It's funny seeing this today - yesterday I had this conversation with a coworker on the way to Starbucks, and he was surprised to learn that when I worked at Starbucks after college, I never tried their "regular" coffee. I only sprung for the lattes, teas, mochas, etc. I love Dunkin' Donuts coffee though. Now I see that I'm not alone!

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I'm not too surprised by Dunkin's win... mostly because people don't really drink coffee at Starbucks, myself included. When I make my occasional visit, I know what they're good at... foofy candy-flavored latte things with whipped cream and general dessert-y goodness. Their drip coffee... tastes pretty much horrible. I have a friend who's a manager at Starbucks, and she agrees that they pretty much let their drip coffee just taste bad. Because nobody orders it, so it sits in a heated container for hours on end. It's always excessively bitter, sludge-like, and unpleasant. Unlike the gingerbread latte, which is quite delicious despite not really tasting much like coffee at all. mmmm.

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The original article stated that most people's favorite was their own local independent; in New Haven we have Willoughby's which imports, blends, and roasts their own, so it's always fresh roasted, which was an incredible eye opener for me; having previously only had coffee out of a can or a sealed bag, I had no idea how amazing coffee could taste. I am now an official coffee snob. Starbucks buys inferior beans and overroasts them to hide it. McDonald's Newman's own has a mellow taste with mass appeal is sells enough that it, too, is usually recently roasted, and deserves it's high placement. Dunkin Donuts deserves it success, too, although it is less fresh and infrequently borders on stale. I'll drink it.

To me, this shows that the market pretty much works.

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Starbucks coffee is gross and Dunkin coffee is so hot that by the time it has cooled down enough, I'm not in the mood for coffee anymore. In New Jersey, we have this convenience store called Quick Chek, and they have really tasty coffee that is refreshed hourly. I even make the staff brew me fresh coffee sometimes. For Christmas one year, my boyfriend talked an employee into selling him like 20 bags of the coffee grounds. Yum.

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Wawa. Best Coffee on the East Coast. (mass produced, anyway)

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Starbucks vs. Dunkin Donuts?

What next? A beauty contest between and Joan Rivers and Courtney Love?

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The independent coffee roasters are the best, hands-down (Raphael's Roastery - check them out!).

If I had to limit my choice to the "mass producers", WaWa and McDonald's (yes! Mickey D has a good cuppa joe!) tie for first.

Lower on the list, Dunkin' Donuts edges out Starbucks (mainly because of price) - but only if it's brewed and prepared right! I am *so* tired of having some idiot hand me a cup of hot tan milk; even if you ask for it "dark" it's still 1/2 milk (here in NJ, anyway).

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I work at Starbucks, and I'm pretty shocked at what I'm hearing, partially based on the number of people who come in and out of our store daily for just a "plain old" cup of joe. To me, coffee is a lot like wine-- cheap wine is (in my opinion), pretty good. It does the trick. But as you drink more and more specialty wines, you begin to appreciate the taste, even though it's different and often not as sweet. Many people begin to love wine become experts in it's many scents and tastes.

One of the duties of a starbucks barista is to taste all of the different brewed coffees that they make within the first 90 days of employment. Through doing coffee tastings, you make a lot of connections, and really ponder where on your tongue the coffee sits, how acidic it is, and what sort of flavor hints it has within it. By pairing the coffee with pastries that have a flavor that flatters the coffee, you can taste more of the undertones throughout the brew. Eventually, the different blends of coffee seem like night and day to your taste buds.

So, perhaps dunkin donuts is a great cup of coffee to get on the run-- i won't disagree. But if you're looking to learn about the morning "drug" of choice, hit up starbucks weekly (they change the coffee every week) and try to taste the difference. If nothing else, to challenge yourself.

I figure, I spend so much money on the stuff, I might as well know as much as I can about it. :-)

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1st Kurt you really need to get a life
2nd Dunkin rules just accept it

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ok well me (caitlin) LOVES dunkin donuts so im good with that. and starbucks is too rich for me so yeah. AND PANERA IS AMAZING (my best friend dan works there:]) now for me (megan) I LOVE STARBUCKS!!!!!!!!! its soooooo amazing....and so if u dont like it, u stink. so yeh
pe@ce out

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Um, actually, the 3 Starbucks' I've worked at all were huge on drip coffee sales. As is the figures company wide. And no, it doesn't sit for hours on end, it is to be brewed every hour, regardless of how much is left. The company has strict standards on this. So the next time you are in a Starbucks and hear a timer go off, it's because they are about to dump and re-brew the coffee. Whoever said thier friend was a manager at a Starbucks that let the coffee sit was either manager of a Barnes and Noble/Target Starbucks (which are non-corporate), or was just a really crappy manager.

The taste of the coffee is much darker than what some people are used to. Most people grew up on weakly brewed, light tan colored Folger's type coffees and are used to lightly brewed coffee, and that's totally ok. Just stick to your latte's when you come in.

I'm not some die-hard Starbucks supporter, I've just worked there long enough (5 years) to see people's misconceptions and rumors get out of hand.

Besides, if you want some real good beans, try Intellagestia brand beans. Much better than Sbux. Just make sure you brew it in a french press.

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I work for Starbucks and in my store in San Diego WE take our coffees seriously. We have high coffee sales and we brew our coffee fresh hourly. I challenge anyone to work at a Starbucks and in the process you will learn that we procure our beans from great coffee farms and only use high quality beans, all the while helping out those communities and farms we buy from. A little inside theme that Starbucks is known for: Our coffee makes us known, but our people make us famous...If you dont believe in standards and quality then try working, visiting or asking your neighborhood Starbucks store baristas to engage you in a coffee tasting and bring a cup of YOUR favorite non-Starbucks brew and youll be surprisingly happy with what youll learn and taste..I may be just someone who loves the company, but I also know quality when I see it...in the company, in our products and our people. My only regret working here is that I didnt start in the company sooner...
Evryone has their favorite coffee and coffee shop, but dont diss the BUX...

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Dunkin Donuts...all the way. So what if some idiot makes it wrong -- for the price and for the TASTE, Dunkin' knows its stuff. Starbucks tastes like sludge 'round here (East Coast). But, if you like the high-end, fru-fru, overpriced-ness of the Starbucks end, then it works. It's perception, really. I think they can charge much more because of the barista-setting, the aprons and the theatrical lighting. Seriously.

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My experience with starbuck not good at all to many time the beans where burnt .. Indepent good coffee house that deal with selected beans and roast them are the best ..
Starbuck is just another assembly line coffee adn so is Dunkin Donuts ....best coffee I had was in Europe ..
But now family own bussiness are catching the European waves of coffee ..and I will only spend any money with those private own coffee house that roast there own
I believe people just give them a try ..and bring good company with you

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