McDonald's whips Starbucks???

When Consumer Reports magazine compared coffee from mega-chain Starbucks with java from three fast-food restaurants, the surprising winner was – McDonald’s.

The magazine had trained tasters sample a medium cup of black coffee from McDonald’s, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, and found the best cup of joe under the golden arches.

McDonald’s coffee "beat the rest,” according to Consumer Reports. It was "decent and moderately strong. Although it lacked the subtle top notes needed to make it rise and shine, it had no flaws.”

As for Starbucks, its coffee "was strong, but burnt and bitter enough to make your eyes water instead of open.”

As for Starbucks, its coffee "was strong, but burnt and bitter enough to make your eyes water instead of open.”

We used to eat deeply charred wood when we went camping, but it wasn't for breakfast and it had a medicinal effect. That's what some of the Starbucks' darker roasts remind me of. There is a way of deep roasting beans without burning them. Try Peet's.

We used to eat deeply charred wood when we went camping

And I sent you to Waterboy? I should have sent you to True Value Hardware -- you could have had a smorgasbord of regular and mesquite briquets -- just avoid the match light version if you are going to have a cigar later.

While I personally would probably prefer McDonalds' coffee to Starbucks (I'm a fan of lighter roasts in general), I don't think this proves anything. I like Consumer Reports for tests of appliances, etc, but when it comes to things that are primarily taste/preference I find their reports useless. The panel style tasting always gravitate to the least offensive (witness their wine panels).
It's also notable that they based their results on purchases from only 2 locations of each chain. Scarcely a test that would effect my decisions about where to buy. I seldom buy coffee except from the deli next to my office. But if I do, I've had the best luck for my tastes at Dunkin Donuts- last in CR's tests.

Now if Starbucks jumps on the Washington state sexpresso craze, they might get more votes.

Randy - Thanks for posting this...I hadn't seen the article.

While I don't normally agree with Consumer Reports (Read it for years and bought all my appliances from their recommendations...and I have not been impressed at all), my husband came home the other day telling me that he couldn't make it to Starbucks for his daily cup of joe, and instead he stopped at McyD's. He said to me, "I hate to admit this, but this is one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had. It is better than Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts." So now he gets his coffee from McDonalds everyday (unless he wants a Cappucino.) It's good to know that his taste buds haven't faded away! Now if he comes home and tells me the fishwich he had was the best fish he ever tasted...I might be worried .

We used to eat deeply charred wood when we went camping, but it wasn't for breakfast and it had a medicinal effect. That's what some of the Starbucks' darker roasts remind me of. There is a way of deep roasting beans without burning them.

Was someone trying to poison you? Or were you just camping on a toxic waste site in NJ? LOL!!

My coffee freak friend has told me for a long time that McD's coffee is good, but I haven't tried it yet. They used to have a senior priced coffee. Is their upgraded coffee available at a geezer price?

He said to me, "I hate to admit this, but this is one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had. It is better than Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts." So now he gets his coffee from McDonalds everyday (unless he wants a Cappucino.)

I provide packaging equipment to many coffee roasting companies who package bulk roasted beans for the likes of McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts. Usually those beans are turned around, i.e. roasted, ground and brewed, within 24 hours. It's seldom that the stuff sits around on the shelf. If nothing else, the coffee is fresh and that is an essential in brewing coffee. I'm sure you've brewed up some stale beans and were disappointed. What can go wrong is that they buy badly roasted or cheap beans; otherwise, their stuff should be as good as anywhere else and it's easy to do.

We used to eat deeply charred wood when we went camping, but it wasn't for breakfast and it had a medicinal effect. That's what some of the Starbucks' darker roasts remind me of. There is a way of deep roasting beans without burning them.

Was someone trying to poison you? Or were you just camping on a toxic waste site in NJ? LOL!!

We used to play fetch the body part with the junkyard dogs in the dumps along the Belleville Pike ... kinda explains my third eye. But the charcoal or charred wood was compressed into tablets and used to quiet down an otherwise quickly moving digestive system when camping. (I hope I put that politely enough.)

[Jenise]

Even fifteen years ago when I spent a lot of time on the road on business, McD's was the best quick cup of coffee out there. Starbucks was, at that time, nonexistent--at least where I was travelling. Hard to imagine that today I'd not prefer Starbucks, and of course what Dale said: these are the people who named Beringer Chardonnay the best in the country. And no doubt, for their tastes, it was, but I don't share their taste.

Yeah, Starbuck's coffee is subpar in my opinion. It's why they sell so many latte and mochafrappalappachinos.

I get coffee from local delis, general stores and bagels shops. Supports local business and the coffee is the best.

I don't see how anyone can lump all of Starbuck's coffees into..."they all taste like crap"...file. Good grief, they've got dozens of blends.

Some are...as Gary says..reminiscent of a charred oak log. Especially some of the Extra Bold roasts. I think those are pretty bad, but I know folks who like them. Some blends are simply awful....

But there are some really good coffee beans from Starbucks. Our morning standard coffee is Starbuck's Yukon Blend. I buy the whole beans and grind them every morning. Or we use the Verona Blend beans as a fallback in case Yukon isn't available. The Christmas Blend was outstanding also..though no longer available.

Richard

Yes Larry, Mickey D's does still have a senior price for their coffee. I happen to think that their coffee is drinkable, but IMO it is not as good as it was a few years ago, and I actually can not tell any difference in this "new and improved" from the stuff they sold just before it was "new and improved".

Yes Larry, Mickey D's does still have a senior price for their coffee.

Great. I wasn't asking for myself, of course, but for a friend.

CR obviously did not consult me on this opinion.....but then again my opinion is woefully outdated. I have not had a cup of Mickey D's coffee in decades.

I use McD's coffee as an example of what needs to be done in the franchise business: regardless of where the customer buys the product, the taste should be the same. Boston or Albuquerque, the burgers should taste the same. I know the coffee used to be the same in a number of places: it sucked everywhere I drank it. So I quit buying it.

If you recall McD's lost their collective ass when someone burned themselves on a cup of hot coffee. I often wondered if that blisteringly hot brew melted both the coating and glue of the paper cup in which it was served. Thoughts of consuming unnamed deadly chemicals convinced me to stay with cold drinks at McD's.

As far as Starbucks, I'm with Richard. Some are good, some are not. And I avoid the fou-fou drinks for the most part.

Actually Mike, this ?accident? happened when this lady place the hot cup of coffee between her legs so that she could maneuver the vehicle she was driving. it tipped over since she could not hold it tightly enough because of the heat, and she was burned. Some kind of "OJ Simpson jury" awarded her the $$ since it is good to stick it to the big corporations.

While I personally would probably prefer McDonalds' coffee to Starbucks (I'm a fan of lighter roasts in general), I don't think this proves anything. I like Consumer Reports for tests of appliances, etc, but when it comes to things that are primarily taste/preference I find their reports useless. The panel style tasting always gravitate to the least offensive (witness their wine panels).
It's also notable that they based their results on purchases from only 2 locations of each chain. Scarcely a test that would effect my decisions about where to buy. I seldom buy coffee except from the deli next to my office. But if I do, I've had the best luck for my tastes at Dunkin Donuts- last in CR's tests.

When I was on the road as a salesman I found Dunkin Donut's coffee about the best I could get of the ff chains.

The McDonald's coffee lawsuit occurred right here in Albuquerque ten years ago--another reason we're so famous. "I knew I shoulda turned left at Albuquoicky."

As I recall, the original lawsuit was for $4 million, but the actual award was a lot less. McD's served the coffee at 190F and the resulting spill caused 3rd degree burns to the woman's thighs and genitals. That particular McD's had been cited a couple of times before for serving coffee too hot.

I believe the McD's in question is across the street from the VA hospital, which has a staff nurse who was charged with sedition a year or two ago by the Bush administration for writing a letter to the newspaper critical of the Iraq war. She was put on leave and her VA computer was confiscated, but she had written the letter at home on her own time. Big brother, indeed.

The McDonald's coffee lawsuit occurred right here in Albuquerque ten years ago--another reason we're so famous. "I knew I shoulda turned left at Albuquoicky."

As I recall, the original lawsuit was for $4 million, but the actual award was a lot less. McD's served the coffee at 190F and the resulting spill caused 3rd degree burns to the woman's thighs and genitals. That particular McD's had been cited a couple of times before for serving coffee too hot.

I believe the McD's in question is across the street from the VA hospital, which has a staff nurse who was charged with sedition a year or two ago by the Bush administration for writing a letter to the newspaper critical of the Iraq war. She was put on leave and her VA computer was confiscated, but she had written the letter at home on her own time. Big brother, indeed.

I heard that McD'd coffee is so hot because of the smoke point of the oil they use in it...

I don't see how anyone can lump all of Starbuck's coffees into..."they all taste like crap"...file. Good grief, they've got dozens of blends.

Some are...as Gary says..reminiscent of a charred oak log. Especially some of the Extra Bold roasts. I think those are pretty bad, but I know folks who like them. Some blends are simply awful....

But there are some really good coffee beans from Starbucks. Our morning standard coffee is Starbuck's Yukon Blend. I buy the whole beans and grind them every morning. Or we use the Verona Blend beans as a fallback in case Yukon isn't available. The Christmas Blend was outstanding also..though no longer available.

Richard

This was my thought. I am not a fan of dark roast coffees and why I did not frequent the place. They opened one about 300yds from my house and I got a $20 gift certificate in my Christmas stocking. Went their and got their med roast and it was very nice. Go back about 2 times per week. Having said that, I like McDonalds coffee and the price is better.
Walt

I actually mentioned this in a previous thread related to coffee and Starbucks. I so much fancied McDonald's coffee that I asked if I could buy the beans from them. When I was told by a cashier that they don't sell them, I of course could not fathom it so continued to search online: McDonald's, Green Mountain, and even Newman's Own. (I know, I know, you'd think I had nothing better to do....) When I couldn't find a "buy here" link on any of those websites, I emailed them all and was told the McDonald's blend is not for sale for home-brewing. Grrr...

We used to really like DD, but my husband and I both swear they have changed their blend. Not as good as it was years ago.

I suspect the McDonalds coffee is significantly different to those in their 'restaurants' over here. As with the food, to my palate, it is vile in the extreme.

McDonald's, Green Mountain, and even Newman's Own. (I know, I know, you'd think I had nothing better to do....) When I couldn't find a "buy here" link on any of those websites, I emailed them all and was told the McDonald's blend is not for sale for home-brewing. Grrr...

Edited

Carrie, I must agree with you. The Mc D's blend of coffee was a LOT better before them going to this so called "premium blend"

Edited to say that I was thinking you were speaking of the Mc D's coffee, when you were in fact speaking of the Dunkin Donuts. I stand behind my statement regards Mickey D's coffee too.

I suspect the McDonalds coffee is significantly different to those in their 'restaurants' over here. As with the food, to my palate, it is vile in the extreme.

Ian, the food isn't vile--it isn't food.

I suspect the McDonalds coffee is significantly different to those in their 'restaurants' over here. As with the food, to my palate, it is vile in the extreme.

Ian, the food isn't vile--it isn't food.

<<Nod's in acknowledgement>>