USA Today Drops the Ball on Coffee Taste Test
USA Today recently has its Food & Wine critic, Jerry Shriver, conduct a taste test of coffee at America’s most popular outlets. The verdict is in, and we here at Dunkindonutstalk.com are not pleased with the results (from top to bottom):
- Starbucks House Blend: 4.5 stars
- McDonalds Premium Roast: 3.5 stars
- Burger King BK Joe: 2.5 stars
- Dunkin’ Donuts Original Blend: 2 stars
- 7-Eleven Regular Exclusive Blend: 2 stars
On Dunkin’ Donuts’ coffee, Shriver writes:
The Original Blend has won raves from many consumers, which is why I was mystified by how mundane my two samples tasted. Though there were no obvious flaws, nothing stood out. Both cups had faint, nutty aromas, watery textures and flavors that turned more acidic as the liquid cooled. The flavor of the second cup was marginally better with some bright fruity notes, but both were missing that essential jolt of coffee essence in the middle.
Perhaps USA Today should look to its readership for opinions on coffee. A readers’ survey posted along with Shiver’s review showed that Dunkin’ Donuts coffee received 33% out of nearly 9000 votes cast, second only to Starbucks’, which received 44% of the votes. At Epinions.com, a consumer-based ratings website, Dunkin’ Donuts Original Blend received 4.5 stars while Starbucks House Blend garnered only 3 stars from the public. Let’s also not forget that the venerable Consumer Reports magazine recently rated Dunkin’ Donuts whole bean and ground coffee a “Best Buy”.
This morning, I conducted a taste test of my own, and found the 7-Eleven and Burger King coffees to be nearly undrinkable–worse than even the free coffee I get at the office. The McDonalds and Starbucks coffee were both adequate, with the Starbucks version having more bite than the McDonalds version. I also tried Peets’ coffee, which was too bitter for my taste, despite an appealing aroma. Unfortunately, there are not Dunkin’ Donuts in San Francisco. None of the coffees I tested would rate even 4 stars, while two–Burger King and 7-Eleven, both deserve no stars. My ratings:
- Starbucks House Blend: 3 stars
- McDonalds Premium Roast: 2 stars
- Peets House Blend: 1 star
- Dunkin’ Donuts Original Blend: 0 stars
- 7-Eleven Regular Exclusive Blend: 0 stars
Clearly, there is a disconnect between the coffee-drinking public and USA Today. If I had a subscription to USA Today, I might consider cancelling it. So should you.
Source: USA Today and Epinions.com
I thought their findings were not complete. I may be a little biased on my coffee preferences, but there were quite a few high quality coffee brands not even mentioned on the list that certainly would top 7-11 coffee!
The McDonald’s coffee sucks. It doesn’t taste any different than their previous attempt.
We have both Mcdonalds and Burger King employees who come into our Dunkin’ Donuts daily for coffee.
Perhaps it is the mass production ot the mention “big coffee” sellers, thus perhaps one should try a specialty coffee roaster who roasts with passion. Reviewed and rated some of the world’s leading coffee experts, we are open to you reviewing our coffee.