Starbucks Sips That Stump | Nora DeHaven Science Fair 2026

The Experiment

Can people tell the difference between homemade and real Starbucks drinks?

❓ Question

Can people tell the difference between homemade versions of Starbucks drinks vs. real Starbucks drinks?

💭 Hypothesis

I think people will NOT be able to tell the difference between Starbucks drinks and homemade versions of the drinks.

🔬 Method

Blind taste test using 3 tasters, 3 drinks, with a cardboard box setup so nobody could see which cup was which!

Watch the Experiment

See how the blind taste test worked!

The Results

What did we discover?

Chart 1: Which Drink Tasted Better - Taste Preferences

Chart 2: How Similar Did They Taste - Similarity Ratings

Chart 3: Could They Tell the Difference - Identification Accuracy

⭐ The Big Surprise!

The Chai Latte fooled everyone! 2 out of 3 tasters picked homemade as their favorite — but thought they were drinking Starbucks!

Try the Recipes at Home!

Make your own Starbucks-style drinks

☕

Iced Chai Latte

The drink that stumped everyone!

Ingredients:

1 cup Chai tea concentrate
½ cup 2% milk (or milk of choice)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Ice
Optional: 1-2 tsp sugar or honey

Instructions:

Fill a glass with ice
Pour chai tea concentrate over ice
Add milk and vanilla extract
Stir well and sweeten to taste
Enjoy your homemade chai!

🍓

Strawberry Acai Refresher

Fresh and fruity!

Ingredients:

½ cup white cranberry-strawberry juice
½ cup lemonade
Fresh strawberries, chopped
Ice
Optional: freeze-dried strawberries for garnish

Instructions:

Chop fresh strawberries into small pieces
Fill glass with ice
Add strawberry pieces to glass
Pour in white cranberry-strawberry juice
Add lemonade and stir gently
Garnish with freeze-dried strawberries if desired

🍵

Iced Matcha Latte

Smooth and green!

Ingredients:

1-2 tsp matcha powder
2 tbsp hot water
1 cup 2% milk (or milk of choice)
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
Ice
Optional: 1-2 tsp honey or simple syrup

Instructions:

Whisk matcha powder with hot water until smooth (no lumps!)
Add vanilla and sweetener if using, stir
Fill glass with ice
Pour milk over ice
Pour matcha mixture into milk
Stir and enjoy!

Conclusion

🎓 What I Learned

My hypothesis was partially correct! People COULD tell the difference for most drinks, but the Chai Latte was almost impossible to distinguish from the real thing.

Key Findings:

✓ Homemade chai won 3-0 on taste AND fooled 2 out of 3 tasters
✓ Homemade matcha was very different (1.7/5 similarity) but people preferred it!
✓ Strawberry refresher was similar (4/5) but Starbucks won on taste
✓ Overall: It's harder to recreate Starbucks drinks than I thought!