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McDonalds creams Starbucks in Coffee survey

belfasttelegraph.co.uk — Consumer testers in the US have declared coffee from McDonald's better than the brew at Starbucks.

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  • clickmyface, on 10/12/2007, -3/+53"strong, but burnt and bitter"

    Yep, Starbucks tends to taste slightly to sometimes heavily burnt for me. It really just seems to depend where you go, but overall Starbucks is the only coffee that i've had that tasted burnt.

    Fortunately I live in the pacific northwest so there is a coffee stand on every corner (more so than there are Starbucks, actually), so we get a decent variety to choose from.
    • spect3r, on 10/12/2007, -21/+82As a coffee connoisseur, my favorite is to make it myself; with a French Press and dark oily beans.

      My second alternative is local shops. Local shops tend to put more love into their product. It's also nice to support local shops as well..

      If I can't make my own, or find a good local place - I'll go to Starbucks. And I don't care what anyone else says, Starbucks does their coffee right. If you like Dark coffee that is. Sure it's a fortune to buy the specialty drinks (latte's, blends etc.) - but $2.00 for a Grande isn't going to put me in the poor house.

      Not all corporations are large and evil.
    • spect3r, on 10/12/2007, -5/+55^ not evil, I mean - they support fair trade, make good product and give employees great opportunity and wage/benefits.
    • shad0w, on 10/12/2007, -6/+56Most people don't go to starbucks for their basic coffee, they go for the zillion other drinks that starbucks offers.
    • nayr, on 10/12/2007, -19/+31How 'bout dunkin donuts? great coffee! Too bad it's only in NE....
    • nixonrichard, on 10/12/2007, -17/+36Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the whole point of coffee that it is bitter and doesn't taste good, but it has the stuff to keep you awake and make the headaches go away? My dad used to drink about 3 pots of coffee a day when I was younger. I once asked him "do you really like the taste of coffee" he replied "I don't think so, but it sure feels good to take a sip . . . I guess that's why heroine addicts can smile when they stick a needle in their arm"

      I drink coffee from time to time, usually when I've been up for a while. I always drink it black and never really liked the taste, but I still drink it. Honestly, if it has 0 calories, tastes bitter and still sells like hotcakes, it's gotta be the drugs.
    • gallagherFTW, on 10/12/2007, -3/+19@nayr

      its only in the NE? i dunno man i'm in kentucky right now, and there is one right down the road. i do however agree that DD coffee is great.
    • rodrigo74, on 10/12/2007, -39/+120"As a coffee connoisseur"...

      ..this is so gay
    • swollentiki, on 10/12/2007, -3/+24I'm not a total fan of Starbucks (I actually prefer some local coffee shops), but everytime I've had McDonald's coffee its been horrible.
    • Mardala, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12@Mercilor --- You don't drink a lot of coffee, eh? Dark Roast does not always = burnt tasting. Starbucks sells a lifestyle and lots of high fat sugary drinks. There are tons of better coffee products out there.

      If I remember correctly doesn't McD's use Seattle's Best?
    • xrisnothing, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Firstly, where is the article? I don't see one at all. I see three or four lines of text.

      I've taken to calling Starbucks Charbucks, because it's always burnt.
    • KingCharles55, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4i prefer the sumatra blend myself. i like darker coffee.
    • dohidied, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Starbucks tastes burnt to me too. I drink black coffee just about everywhere except Starbucks.
    • Cerpin_Taxt, on 10/12/2007, -2/+28It's pretty simple for Canadians.

      Espresso - Starbucks
      Everything else - Tim Horton's

      ...I need some timbits
    • R313453, on 10/12/2007, -28/+3Coffee is disgusting wherever you go. It's like runny ***** in a bucket. You just wouldn't drink it... unless you have some weird fetish.
    • mbthompson, on 10/12/2007, -8/+2I'm sorry but they are just wrong. Apart from making it myself with a medium-fine grind, Starbucks has the third best coffee in the nation, end of story. Seattle's Best takes the second place spot for me. Whoever did this taste test, obviously had no taste. And no, McDonalds does not use Seattle's Best roast, just the name, so don't kid yourself.
    • BrainInAJar, on 10/12/2007, -9/+4@Cerpin_Taxt

      are you kidding? tim hortons' makes *terrible* coffee. The only reason anyone drinks it is because they drown out the taste with half a cup of milk and half a cup of sugar. In which case, it doesn't matter what you drink, it's just brown milk anyways.

      I drink my coffee black & unsweetened, and I'll drink gas station coffee before I set foot in a TH.

      I tend to go for smaller shops first, then Blenz, then Starbucks
    • turbodigg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3As much as I like starbucks, there is always a better local shoppe. Where I live there is a place called "Aptos Coffee And Roasting House" that makes the best tasting coffee. Even the decaf tastes better than a grande coffee at starbucks.
    • omaryak, on 10/12/2007, -5/+13"Just because I like the taste of Spaghetti-Os better that pasta at a fine Italian restaurant, and just because I prefer my macaroni and cheese out of a box doesn't mean I have 'bad' taste."

      I doesn't mean you have bad taste. It means that if your taste buds have been so fried by artificial flavors and sodium that you can't taste the difference, you deserve the health problems you get from eating processed and packaged foods.
    • Kyrina, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2The thing about Starbucks is there isn't just a generic Starbucks coffee but rather a lot of different blends that they have two or three of per week (the one I worked had a mild roast, a darker roast, and a decaf). In fact the handbook tells them to tell you which roast you're getting (but in my opinion it sounds really pretentious and I just stuck with the terms light/dark/decaf)

      I never really cared for most of the coffee there due to the somewhat burnt taste but did manage to find a few I liked.

      Sumatra - really dark but surprisingly not burnt tasting
      Breakfast Blend - the lightest thing they have.

      And now I usually just make coffee at home in a French press. Mmmmm, tastes yummy.
    • Miraa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Just remember that Starbucks owns Seattle's Best Coffee, which supplies the coffee to McD's. So really, Consumer Reports is just saying that they like one brew of Starbuck's over the other.
    • rgodfrey, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Starbucks burns their coffee on purpose, because in most cases you're adding dairy and sugar to it. Milk + sugar + burn = caramel, which is delicious to most people.

      I only drink black coffee, therefore I avoid Starbucks if I can help it. Unless I need a Norah Jones CD or somesuch.
    • mediaphile, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I prefer Cafe Espresso, a small cafe owned by and connected to the Sir Francis Drake hotel in downtown San Francisco, about a block away from Union Square. There's a Starbucks the next block over, but they don't have liquor shots.
    • gpd209, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I'm embarassed to admit, since I'm not a big fan of mega-franchising, but I love the flavor of Starbucks. I like the stronger taste. Never had Micky D's, so I can't comment on that. And I've just learned that I simply cannot drink Dunkin' Donuts coffee. Every cup I've had, I've literally not finished it. At this point, I'll go without before drinking from DD.

      For home brew, I've always been a fan of french press. But recently I've discovered something I like even better. And, again, I'm embarrassed to say: it's a gadget called the aeropress, invented by the same guy who invented the aerobee frisbee (http://aerobie.com/Products/aeropress.htm). Truly, it is faster, easier to clean, and tastier than any other home brewing technique I've seen. Who'd have thunk it?
    • superpotential, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2starbucks is only one of many places to get coffee. you don't have to have the majority liking you in order to make decent business.

      sure, the majority of people in the USA probably eat hersheys and snickers and mars bars. but that doesn't stop a store that sells Lindt and Valhrona and stuff from making great business from the few (like me) that go for that stuff.
    • unloud, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2I like fake meat.
    • k4zz4m, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Saying that Starbucks is worse than Mcdonalds is like having newcomers tasting wines. They all taste the same.
    • DAppammattoxx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4seattle's best is owned by starbucks
    • Asianwaste, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3McD's cup of coffee is battery acid.
    • devmnky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3The point is, that Starbuck's coffee serves darker roasts of coffee than Tim Hortons or McDonalds. People are used to "weaker" coffee, but the darker and more oily beens have been roasted (read: cooked/burned) longer. They're two different subsets of coffees, and most people can't handle the darker, more bitter coffees like Italian, French and Spanish roasts. TO be fair, a lot of types of Starbuck's coffees do taste like crap, but that's just the blend in general. ;)
    • cgjamj, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I am a self proclaimed Starbucks fanboy. I love it. However, their coffee sucks ass. My routine is this....first thing in the morning I have a Starbucks bottled frappuccinno from home (I buy them in bulk at Sam's club). When I get to the office, I get a small coffee from our little convenience store and the coffee there is great. In the afternoon, we take a walk to Starbucks where I get a non fat white chocolate mocha. I also visit Starbucks pretty often on weekends. But their regular coffee is absolutely terrible and it definitely is bitter and burnt tasting. I don't know how anyone drinks the regular coffee there.

      I love some of the specialty drinks there, but that's only because they put so much stuff which covers up the burnt, bitter taste. Also the atmosphere is great and their marketing is brilliant. Just goes to show you that with the right "look" and great marketing, you can be at the top.

      But don't mistake the fact that I LOVE white chocolate mocha's! Ya heard?
    • jonbon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5starbucks, tim hortons, blenz, secondcup, seattles best, all these places are the fast food of coffee. Starbucks is an amazing business but besides drip coffee (which I think is too dark a blend) their drinks are nothing close to what coffee making is capable of. Just a few examples of companies in Vancouver that destroy any place are these

      http://cafeartigiano.com
      http://jjbeancoffee.com

      One thing you can look for to find out if a place knows what their doing is if their putting latte art in your cup. If you don't know what i'm talking about here's an image http://www.vmunix.com/mark/blog/wp-content/latte-art.jpg. no... this doesn't mean that the coffee will 'taste' good. but it does mean they micro-foam their milk, which is the process of sweetening the milk and texturizing it. When you texture milk its the difference between the thickness of paint and water, it's smooth and the espresso infuses into the milk. All these drinks that starbucks introduce work for them because most people have this idea that coffee is bitter and strong, so they enjoy 12oz, triple shot, non-fat cinnamon vanilla lattes because it hides the taste of this terrible coffee.. but the truth is, coffee, especially espresso is smooth and beautiful and actually tastes like how it smells...if, it's made properly.
    • skyshock21, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"How 'bout dunkin donuts? great coffee! Too bad it's only in NE...."

      Huh? No it's not. I've seen a bazillion of them in the southeast as well.
    • BrainInAJar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@jonbon

      both excellent shops. Vancouver > *, yo.
    • joeklim, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Have tried to confirm this story at the Consumer Reports website, but to no avail. This Belfast site is not the only one to carry the story, though -- have seen it on others, albeit equally brief.

      Has it occurred to anyone that maybe Starbucks brew is what coffee is *supposed* to taste like? For many years, the American coffee drinking public has been sold a bill of goods with everything from instant coffee to freeze-dried. Maybe we don't know what good coffee is anymore.

      Don't write Starbucks off anytime soon. Starbucks grew its business on coffee and on lifestyle. Its customers are willing to spend extra for the status, for the environment and for the social elements.

      You won't see the Starbucks crowd flocking over the Mickey D's anytime soon.
  • TheRingmaster, on 10/12/2007, -33/+24'This just in: A recent survey has proved that over 30 million American children from ages 4-10 have voted McDonald's cheeseburgers superior to other fast food and gourmet burger offerings in a nationwide survey'
    Opinion /= fact, lots of people have terrible taste and that can't be avoided.
    • ChaosIncarnate, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5As far as fastfood goes mcdonalds has the best taste wise but the worst in every other department, personally I get my burgers at the grocery store by the lb. It's cheaper and they taste better, just takes actual work to get them, and very little at that.
    • ZippidyDoo, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4You fail at making a point.
    • danlovejoy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8McDonald's has in fast food ubiquity what Starbucks has in coffee. People eat McDonald's because it's there, and our children want to go there. Their coffee is pretty good - not outstanding, but not the weak "tea coffee" most places serve.

      Starbucks is very inconsistent in my experience I usually get a great cuppa there, but occasionally, it's almost too bitter to drink.
    • LLamaStar, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9have you ever tasted starbucks coffee? i thought i was the only one who didn't like their main cofee. It's horrible...the other things they have though...like frappachino and chai tea are good stuff. :)
    • nixonrichard, on 10/12/2007, -20/+49You know what. ***** you. Just because I like the taste of Spaghetti-Os better that pasta at a fine Italian restaurant, and just because I prefer my macaroni and cheese out of a box doesn't mean I have "bad" taste. Sometimes "refined" taste just means you like to eat expensive crap. Honestly, I would take a McDonald's cheeseburger over caviar any day of the week.
    • lindee, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12can someone here please point me to a ISO tasting scale? i mean, certainly these scientific studies have some baseline right? ...right? ..oh wait, taste is dependent of culture.

      to me:
      apple juice tastes like dirt
      coors light tastes like apple juice should
      and starbucks offers some pretty delicious blends
    • polypropglop, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3>< Spaghetti-Os is the tool of Ann Coulter
    • Nougat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7"Opinion /= fact, lots of people have terrible taste and that can't be avoided."

      Well, when the fact at hand is "what coffee do people like most," an opinion poll is warranted, and is factual enough.

      Secondly, if you'd like to skew the poll by rejecting any responses that you deem as "bad taste," then why don't you just go back in your parents' basement and "poll" yourself all night long?
    • justin22290, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10I'm sorry, overall, i could eat Wendy's all day.

      Hail the square deliciousness!
    • swollentiki, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10I'll take Wendy's over McDonald's any day. Wendy's had a $1 menu before McDonald's did and you can't beat a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger for $1. Never cared for the Big Mac that much.
    • WorldGroove, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbGEOob5x4g
    • joelito, on 10/12/2007, -6/+12quote from nixon
      "You know what. ***** you. Just because I like the taste of Spaghetti-Os better that pasta at a fine Italian restaurant, and just because I prefer my macaroni and cheese out of a box doesn't mean I have "bad" taste. Sometimes "refined" taste just means you like to eat expensive crap. Honestly, I would take a McDonald's cheeseburger over caviar any day of the week."

      Do you like the toy you get with your cheeseburger as well?
    • EOFZRC, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3McDonald's is revolting, unless you like fake meat.
    • wingnut21, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6...in your coffee?
  • BaxterK, on 10/12/2007, -14/+4Starbucks must be doing something right as far as coffee goes. They're popping up on every corner.
  • ogmak, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16So much for adding the statistics on the page, just the conclusion? Hmm...

    Where's the proof?
    • TigertheLion, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3EXACTLY!! I can't believe you are the first person in this to recognize that this is in a newspaper from Belfast.. Secondly, it doesn't even mention where it is getting this information. Doesn't even say associated press or something. In order for this article to be anything other than dismissed, it needs a group behind the study other than "consumer testers" and it also needs some hard facts (how many people were used, what kind of coffee was starbucks serving the customers) They happen to cycle their coffee types. And lastly, even if this is true, it essentially comes down to personal choice, i personally would rather drink starbucks.
    • LilRabbitFooFoo, on 08/11/2008, -2/+4It's not even an article. It's just a sentence. LAME.
    • nateslost, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I was reading the comments in search of someone else who noticed this article wasn't even an article.
      Mostly just a discussion in the comments about who like what.
    • colpridenyc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Actually i saw this in a news report last night. I think it was fox. They surveyed BK, McDonald's, Starbucks, and DD. I don't know where they got their proof here.
    • robman8023, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Article sites Consumer Reports - it's a magazine for consumers. Read it.
  • bukipup, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4I actually can't drink any other coffee but Starbucks. Everything else just tastes...weak.
  • RichPowers, on 10/12/2007, -5/+22Starbucks' regular coffee tastes like ass. The chain does well because most people buy mochas and that kinda stuff, which are loaded with sugar, caramel, milk, etc.

    • praisethelard, on 06/06/2008, -2/+5I usually get the frappuccinos when I go to Starbucks. They're pretty tasty...but I think the DQ Moolatos taste better.
    • Philoushka, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@inbred - Love the Freudian slip.
    • praisethelard, on 06/06/2008, -0/+1ahh...I actually thought they were called "Moolatos" for some reason...wasn't sure what you were talking about until I looked it up. Anyways, the Moolattes are great!
    • omaryak, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2"Mulattoes" is a racial term from colonial South America. Nice to see that high school education did you some good.
    • gdm9000, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Ugh, the Moolattes are nasty! I went in a DQ 'cause my wife wanted ice cream, though I find everything there to be almost inedible - way, way, way too sugary, salty, greasy - simply just swill for juvenile tastes. Well, I saw they had lattes and I thought surely they must be catering the grownup in the party with espresso menu offerings, so they can't be that bad. Boy was I wrong. Very weak coffee flavor, buried in syrup and whipped cream. I will never order that again. Even plain coffee ice cream would have been better - actually Starbucks brand ice cream is not that bad...
    • Flummoxer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It really depends on if the person making the Moolatte does it right. Of the three I've had, the first was delicious and the other two tasted like crap.
  • harumph, on 10/12/2007, -18/+3if mcdonalds made the best coffee in the world, i still wouldn't go in there. the icky knowledge of your money going into such an evil pit is more than i can wash off my body.
    • MrZop, on 10/12/2007, -3/+18What?

      McDonalds Club, Ronald McDonald Children Charitys, Plus all the community program endorsements they do.

      Don't get me wrong. i'm far from a McDonalds fan. but if you're going to say that it's some evil company than you should realize who your comparing it to. What has Starbucks ever done for the people? For the Community? Besides charge five bucks for bean-water?
    • harumph, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7starbucks gives health care to its employees and generally tries to be environmentally friendly. mcdonalds is responsible for massive deforestation around the world. all that just for starters...
    • derek20cali, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4It is Starbucks policy to donate to charities in the area of AIDS reasearch/relief, literacy, and two other social problems which I do not currently recall. If a partner would like to support a charity through either monetary contributions or time Starbucks has programs to support that.
    • robman8023, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6@harumph

      "starbucks gives health care to its employees and generally tries to be environmentally friendly. mcdonalds is responsible for massive deforestation around the world. all that just for starters..."

      Actually, you're a bit misguided. I think that human overpopulation and demand for beef itself is responsible for some deforestation. Just because McDonald's provides what the people want doesn't make them responsible for the deforestation. All the people who demand the burgers are responsible. You are free to choose, but DO NOT blame a company for turning a demand into profit. That's what they do. You CAN blame the meat-eaters among us, if you want.
    • mrASSMAN, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Starbucks has done a phenomenal amount of public work in my area (Seattle)
  • MrZop, on 10/12/2007, -3/+20Tim Hortons' FTW!
  • ijacker, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4its not about the taste for me. i need at least 200mg of caffine in the morning.
    • DiggSucksDick, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9then, instead of drinking coffee, why not just take a few No-Doz?
    • cheera, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0My (rather large) city does not have a Starbucks in it. We have two indie coffee shops, and they both make better coffee than Starbucks for about a quarter less. Even the dark roasts are better. But of course they dont offer fair trade coffee. And Starbucks espresso, or any espresso for that matter, is terrible unless its being made by someone who knows what theyre doing.
    • andycr512, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0I know what you mean. I often have 400mg by 9-10AM. Two cups of tea, quad-strength... At that point, it's not about the taste, because without a lot of milk and sugar to mask it it's going to be awful no matter how good the tea is.
    • superpotential, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3if it isn't about taste, just take a caffeine pill.
      if you want to have tea or coffee, enjoy it for the great drinks they are.
  • AlanLivingston, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Personally, I don't like Starbuck's roast. It's too dark. I agree, it tastes burnt. I think McDonald's coffee is about the same as 7-11. It's average coffee but they're both pretty fresh.

    Personally, I like Dunkin' Donuts coffee the best. They just aren't as convenient as 7-11 and McDonald's.
    • Nougat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have very recently had coffee from Dunkin and McDonald's, on consecutive days. To my surprise, I prefer the McDonald's. Dunkin's is too weak and they put too much cream in when you ask for cream.
    • AlanLivingston, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think the quality of Dunkin' varies from store to store. They probably don't train their people on how much coffee to use to make good coffee. If you have a manager that's trying to save money, he may skimp on the coffee. Also, you're right with the cream. But I find that problem everywhere. I usually just ask to put my own cream in.

      I wonder if Dunkin' stores are owned by the corporation or franchised. They may have less quality control if they're franchised. I'm sure McD's will make a huge stink with a franchisee if they find him hurting the brand by skimping on coffee or any other deviation from the corporate plan, for that matter.
  • thebonehead, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3The "coffee" at starbucks doesn't count as really good coffee, and I wouldn't go to some fast food joint for a cup of coffee. Starbucks is basically fast-coffee, anyway.

    The best coffee is the coffee you brew yourself.
  • Black913Hole, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Now why would a British newspaper site be reporting on a north american survey?
    • mrASSMAN, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Probably because mcdonalds and starbucks are international chains..
    • dukeinlondon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3But taste is not international.
  • jellygraph, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3er, ive tasted mcdonalds coffee and ive tasted starbucks coffee, and I can tell you right now, the people they surveyed must have all been retarded

    mcdonalds coffee tastes like the sweat of a dogs balls.
    • ilLH, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4And you would know how?...
    • screensnot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I'm gonna take your word for it on that one.

      Even though I like McD coffee, I don't think I be trying dog ball sweat to see if it tastes as good.
    • InsaneMachine, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I don't even want to know why you know what sweaty dog balls taste like.
    • Klowner, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Do you take your dog ball sweat with cream or sugar?
    • dukeinlondon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Excellent expression. Dog ball sweat. Don't mind the whiners. That's hillarious and yes, Mcdonalds coffee is ***** (any one want to pitch in with real life experience ? no seriously). Startbucks is rubbish as well. I have mine at home, or at the nearest italian coffee shop. Starbucks depends more on the taste of the milk they use.

      Seriously, how many expressos do they sell ? Everyone takes lattes !

    • jellygraph, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@ ilLH:
      >> And you would know how?...

      arf! :)
  • drmobutu, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2McDonald's coffee is definitely better than it used to be. Still not as good as Peet's, though.
  • tvoz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Dunkin' Donuts in New York suffers from the same burnt-coffee taste - apparently the extra roasting does it, and they want to out Starbucks Starbucks. . But Starbucks straight-up lattes - fresh brewed and without syrup or any sugar, just milk, don't have that burnt taste. They only burn your wallet.
  • Haax, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Hating starbucks makes you look cool.
    • dukeinlondon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1But loving it is lame and shows u haven't a clue. I have chosen my side.
  • solowCX, on 10/12/2007, -1/+22Just thought I'd point out to everyone that McDonalds uses Seattle's Best coffee now. Who is Seatte's Best owned by? You guessed it, Starbucks.
    • tzigane, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3McDonalds coffee actually varies across the country, which makes the article confusing at best. In the northeast, they serve coffee from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, which is in fact, very good.
    • William01, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Finally this alternate universe I thought I had entered is starting to make sense. Thank you. I haven't had McDonald's coffee in about 5 years, and it tasted like someone threw a teaspoon of cheap coffee grounds in a 55 gallon drum of hot water. I'll have to give it a try again.
    • MaxPayne3476, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Yea I actually like Green Mountain Roast, so McDonalds isn't bad - but since its mcdonalds i still have to ***** after drinking a cup of it. It's only tradition.
  • BrandonMills, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2New York Post?

    It might be true, but I don't assume anything from that source is true.
  • Cockdiesel, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Everyone I know thinks starbucks coffee stinks. McD's is really good but Dunkin Donuts is the best.
  • thecity, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Around here (and other places from where I've seen) McDonalds serves Seattle's Best coffee, which is owned by Starbucks anyway.
  • diggid3, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0when i'm abroad (out of europe that is) and need my breakfast fix of coffee, i'm always happy to find a big M as a last resort, as they sell sth that is warm and smells of coffee ... i'd say starbucks has better coffee tho, but i find the range of choice a bit overwhelming in there, just gimme straight coffee thx
  • Wonderkind, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5I used to own an espresso bar.
    I know coffee. I don't know McDonald's 'cause I haven't stepped into one in many years.
    This "survey" reflects people taste, not quality.
    Buried as completely ridiculous and without merit.
    • Nougat, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1So how do you define quality if not by "what the most people like"? If I was making a product, and people preferred a competitor's product to mine (apart from price), I would either need to lower my price to compete or make a better product. Yes, I said "better."
    • derek20cali, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Surveys like this are subjective by nature.
    • Wonderkind, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@nougat So how do you define quality if not by "what the most people like"?

      To begin with, there is something called "cupping" whereby a person who knows coffee and coffee beans tastes small amounts of pure product and compares them.

      Essentially, there are standards, like any other item. (Freshness, roast, the actual beans, etc) Just because Joe likes a McMocha means nothing as far as quality is concerned. Adding flavors may taste good to you, but it is no reflection on quality.
    • MuscleAnimal, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2totally agree.

      as to the comment "how do you define quality other than by what people like". what people like is defined by how much money they have. poor people love mcdonalds because it's like a horror film on the tongue, with all sorts of violent taste. rich people .. .the ones who own stock in mcdonalds... do not eat there (except for Bill Gates), they eat at restaurants here in manhattan where you dine on wasabi-encrusted veal. the wasabi gives the mild meat a little tingle of exceitment. get real, this is how the world works.
  • JonProphet, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I can't believe Dunkin donuts coffee was beat. It's like liquid crack for me..
  • DonCarcharo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Personally I've always been partial to Dunkin Donuts coffee. StarBucks often tastes burnt and the fast food blends (especially Mcdonald's) were always simply horrible. However since McDonalds coffee went "2.0" it's probably my favorite choice. It's not that it tastes better than Dunkin but it is substantially cheaper and honestly, it's not half bad.

    Sure, Starbucks can't be beat when you've got a craving for a $5 Grande Gingerbread Latte. But if it's just a cup of coffee these days, McDonald's is surprisingly good.
  • AClayeJ, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3Only white trash eats at McDonalds. Oh, maybe that's why this survey turned out like it did. roflmao
    • drmobutu, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3How many gajillion served, now?
    • AClayeJ, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3How many people are overweight these days?

    • Karyyk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4You know, elitists suck wherever you find them...

      Sir, your ***** stinks as well.
  • durangotang, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8These are the same people who drink Budweiser and prefer Amercian Cheese and French's mustard. Go figure.
  • foxmajik, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2> Honestly, I would take a McDonald's cheeseburger over caviar any day of the week.

    How about a more reasonable comparison? Say, perhaps, McDonalds Cheeseburger vs. Burgerville Tilamook Cheeseburger.

    Mmm, local.
    • raymore, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Well played sir, well played.
      That applies with the coffee also. Compare McDonald's coffee to Shari's Restaurants coffee, which are both Seattle's Best Coffee.
    • DwightKSchrute, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Burgerville = bets fast food restaurant in the world (excluding non-burger based restaurants). Burgerville also has amazing milkshakes, onion rings and chicken fingers.
    • pervy_the_clown, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1IN-N-OUT is the best fast food. period.
    • ORBREWDAD, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Longbottom Coffee! Horrible location. Great coffee.
  • neuros, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1It's because there's more crack-cocaine in the McDonalds coffee than the 'bucks, it's the only way they could be beat.
  • NiGHTSChao, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2but they both suck :/
  • profJohn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Well that was entirely useless. There's no substantive article and it's entirely impossible to evaluate the credibility of their conclusion. And WTF with this getting categorized as "general sciences" -- I don't know if the methodology was at all scientific, but there's certainly nothing scientific about the reporting (or rather, lack thereof).
  • FatPhil, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I was surprised to read that starbucks has coffee for only $1.55
    • Karyyk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Heh, I don't think they advertise it...
  • raymore, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2My sister and her husband used to be a manager and assistant at Starbucks in Texas. They could make coffee, the baristas working there couldn't.....it's whoever makes it, and then the actual operation of the machines.
    I have had great Starbucks and then terrible Starbucks.
    I never goto McDonald's, but I bet the price had a small subconscious push in that poll.
    Shari's restaurants always have charcoal Seattle's Best Coffee. Just sayin'.
  • ejhdigdug, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Why is this a surprise? Starbucks has always been cheep coffee at gourmet prices.

    Here's the fact: Starbucks is too big to buy gourmet coffee, farms that produce quality beans can't produce the quantity that Starbucks needs so Starbucks is forced to turn to farms that can produce a higher volume of beans, but they can not produce the quality. So you end up with cheaper coffee. It's still prepared at a better then Folgers quality, but sold at a quality price. If you want good coffee you have to go somewhere that can work with smaller farms.
  • ravenber, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I too can attest to the fact that Starbucks coffee and espresso has a very consistent burnt flavor. Though, I haven't tried the McDonald's coffee, not that I'm eager to try really. Like others have said, if you want something consistently good, shell out the money for a decent coffee maker and a grinder and learn to make it yourself, or you can search around for a local coffee shop (if one still exists). You'll likely have to drive past two to three Starbucks to get there, but in the end it will probably be cheaper and taste a whole lot better.
  • DeepsDairy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I reckon Starbucks Big Macs would kill McDonalds dead.
  • unknownsoldierX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2...and guess who creamed your McDonalds coffee
  • Merrick178, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I buried it because it definitely wasn't front page material. You guys can save your comments about how "Digg is a user run community!" because I honestly don't care. The only reason Starbucks is still in business is because they use the theory that by placing enough Starbucks in enough places they'll attract enough of the "sophisticated" trash that would prefer Starbucks coffee. Starbucks is so horribly overrated and overpriced that it sickens me. I live in a rather small town and would prefer one of the small Diners I live near any day. They have good and cheap coffee, good food, I know most of the waiters. I can get a coffee, breakfast AND a piece of pie for... The price of ONE Starbucks coffee?

    I also have to admit that I've never had McDonald's coffee because I prefer to stay away from restaurants like that.
  • whailen, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Yes everything most people are saying is coherent and even a little of it true. However, isn't the one question on everyone's mind: will it blend?
  • TheDuke, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5McDonald's Coffee is good coffee like Bud Lite is good beer

    Tim Horton's FAR superior to McD's

    WAR Pete's getting off the left coast.
    • gdm9000, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Um, Bud Lite is not beer. If I was blindfolded, I couldn't tell it apart from seltzer water. No grain body, no malty sweetness, no spicy hops... A good beer should taste like bread!
  • digganoid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Never liked Starbucks coffee... but have enjoyed McDonald's brew. A scary thought.
  • lukehh, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Says more about America than coffee
  • CrimsonBlur, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1WTF is this? This article has absolutely no information about how or where the study was done! All we know is it's in the North America section. Who did the survey? What are the actual results? I have never heard of such a survey taking place, I haven't heard this reported by any US news agencies.

    In my opinion this is total crap. First of all, it depends on where you are taking the survey to find out if McDonald's is better than Starbucks, it makes a huge difference. In the Seattle area McDonald's uses Seattle's Best coffee, which I can guarantee you is better coffee than whatever blend McD's would put together on their own. Everyone I know would tell you that, in spite of being a huge corporation, Starbucks still makes the best coffee as far as chains are concerned. Even when comparing their coffee to smaller coffee houses and shops, few of them actually make better coffee.

    Obviously this is only my opinion, but I'm positive everyone I know that drinks a fair amount of coffee would agree with me, at least when it comes to Starbucks vs. McDonald's.
  • columbusgeek, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2This is like saying a Taco Bell burrito tastes better then a Chipotle burrito. It's insane and pure speculative drivel.

    • gdm9000, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Mmm, I have a soft spot for both Taco Bell and Chipotles!
  • icealchemist, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Not all McDonald's use the same coffee, since it is a franchise it differs from place to place. One of the McD out here in Seattle uses Seattle's Best Coffee.
  • eliah, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Here's a Starbucks tip: ask for fair trade coffee. It's corporate policy that all actual SB stores (as opposed to airport kiosks, etc. which are independently run) have to give you FT coffee if you ask for it. But since they don't usually keep it on hand, they'll make it fresh for you in a french press; it's much tastier than their usual stuff, imo. Plus it's the same price.
  • gaiatheory, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0"article disclaimer: Price did not figure into this poll whatsoever.... wait... who are we kidding!"

    McDs is *****. They don't offer soy for your coffee. McDs is also *****, because meat is a god damn condiment on EVERYTHING, even their salads.

    Starbucks wins - their coffee is delicious.

    But they both lose because neither offer fair trade coffee.
  • jason5190, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1DD lattes are like a syrup that comes out of a machine and taste like sugary crap, McD's and BK arent the type of plaace id go for coffee, Starbucks, while having the best coffee, also has an awesome atmosphere. Its nice and relaxing to go there with my laptop and work on a school paper or sit and read a book.
  • Mardala, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4oops wrong spot... digg down.

  • tdave365, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Actually I'm not surprised to read this. I noticed this oddity some time ago: McDonalds coffee is actually pretty good. Go figure but it's nice to see I'm not going crazy.
  • michael0010, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is shocking.
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