I’m an ex-Starbucks barista —these are the signs you’re about to get a bad cup of coffee

He’s spilling the beans.

Getting a good cup of coffee can be a tall order — but a former Starbucks barista says there are obvious signs you’re about to be served up a subpar cup of Joe.

Dylan Clair, who worked at one of the coffee giant’s franchises for over a year, says there are several ways customers can clue in to an impending caffeine catastrophe.

The ex-employee revealed the red flags in an interview with Business Insider, with his advice sure to help coffee lovers now forking out upwards of $8 for a brew.

“Sometimes the signs are flashing in front of your face, and you can adjust your expectations or get the heck out of there before you waste your time and money,” Clair claimed.

Below, the barista’s tell-tale signs. Thank him later.

Frantic baristas

If a barista looks frantic to you, that’s not a good sign.

“Food service isn’t for everyone,” Clair states. “It can be physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding work.”

That said, even those who thrive in food service can have off days. If the person making your coffee seems overwhelmed, distracted or visibly panicked, your coffee is more likely to be burned or be the wrong order entirely.

Employees are “out of place”

If a barista is cleaning up, restocking merchandise or doing other side tasks rather than being behind the counter they could be “out of place.”

These menial tasks are normal for baristas to do during quieter hours, but if there’s a rush with a huge line, all hands should be on deck.

“If you’ve ever had to pick up the slack (and the blame) for a coworker, I’m sure you can guess how that story ends,” Clair wrote, saying such workers may not be equipped to make a decent brew.

Not using the right language

As many people already know, Starbucks has a language of its own.

Some baristas can typically figure out what a customer means, especially those who have worked there for a long time. However, if they look confused or ask questions to clarify what you want, they may be a rookie who’s no pro behind the coffee machine.

Loud steam wands

When ordering a drink with dairy milk, beware of loud steam wands.

“If I walk into a coffee shop and hear a loud scream coming from the espresso machine, I know immediately not to order anything using foamed or steamed milk,” Clair warned.

Starbucks tends to make steaming milk for lattes and cappuccinos easier for baristas than other coffee shops thanks to the automated machines and built-in thermometers, but technology isn’t always perfect.

The screaming steam machine does occur when nondairy milk is used, but it’s also an indicator that the barista making the coffee didn’t aerate the milk enough before putting the steam wand into the pitcher of milk.

If it’s not aerated enough, it can scorch the milk, which doesn’t exactly make a tasty latte or cappuccino.

Clair explained that the “right” sound for dairy milk should be “like tearing paper for one to eight seconds (depending on the drink), and then a gentle bubbling until the steam turns off.”

Drip coffee in the afternoon

“Starbucks’ brewed coffee is bad. There, I said it,” Clair confessed.

When it comes to brewed coffee, the timing is what matters most. Many Starbucks locations stop brewing more than one kind of coffee before noon since most of their traffic happens before 10 a.m.

The medium Pike Place roast is brewed all day, and blonde, dark, decaf and specialty roasts are only brewed as needed in the afternoon, Clair explained.

Drip coffee is supposed to be dumped and refreshed every 30 minutes, but as a former barista, Clair can share that that’s not always the case.

So, if you do want a cup of brewed coffee in the afternoon, Clair advises asking the barista to have an individual pour-over made to ensure a fresh cup.

Mobile-ordering cold foam or shaken espresso

Clair advises against getting a drink with cold foam or shaken espresso if you’re going to mobile-order.

Timing is also important for cold foam and shaken espressos, and the “biggest mistake you can make” is ordering it too early.

The longer the drinks sit untouched, the more the foam will melt or seep into the drink — which could have a good taste, but the texture is lost.

With shaken espressos, shaking adds air to the drink and gives it volume and flavor, so letting it sit out means the espresso loses all of the shaken pizzaz.

Rude customers

Even if you haven’t had your coffee yet, being kind to your barista rather than grumpy can go a long way.

Clair said that a barista won’t make a bad drink on purpose, but they’ll definitely put extra thought into drinks for kind customers, especially regulars or those who politely ask for help.

You can always ask the barista to remake your drink if you don’t like it — it is Starbucks’ policy after all — just don’t be rude when doing so.

Starbucks even confirmed the policy to Business Insider with a statement.

“Since our earliest days, Starbucks has been the leader in coffee quality and the coffeehouse experience,” they wrote. “A part of the Starbucks Experience, we are committed to delivering the highest quality beverages and take great care in ensuring each one of our customers’ beverages is expertly crafted to their liking. If a customer is not satisfied with their hand-crafted beverage, our baristas will be happy to remake the beverage and make the moment right for the customer.”