0.50 more than the same drink ordered in a Venti size. In some cases, the Trenta upcharge can be as much as $1 extra.
Is the Trenta size worth it?
Whether it’s “worth it” to upgrade to a Trenta drink mainly comes down to your own beverage preferences and needs:
- If you just want a small or medium-sized drink, then the Trenta is probably excessive.
- But if you love drinking large cold beverages for long periods of time, the Trenta may be a good option.
- The 50% extra volume can be nice on a hot day when you need a seriously refreshing drink.
- However, the Trenta size may lead to consuming more calories, caffeine, or sugar than you intend.
- The slightly higher price of the Trenta may or may not feel justified, depending on your budget.
So in summary – the Trenta is worth it if you really love large cold drinks and the 50% extra volume sounds appealing. But it’s probably overkill if you just want a moderately sized beverage.
Do other coffee chains have sizes larger than Venti?
Within the major national coffee chains, Starbucks is unique in offering the extra large Trenta size.
Here is how Starbucks sizes compare to other chains:
Starbucks size options:
- Short (8 fl oz)
- Tall (12 fl oz)
- Grande (16 fl oz)
- Venti (20 fl oz)
- Trenta (30 fl oz)
Dunkin’ Donuts size options:
- Small (10 fl oz)
- Medium (16 fl oz)
- Large (20 fl oz)
- Extra Large (24 fl oz)
McCafe size options:
- Small (12 fl oz)
- Medium (16 fl oz)
- Large (21-24 fl oz)
So Starbucks is the only major chain with hot and cold drink sizes larger than 24 ounces. The Trenta size (30 fl oz) is exclusively available at Starbucks.
Do independent coffee shops offer sizes larger than Venti?
Some independent coffee shops do offer extra large drink sizes even bigger than Starbucks’ Trenta (30 fl oz).
For example:
- Black Forge Coffee House in Ohio serves drinks in a 32 oz “UK Size”
- Scarlet Cup in New York offers 32 oz “Bucket” sizes
- Cool Beanz Espresso Bar in Idaho has “Mugzilla” sizes at 34 oz
- The Artisan Café in Texas serves a 128 oz “Gross” size as a novelty item
However, most independent cafes top out their drink sizes at the 20-24 fl oz large/extra large size. The outliers that offer bigger 32 oz or larger drinks tend to do so more for marketing purposes and novelty value. Very few customers actually order the mega-large sizes on a regular basis.
So while some indie cafes allow you to order a drink larger than a Venti or Trenta, Starbucks remains the major chain providing the biggest drink sizes across all of its thousands of stores.
Should Starbucks offer larger sizes?
There are reasonable arguments on both sides of this debate:
Reasons why Starbucks could offer larger sizes beyond Trenta:
- It would give customers an even bigger cold drink option.
- Could attract new customers who want huge drink portions.
- Allows Starbucks to compete with indie cafes offering 32 oz or larger sizes.
- Provides more variety and customization options for customers.
Reasons why Starbucks should not offer larger sizes:
- Trenta (30 oz) is likely already big enough for most customers.
- Oversized drinks encourage overconsumption of caffeine and sugar.
- Added cup/lid/straw waste from giant drink sizes.
- May require reconfiguring delivery trucks and drink carriers.
- Could make drinks too heavy and difficult to carry.
Given these pros and cons, Starbucks is likely better off sticking with the Trenta as their largest size. Very few customers truly “need” a drink larger than 30 fluid ounces. And giant bucket-sized beverages create waste and health concerns.
But the market will dictate whether an even bigger size ever gets introduced. If enough indie cafes start offering 40+ oz drinks, Starbucks may feel pressure to follow suit. Only time will tell!
Conclusion
In summary, the Starbucks Trenta is significantly larger than a Venti, holding 10 more fluid ounces (50% more drink volume). For cold drinks, upgrading from a Venti to a Trenta runs about $0.50-$1 extra on average. Whether it’s “worth it” depends on your beverage preferences. Starbucks is the only major chain with sizes above 24 oz, but some independent cafes have novelty offerings even bigger than the Trenta. At 30 fl oz, the Trenta provides more than enough drink for most customers’ needs.
