Starbucks Usability: Pour left, stir right?

Posted by Abe Batthish on January 18, 2008

Pet peeve I have with Starbucks coffee stations…

Not sure if it’s just me. I’m right-handed, so I stir my coffee with my right hand and pour with my left. Is that true for most right-handed people? If so, and since we out-number left-handed people 9:1 (sorry lefties), why does Starbucks keep their milk and cream on the right side?!?

This entry was posted on January 18, 2008 at 9:16 pm and is filed under Abe Batthish, Thoughts, Usability. Tagged: starbucks, Usability, user design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

5 Responses to “Starbucks Usability: Pour left, stir right?”

George P. said

February 11, 2008 at 10:37 am
Listen, you guys win in everything else, let us have this dammit.. let us have this! (speaking as the left handed person that I am).

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Mike H. said

February 21, 2008 at 3:05 pm
I pour with my right, stir with my right and hold the cup with my left…

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Dave said

October 19, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Being an employee at Starbucks, I find that most right-handed people tend to pour with their right and stir with their left.

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Abe Batthish said

October 25, 2008 at 6:57 am
Hm.. interesting. Am I the only right handed person that prefers to stir with his right hand?
Maybe their behavior is conditioned because the canisters are on the right?

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Ninja Barista said

August 3, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Hi, I work at Starbucks.
I would imagine MOST people turn the open close top on the carafe with the left while holding the carafe with the right hand. Then after poring, close the lid with the left hand. Then you can stir with whatever hand you chose. I guess its just preference over years of practice.

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