Oh, hail no.
The Post can confirm that the popular coffee chain Starbucks is switching up its ice — making the change from the classic cube to the nugget in select locations.
“As we continue to innovate and make investments in the Starbucks Experience for our partners (baristas) and customers, we are introducing new machines that make nugget ice to select stores this year,” a Starbucks spokesperson told The Post in a statement Wednesday.
The statement continued, “Like many of our recent investments, this machine allows partners to focus on delivering the Starbucks Experience while hand-crafting the same delicious, high-quality iced beverages our customers have come to expect from Starbucks.”
Nugget ice is noticeably smaller and denser than cubes, kind of like crushed ice — think of the iced drinks at Sonic.
The ice rumor gained steam a few days ago, when a Reddit thread started by an alleged Starbucks employee went viral.
The anonymous worker posted a picture of the pebble ice in all its glory, claiming it was “1 of 3 cafe stores testing the new ice.”
The scoop sparked a seriously hot debate about which ice was better — nugget or cube.
“The recipes aren’t built for this type of ice, which will melt a lot faster and dilute the coffee and sweetness,” one Redditor lamented. “The texture of the frappuccinos will also probably be a lot different.”
Another agreed, typing, “Nooo, I think the ice you guys have now is so perfect. So perfect I ask for extra extra ice because the coffee is easier to drink. This type of ice, in my opinion, is better for sodas or just plain ice water. (In my opinion).”
“I hate that type of ice,” someone else raged. “It melts [too] fast and they are not clear ice. If I want doggy ice I will get it from my fridge at home.”
“I’m scared….I order extra ice in my latte,” one person admitted. “I love the ratio I get currently. So afraid of change…lol.”
Others are giving the change a warm reception.
“If Starbucks goes to nugget ice — TAKE ALL OF MY MONEY ALL OF THE TIME,” someone proclaimed.
Another joked, “I think we all collectively orgasmed.”
“This ice is gonna be amazing, it’s basically hospital ice, and we all know hospitals have the best ice,” a Starbucks enthusiast noted.
The rumor also made its way around TikTok, with similar debates ensuing in comments sections.
But fret not, Starbucks lovers — The Post has learned the chain conducted tests that reportedly showed the new ice does not melt faster than the existing ice.
And the volume of ice per beverage will not be changing.
The new ice will be rolled out over years, as one of the company’s sustainability goals is to cut its water footprint in half by 2030. The new ice machines are said to use less water.