Is upsizing your Mr Coconut drink worth it? This TikTok user might have the answer

To upsize or not to upsize? That's the question which pops up in most people's heads when they're ordering a drink.

While you might appear to be getting more when you upsize, some bubble tea brands may not be giving you as much bang for your buck.

But what about Mr Coconut, which seems to have become one of the more popular drink stalls in Singapore recently? A TikTok user by the name of Finn (@ssquack) has decided to get to the bottom of it.

@ssquack

the queue is too freaking long #boba #tiktoksg #tea #milktea #science #foodtiktok #mrcoconut #coconut

♬ good 4 u - Olivia Rodrigo

In one TikTok, Finn uses a measuring cup to fill up a medium and a large Mr Coconut cup, showing that the volume difference does indeed match up to the sizes displayed on Mr Coconut's menu.

A quick glance at their menu shows that it costs $1 to upsize your drink — pretty reasonable in our book. For instance, a medium cup (500ml) of their coconut shake costs $4.40 while a large cup (700ml) goes for $5.40.

But while you're getting a sweet 200ml extra when you order their ice-blended shakes, you might not be getting as much as you think if you're upsizing a drink that's served with ice cubes.

In one of Finn's experiments, she shows that adding ice — which she calls "enemy number one" — can reduce the volume of extra drink you're getting when you upsize.

@ssquack

ice is enemy number 1. #boba #milktea #science #bts #tea #tiktoksg #sgtiktok #koi #coffee

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For instance, a medium (500ml) cup and large (750ml) cup from Koi Thé hold just 300ml and 400ml of drink respectively when filled with ice.

This means that instead of 250ml more drink, you're really just getting 100ml more.

Our verdict? Given that you pay the same amount to upsize both ice-blended drinks and regular iced drinks, such as coconut juice, at Mr Coconut, it's more worth it to upsize your ice-blended drinks.

If you're not a fan of Mr Coconut, not to worry, Finn is also on a mission to find out if other drink stalls are playing fair. She has a number of other similar videos on her page comparing regular and large cups from each brand.

She's also compared cups across different bubble tea brands to show that cup height can be deceiving.

So, the next time you want to order a drink, you may want to keep these TikTok videos in mind before deciding whether to upsize or not.

melissateo@asiaone.com