8 Comments

Consumers rate McDonald’s coffee higher than Starbucks

February 2, 2007 by in Entertainment,Stupid with 8 Comments

How pathetic! In a recent consumer test conducted stateside, results declared coffee from McDonald’s better than that found at Starbucks?

The trained sippers found the $1.55 Starbucks coffee “strong, but burnt and bitter”, according to the New York Post. But the cheaper McDonald’s caffeine fix, costing $1.35 was “decent and moderately strong”.

Living in Seattle with Strabucks shops on every corner (no really), I can attest to the fact that Starbucks coffee quality is not what it used to be. The only reason I stop in these days is for a) free Wifi, and b) convenience.

With the route that Starbucks is going as far as automating coffee orders, they might as well replace staff with touch-screen units which provide customers with drag ‘n drop interfaces for creating their triple grande soy no foam latte.


  • Peter Maloney

    The only time I’ve ever seen my partner leave a coffee unfinished was at a Starbucks.
    When we’re travelling we use McDonalds’ toilets by preference an feel obliged to buy something. Last Sunday it was coffee and I have to say that Macca’s have lifted their game.
    Not as good as the average Italian cafe but drinkable nontheless. Far beter than it used to be (shudder).

  • xSmurf

    Anyone who expects to taste good coffee in a place where they don’t serve it fresh from a barista (espresso) machine or made at home with one is a dork. I’m sorry but there’s just no other way of saying this. Then again I do drink tons of coffee at school (way more that I believe is even sain, but anyway), I have to say it does taste the same as that time I was really hang over and drank the bong water by mistake ;p

  • Ian

    This was a test of your basic cup of joe, not the fancy cinnimon apple mocha-ccino latte contraptions that Starbucks has built their empire on.

    And if you haven’t been to McDonald’s for breakfast lately you should know that they, along with several other fast foot chains, have responded to the success of Starbucks et. al. by upgrading their coffee from brown water to something that’s actually quite tasty.

  • http://www.recompiled.org/ Joe Eversole

    Yeah. I took the Pepsi Challenge and concluded that those who thought McDonalds was better than Starbucks was very clearly stupid. Like I said in my blog post, I’ve had better coffee at a hotel breakfast bar.

  • Jason

    The McDonalds near my place (in Oregon) has a big sign on the drive-thru that says they serve Seattle’s Best coffee.

  • mark

    Starbucks coffee ain’t great. However, the fact is, the average person doesn’t know what good coffee is. Diluting it with milk and sugar as if it’s some sort of medicine that needs to have its taste covered. I wouldn’t trust the opinions of a poll like this.

    Also, any Starbucks I’ve ever been too has had three or four different types of brewed coffee available. So if these people thought it taste “burnt and bitter” but McDonald’s was simply “decent and moderately strong,” then they were probably comparing a dark roast (sans milk and sugar) with whatever it is McDs serves.

    Also, the NY Post? Pfft.

  • Dave

    Funny how Seattles Best tasted better. Starbucks owns Seattles Best.

  • http://is.derekpunsalan.com Derek

    Well that acquisition still hasn’t had its full affect [with Sbux turning that coffee bitter as well]. Lately, I’ve been more of a Tully’s fan. Less corporate glitz, free wifi, and unburnt coffee. There are so many other coffee shops in Seattle worth checking out before stepping into one of the larger chains – Vivace for one, Zokas, and Caffe Vita.

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