After seeing the huge response we had from all of you readers about McDonald's new premium coffee, it is no surprise that others were curious about it as well as us here at Slashfood. USA Today decided to hold a taste test, pitting four widely available coffees against each other. Included in the test were the new premium blends from Burger King and McDonald's, as well as favorites from 7-11, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks. Dunkin Donuts is the least available variety of coffee, as there are very few store locations on the west coast, but the test was held in Manhattan where there appear to be plenty of all of the above coffee-shop types.
According to the USA Today survey, as of the time I am writing this, Starbucks was still the most popular based on readers' opinion. And they must have good taste, since Starbucks also won the taste test. Out of possible scores of "5 slurps," Starbucks ranked at 4 1/2, while McDonald's followed with 3 1/2 , Burger King with 2 1/2 and Dunkin Donuts and 7-11 with 2 slurps each. While Starbucks was also the most expensive drink in the test, the "dead-serious brew with an intense bitter chocolate aroma, a silky texture and a complex, fruity, almost wine-like flavor" made it worth it to the tasters. The other stores' coffees had flavors that ranged from "watery" to having "tobacco notes."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-05-2006 @ 9:00AM
jeremy hunsinger said...
it is amazing that after so many years of starbucks... people have learned to like bitter coffee. bitter coffee is not the way coffee should be, it is a sign of a bad roast and stale beans. nonetheless, people have learned, somehow, that bitter=good.... wierd.
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4-05-2006 @ 1:56PM
Ming said...
I have to disgree with the statement that "Dunkin Donuts is the least available variety of coffee, as there are very few store locations on the west coast" How does stores on the west coast equate national availability? A few months ago I saw a special on Food Network that said that Dunkin Donuts sells the most coffee per day in the US. Here's their website to back up the claim.
https://www.dunkindonuts.com/aboutus/credentials/Info.aspx
Not a big fan of starbucks, they overpriced. There was a price increase last year and when a news channel asked them why they essentially said "Because we can". I'd sooner drink 7-11 or Dunkin Donuts coffee than a $5 Caramel fuffiefuffie latte, can that even be considered coffee?
McDonalds new blend sucks.
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4-05-2006 @ 2:09PM
dumdum said...
I'm surprised to see that rag, USAToday, and it's surveyors seemed to pick quality of coffee based on what seems like brand awareness of vendors as they relate to coffee.
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4-05-2006 @ 3:52PM
extramsg said...
Two points: 1) most people load up their Starbucks with sugar galore. Chocolate is as bitter as all hell before sugar is added to it. 2) I could have guessed the results just by seeing who they chose. They didn't even put a real coffee house alternative up against Starbucks. Of course they're going to win. Why not go into a store and put Folgers up against Starbucks? I know they tend to buy their competitors, but there are alternatives that USA could have chosen.
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4-05-2006 @ 5:47PM
chux said...
I read this review -- actually, this was not a survey of readers, this was reviewed by their food/wine critic. Not that it makes much difference, just wanted to note it for the sake of clarity.
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4-08-2006 @ 10:29AM
Bellboy said...
I am never a big fan of big chains. When it comes to the taste of a black cup of coffee here on the East coast, Green Mountain Coffee takes first place and Starbucks takes second. The new premium coffees at Mcdonalds and DD have improved (less oil, not over reduced). It is the premium roasting that really brings the flavor out of these coffees, and the high maintenance/good production techniques also help.
Quality produces quality, and that is what Starbucks is geared to do.
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4-08-2006 @ 9:06PM
b rolnik said...
Wow, just one man's opinion - totally not scientific and definitely not a survey. Hope you agree with his choice of black coffee and his sugary donuts. How about tasting the coffee by itself, as me and all my friends do - a cup of joe on the run. Also - Einstein's and Panerra's have wonderful coffee all with 4 varieties of coffee each day.
Viva La Java!
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