Consumer Reports has determined that McDonald's black coffee -- the least expensive of the four brands of coffee tested -- is better than Starbucks.
An article at The Eagle-Tribute gives all the details.
I wonder when we'll start seeing the McDonald's cup replace the ubiquitous Starbucks cup as the status symbol of the in-the-know coffee drinker.
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Being a coffee drinker but an Australian one I have a bit of a different take on McDonalds coffee ... and would chose something like Starbucks over it any day. A friend who's recently returned from the US did mention that the coffee whereever they tried it, was extremely bitter. I'm taking a guess that the best coffee still comes from the private cafe. As for status symbol, McDonalds seems to have to be continually refining itself to bring in 'healthier' food. Yet Starbucks and McDonalds are both extremely loved brands. Loyalty from customers is what makes the businesses and I think there's almost a point where that surpasses the actual product.
I don't frequent McDonald's but I think it's great that Starbuck's isn't the best coffee going, at least in this survey. I love strong coffee, but I don't really care for the burnt-roast flavor of Starbuck's.
In my hometown the best coffee is the fresh-ground stuff from the little local cafés. Mmmm!
Being so far away from them and their good hot coffee in the cold weather we've been having here in Chicago where I go to college makes me sad, and lacking in coziness :(
A real local coffee house atmosphere is so much cozier than McDonald's or Starbucks, too... Maybe they should both get out of the coffee business and let local shops take care of what they do best!
It's common knowledge in the coffee community that Starbucks isn't the best coffee out there.
Indie coffee shops typically have the best coffee and, like Becca said, a better atmosphere. Common Grounds in Waco, TX has to be the all-around best coffee shop I've been in. It's just off the campus of Baylor University.
All the coffee drinkers I talk to say Gloria Jeans is a mile ahead of everyone, even Starbucks. Don't know if you guys have Gloria Jeans in the states.
Ugh. McDonald's cappucino is so sickeningly sweet I can't drink it, and that's coming from someone who loves sweet things. But I can't drink my coffee dark either; even when weak, it's overpoweringly bitter to me. (I must have been smuggled out of Australia as a baby, Bec! Thank you for clearing that up for me! :-) ) So it's either Starbucks frappucinos and mochas or my own homemade brew -- about nine parts chocolate milk and water, one part coffee -- for this girl.
I was never was a coffee person I'll admit and I still can't stand just plain coffee even if it's mixed with creme and sugar and that the coffee is done in another country or state. (I love tea without creme and sugar the best). However, I like frappucinos and lattes in local coffee shops and at my college. That's the closest to drinking coffee. Here's my thought this coffee thing. I don't like much from macDonalds. The only things I'll eat at Starbuck will some of their pastries and the yogert (is that how it spells). I don't like their coffee at all. It has a good variety of coffee beans but not much variety with flavors of frappucinos and lattes. It does have specialties flavors but it doesn't stay of the menu for a while anyway. The coffee shop that I go to every weekend beats Starbuck by a long shot. I
Forgive the upcoming meandering commentary about coffee, however as someone with a severe caffeine intake problem I feel the need to chime in. I think any readers from Canada would quickly note that Tim Hortons was not included in the survey. Most people outside of Canada have not experienced the love that is Tims, but they are rather ubiquitous up here. There are at least a dozen within a couple minutes drive from campus, and I don't live in a big city. Anyways, I find their coffee ridiculously good. I've also worked in the US on a couple occasions (west coast, Starbucks country!), and it's the only times in my life since I started university that I stopped drinking coffee. I found the coffee at all the coffee shops over-roasted and very bitter. 'tis only the grace of God which got me through those few weeks of withdrawal! I imagine that if you've grown up with Starbucks it's what you're used to, but I've always considered using a Starbucks coffee to wake up the equivalent of smacking yourself in the head with a 2x4, it works, but there are more pleasant ways to wake up...
Another thing to add is that most of Starbuck's coffees are not in result of fair trade, which is another reason why I don't take their coffee. You need to ask them to make a coffee with fair trade certificate on them. You spend extra money and time of course. The money I can deal with but it's the fact you have ask and tell them to use a fair trade coffee is more than annoying since they represent all their coffees as stuff in result of fair trade. I got this info from a good friend who came to Starbuck for a coffee.Being for fair trade, she ask if it uses fair trade coffees, which the answer is pretty much no. She had to wait much longer to get her coffee.
Ahh, Tim Hortons. I grew up a Georgia girl and never experienced the glory that is Tim Hortons until I attended college in Saskatchewan, Canada. I'll take them over Panera, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks combined -- any day of the week!
McDonald's coffee: WAY better than Starbucks. And cheaper......... ...
Although Gloria Jean's is good, too.
... And of course, small local coffee houses beat out these corporations any day, if simply for their bottomless mugs and poofy couches. ... ... But sometimes, downtown is just too far away.
Ah, coffee.
We have Gloria Jeans here (New Zealand) too but I've only had it once or twice.
I miss Tim Horton's coffee when I'm not in Canada (which is about 90% of the time) and I would agree that it rates high above any Starbucks I've tired in any country. It's also a lot cheaper than any coffee you can buy in NZ.
I agree with the atmosphere in independent coffee places tends to be better although I find you can wait longer for your coffee if the are busy. But it is often worth the wait especially if it is fair trade as well.
I have also found that hospital coffee (the stuff that is free for staff, med students, patients and sometimes visitors) is universally bad. It is generally the worst (probably cheapest) instant coffee available. The tea is usually okay though.
One more random note: I'm please to read a few fellow southern hemisphere dwellers are here.
-Peace in Christ, Rosalie
Being a coffee purist, I think we're painting with overly broad brushstrokes here.
First point of clarification: McDonald's coffee is really not McDonald's coffee. Their coffee became "good" about a year ago when they teamed up with Green Mountain Coffee Roaster's Newman's Own Organic brand. For those outside of the New England region, Green Mountain is the "Starbuck's of New England" with the exception that they don't have stores, they sell to coffee shops, convenience stores ... but I digress.
You have to give Starbucks some credit because they put the idea of fairly consistent, premium coffee on the map and made it much more accessible to the public. Prior to that you had to be in a college town or eclectic, artsy borough to find the highly-prized coffee shop.
Another item worth mentioning is that McDonald's, Dunkin' (they're dropping the Donuts from their name) and Tim Horton's also offer, usually, one blend. Sure you can get the flavored hazelnut, french vanilla ... whatever, but I thumb my nose at that.
Starbucks and your local coffee house are the only places where you can get coffee from a variety of regions (Latin America, Africa, southeast Asia, etc.) and roasts. So when you say "XXXX's coffee is too bitter" you may just not like that particular region's coffee or perhaps that type of roast, or blend as the case may be.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
I sort of think the whole starbucks isn't the best thing is slight blasphemy ... Where's the loyalty to the brand that got us addicted? :)
My husband's favorite coffee is from Caribou. I think it's only a Northern US brand. They're pretty prominent in MN, so whenever he flies through the MSP(Minneapolis/St. Paul) airport he must buy Caribou coffee.
I don't drink coffee. I like the way it smells, but not the way it tastes. (I personally wouldn't get Starbucks anyway since they help fund gay pride parades.)
Starbucks has its merits, especially if you travel. If you're on vacation, it's not always easy to find a good local coffee shop. The nice thing about Starbucks is that the coffee usually tastes the same, is the same temperature, and you can get it just about anywhere in the US. Though my mom swears that all coffee on the east coast tastes different.
I haven't tried Dunkin Donuts or McDonald's coffee in a while, but both used to be known for high quality! Nevertheless, I like that acidic Starbucks taste!
I'd love to find a local coffee shop that was good, but they seem few and far between in the Shenandoah Valley, VA. No bottomless cups and those terrible airpots that don't keep anything hot!
BUT this brings up a good question. What's the general stance among Boundless readers regarding fair trade coffee?
They were probably only testing this up against Starbucks house blend. Starbucks actually has many different blends which all taste very different. I love trying their different blens and I really enjoyed the Christmas Blend they had last year. This is something that Mc Donalds doesn't offer.
If you want a good cuo of coffee at home try the kenya blend offered by Gevalia,they are an online coffee suplier that offer a wide variety of products and I think the kenya blend is better than most coffee house blends
I've become addicted to McDonald's coffee. I have hardly gone a day without an ice mocha this summer. I even went back to Starbucks and It's a Grind (In California) only to be disappointed after trying McDonalds. I find that the McDonalds brew is stronger and has a fabulous rich flavor. I have to give up the ambiance of Starbucks and it's a grind, but the truth is in the "beans" and i'm out for the better tasting coffee. So give it try one morning on your way to work, you just may be in for a surprise.
McDonald's coffee is smooth and relaxing. It has a great robust taste without the burnt taste. I wish I could buy it by the case and prepare it at home for me and my family every morning. I am a true to the bone coffee drinker.
I'm a committed soda drinker. McDonald's seems to make it the best. Don't know why, but I'm loyal.
I'm a coffee drinker but admittedly a snobby one. The way McDonald's practices business has turned me off to the franchise and I don't buy from there...and I find the coffee to be 'intestinal fluid cleaner' as one of my friends so aptly described it.
Starbucks is okay.
I'm with the above--make it at home because you can do it better or find an out of the way coffee shop. Much tastier.
Out of all the chains, I love our local chain Barnie's Coffee the best (Orlando area). Next is Seattle's Best (at Borders Bookstores and independent cafes). I love Krispy Kreme's iced coffee, but it's hard to find the stores that actually serve cold drinks anymore.
All that said...I still also prefer local coffee shops that get interesting blends from all over the world. I also prefer brewing coffee at home from beans I've picked up traveling to South America on business trips. My fav? A hazelnut espresso roast from Venezuela. It can take me to my happy place!
Just saying... this was the number 3 result, when I googled McDonalds Coffee Beans. As a boundless reader it was quite exciting to see because it was very unexpected.
Are there any roasters out there who are attempting to copy the flavours of the great McDonalds coffee? I am shocked at the rich full coffee flavour MickyDs has brought to the market. Starbucks and Dunkin have now found themselves way behind the curve. Good Job McDonalds.
If you'd like to leave a comment, click here. I couldn't get the commenting feature to work correctly here, but it is available on that less user-friendly mobile version of the blog. Yeah, it's kludgy. Sorry. ~Ted.
1. Bec said the following at 5:08 PM on Feb 5:
1
Being a coffee drinker but an Australian one I have a bit of a different take on McDonalds coffee ... and would chose something like Starbucks over it any day. A friend who's recently returned from the US did mention that the coffee whereever they tried it, was extremely bitter. I'm taking a guess that the best coffee still comes from the private cafe. As for status symbol, McDonalds seems to have to be continually refining itself to bring in 'healthier' food. Yet Starbucks and McDonalds are both extremely loved brands. Loyalty from customers is what makes the businesses and I think there's almost a point where that surpasses the actual product.
2. LauraMH said the following at 5:10 PM on Feb 5:
2
I don't frequent McDonald's but I think it's great that Starbuck's isn't the best coffee going, at least in this survey. I love strong coffee, but I don't really care for the burnt-roast flavor of Starbuck's.
3. Becca said the following at 5:39 PM on Feb 5:
3
In my hometown the best coffee is the fresh-ground stuff from the little local cafés. Mmmm!
Being so far away from them and their good hot coffee in the cold weather we've been having here in Chicago where I go to college makes me sad, and lacking in coziness :(
A real local coffee house atmosphere is so much cozier than McDonald's or Starbucks, too... Maybe they should both get out of the coffee business and let local shops take care of what they do best!
4. Jacob said the following at 7:01 PM on Feb 5:
4
It's common knowledge in the coffee community that Starbucks isn't the best coffee out there.
Indie coffee shops typically have the best coffee and, like Becca said, a better atmosphere. Common Grounds in Waco, TX has to be the all-around best coffee shop I've been in. It's just off the campus of Baylor University.
5. Leah said the following at 7:04 PM on Feb 5:
5
All the coffee drinkers I talk to say Gloria Jeans is a mile ahead of everyone, even Starbucks. Don't know if you guys have Gloria Jeans in the states.
6. Gina Dalfonzo said the following at 8:09 PM on Feb 5:
6
Ugh. McDonald's cappucino is so sickeningly sweet I can't drink it, and that's coming from someone who loves sweet things. But I can't drink my coffee dark either; even when weak, it's overpoweringly bitter to me. (I must have been smuggled out of Australia as a baby, Bec! Thank you for clearing that up for me! :-) ) So it's either Starbucks frappucinos and mochas or my own homemade brew -- about nine parts chocolate milk and water, one part coffee -- for this girl.
7. xeres said the following at 8:59 PM on Feb 5:
7
I was never was a coffee person I'll admit and I still can't stand just plain coffee even if it's mixed with creme and sugar and that the coffee is done in another country or state. (I love tea without creme and sugar the best). However, I like frappucinos and lattes in local coffee shops and at my college. That's the closest to drinking coffee. Here's my thought this coffee thing. I don't like much from macDonalds. The only things I'll eat at Starbuck will some of their pastries and the yogert (is that how it spells). I don't like their coffee at all. It has a good variety of coffee beans but not much variety with flavors of frappucinos and lattes. It does have specialties flavors but it doesn't stay of the menu for a while anyway. The coffee shop that I go to every weekend beats Starbuck by a long shot. I
8. Dave said the following at 9:01 PM on Feb 5:
8
Forgive the upcoming meandering commentary about coffee, however as someone with a severe caffeine intake problem I feel the need to chime in. I think any readers from Canada would quickly note that Tim Hortons was not included in the survey. Most people outside of Canada have not experienced the love that is Tims, but they are rather ubiquitous up here. There are at least a dozen within a couple minutes drive from campus, and I don't live in a big city. Anyways, I find their coffee ridiculously good. I've also worked in the US on a couple occasions (west coast, Starbucks country!), and it's the only times in my life since I started university that I stopped drinking coffee. I found the coffee at all the coffee shops over-roasted and very bitter. 'tis only the grace of God which got me through those few weeks of withdrawal! I imagine that if you've grown up with Starbucks it's what you're used to, but I've always considered using a Starbucks coffee to wake up the equivalent of smacking yourself in the head with a 2x4, it works, but there are more pleasant ways to wake up...
9. xeres said the following at 9:13 PM on Feb 5:
9
Another thing to add is that most of Starbuck's coffees are not in result of fair trade, which is another reason why I don't take their coffee. You need to ask them to make a coffee with fair trade certificate on them. You spend extra money and time of course. The money I can deal with but it's the fact you have ask and tell them to use a fair trade coffee is more than annoying since they represent all their coffees as stuff in result of fair trade. I got this info from a good friend who came to Starbuck for a coffee.Being for fair trade, she ask if it uses fair trade coffees, which the answer is pretty much no. She had to wait much longer to get her coffee.
10. Dawn said the following at 9:27 PM on Feb 5:
10
Ahh, Tim Hortons. I grew up a Georgia girl and never experienced the glory that is Tim Hortons until I attended college in Saskatchewan, Canada. I'll take them over Panera, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks combined -- any day of the week!
11. Rachel said the following at 9:36 PM on Feb 5:
11
McDonald's coffee: WAY better than Starbucks. And cheaper......... ...
Although Gloria Jean's is good, too.
... And of course, small local coffee houses beat out these corporations any day, if simply for their bottomless mugs and poofy couches. ... ... But sometimes, downtown is just too far away.
12. Rosalie said the following at 3:12 AM on Feb 6:
12
Ah, coffee.
We have Gloria Jeans here (New Zealand) too but I've only had it once or twice.
I miss Tim Horton's coffee when I'm not in Canada (which is about 90% of the time) and I would agree that it rates high above any Starbucks I've tired in any country. It's also a lot cheaper than any coffee you can buy in NZ.
I agree with the atmosphere in independent coffee places tends to be better although I find you can wait longer for your coffee if the are busy. But it is often worth the wait especially if it is fair trade as well.
I have also found that hospital coffee (the stuff that is free for staff, med students, patients and sometimes visitors) is universally bad. It is generally the worst (probably cheapest) instant coffee available. The tea is usually okay though.
One more random note: I'm please to read a few fellow southern hemisphere dwellers are here.
-Peace in Christ, Rosalie
13. Mark said the following at 7:32 AM on Feb 6:
13
Being a coffee purist, I think we're painting with overly broad brushstrokes here.
First point of clarification: McDonald's coffee is really not McDonald's coffee. Their coffee became "good" about a year ago when they teamed up with Green Mountain Coffee Roaster's Newman's Own Organic brand. For those outside of the New England region, Green Mountain is the "Starbuck's of New England" with the exception that they don't have stores, they sell to coffee shops, convenience stores ... but I digress.
You have to give Starbucks some credit because they put the idea of fairly consistent, premium coffee on the map and made it much more accessible to the public. Prior to that you had to be in a college town or eclectic, artsy borough to find the highly-prized coffee shop.
Another item worth mentioning is that McDonald's, Dunkin' (they're dropping the Donuts from their name) and Tim Horton's also offer, usually, one blend. Sure you can get the flavored hazelnut, french vanilla ... whatever, but I thumb my nose at that.
Starbucks and your local coffee house are the only places where you can get coffee from a variety of regions (Latin America, Africa, southeast Asia, etc.) and roasts. So when you say "XXXX's coffee is too bitter" you may just not like that particular region's coffee or perhaps that type of roast, or blend as the case may be.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
14. lzimm said the following at 9:31 AM on Feb 6:
14
I sort of think the whole starbucks isn't the best thing is slight blasphemy ... Where's the loyalty to the brand that got us addicted? :)
15. Becky F. said the following at 10:07 AM on Feb 6:
15
My husband's favorite coffee is from Caribou. I think it's only a Northern US brand. They're pretty prominent in MN, so whenever he flies through the MSP(Minneapolis/St. Paul) airport he must buy Caribou coffee.
I don't drink coffee. I like the way it smells, but not the way it tastes. (I personally wouldn't get Starbucks anyway since they help fund gay pride parades.)
16. Shawna said the following at 12:00 PM on Feb 6:
16
Starbucks has its merits, especially if you travel. If you're on vacation, it's not always easy to find a good local coffee shop. The nice thing about Starbucks is that the coffee usually tastes the same, is the same temperature, and you can get it just about anywhere in the US. Though my mom swears that all coffee on the east coast tastes different.
17. Jay said the following at 1:54 PM on Feb 6:
17
I haven't tried Dunkin Donuts or McDonald's coffee in a while, but both used to be known for high quality! Nevertheless, I like that acidic Starbucks taste!
I'd love to find a local coffee shop that was good, but they seem few and far between in the Shenandoah Valley, VA. No bottomless cups and those terrible airpots that don't keep anything hot!
BUT this brings up a good question. What's the general stance among Boundless readers regarding fair trade coffee?
18. Zeph Greenwell said the following at 2:46 PM on Feb 7:
18
They were probably only testing this up against Starbucks house blend. Starbucks actually has many different blends which all taste very different. I love trying their different blens and I really enjoyed the Christmas Blend they had last year. This is something that Mc Donalds doesn't offer.
19. CJ said the following at 12:18 PM on Oct 18:
19
Is there any place where you can buy McDonalds coffee to make it at home.
20. jack said the following at 7:08 PM on Oct 28:
20
If you want a good cuo of coffee at home try the kenya blend offered by Gevalia,they are an online coffee suplier that offer a wide variety of products and I think the kenya blend is better than most coffee house blends
21. Carol said the following at 1:54 PM on Aug 30:
21
I've become addicted to McDonald's coffee. I have hardly gone a day without an ice mocha this summer. I even went back to Starbucks and It's a Grind (In California) only to be disappointed after trying McDonalds. I find that the McDonalds brew is stronger and has a fabulous rich flavor. I have to give up the ambiance of Starbucks and it's a grind, but the truth is in the "beans" and i'm out for the better tasting coffee. So give it try one morning on your way to work, you just may be in for a surprise.
22. Troy said the following at 1:34 PM on Nov 9:
22
McDonald's coffee is smooth and relaxing. It has a great robust taste without the burnt taste. I wish I could buy it by the case and prepare it at home for me and my family every morning. I am a true to the bone coffee drinker.
23. Zusanne said the following at 2:37 PM on Nov 9:
23
I'm a committed soda drinker. McDonald's seems to make it the best. Don't know why, but I'm loyal.
24. Kit said the following at 2:45 PM on Nov 9:
24
I'm a coffee drinker but admittedly a snobby one. The way McDonald's practices business has turned me off to the franchise and I don't buy from there...and I find the coffee to be 'intestinal fluid cleaner' as one of my friends so aptly described it.
Starbucks is okay.
I'm with the above--make it at home because you can do it better or find an out of the way coffee shop. Much tastier.
25. Vanessa said the following at 4:06 PM on Nov 9:
25
Out of all the chains, I love our local chain Barnie's Coffee the best (Orlando area). Next is Seattle's Best (at Borders Bookstores and independent cafes). I love Krispy Kreme's iced coffee, but it's hard to find the stores that actually serve cold drinks anymore.
All that said...I still also prefer local coffee shops that get interesting blends from all over the world. I also prefer brewing coffee at home from beans I've picked up traveling to South America on business trips. My fav? A hazelnut espresso roast from Venezuela. It can take me to my happy place!
26. Sarah said the following at 8:21 PM on Apr 14:
26
Just saying... this was the number 3 result, when I googled McDonalds Coffee Beans. As a boundless reader it was quite exciting to see because it was very unexpected.
27. John S said the following at 1:03 PM on May 10:
27
McDonalds coffee is roasted & packed by S&D Coffee in Concord,NC..Believe it or not!
28. Bledsoe said the following at 8:04 AM on Jan 20:
28
Are there any roasters out there who are attempting to copy the flavours of the great McDonalds coffee? I am shocked at the rich full coffee flavour MickyDs has brought to the market. Starbucks and Dunkin have now found themselves way behind the curve. Good Job McDonalds.