Coffee Smackdown: Is Starbucks the Best?

These days the best part of waking up isn't Folder's in your cup. Many people would agree that it's actually Starbucks. But according to Consumer Reports magazine, McDonald's hold the title of having the best tasting coffee. In addition to the taste, a cup of coffee from McDonald's also costs less than one from Starbucks. A Consumer Reports taste test compared Starbucks coffee to it's rivals from McDonald's. Burger King, and Dunkin' Donuts. All taste tests were done on cups of basic black coffee--no milk, cream, sugar, or any other additives. When all was said and done, down to the last drop, McDonald's beat out all the rest. According to McDonald's Chief Executive Officer Jim Skinner, McDonald's introduced 100 percent Arabica beans a year ago to make their coffee. These are the same kind of coffee beans used by Starbucks. By switching to Arabica coffee beans, McDonald's coffee sales went up 9 percent in 2006.

Customers have also noticed the difference in the taste of McDonald's coffee. Says one gentleman who was having coffee inside a McDonald's restaurant, "I noticed that the coffee is more consistently good-tasting than it was in the past." The Consumer Reports coffee testers visited two stores from each company and reported that McDonald's coffee was "decent and moderately strong" while Starbucks coffee was "strong, but burnt and bitter enough to make your eyes water." Starbucks have been using the same roasting methods since 1971. The company says it roasts its beans to "maximize the characteristics of each bean on aroma, acidity, body and flavor."

The magazine reported Dunkin' Donuts' coffee as "weak, watery and pricier than Starbucks." While the taste was said to be inoffensive, it just didn't have what it takes to make a great cup of coffee. Burger King had the worse results of all, said to be serving a beverage that "looked like coffee but tasted more like hot water." A spokesperson from Burger King didn't immediately respond to a voice mail message left at her office. Dunkin' Donuts', however, said in an emailed statement that it is "proud" of its "freshly ground, freshly brewed and freshly served" coffee.

McDonald's chief supply officer in North America, J.C Gonzales-Mendez said that the company took enough time to ensure that it's 13,700 U.S. based restaurants had the equipment and training to brew the new coffee properly. McDonald's sells roughly 500 million cups of coffee a year. According to Gonzales-Mendez, "Customers have told us all along for a year that they wanted a richer, bolder, better-tasting coffee." By listening to its consumers, McDonald's has came out on top in the battle of the best tasting coffee. A spokesperson for Starbucks says that "tastes are subjective and may vary from consumer to consumer." This statement is true because many people are faithful to their cups of Starbucks coffee. I'm not a daily coffee drinker but when I do have a cup I prefer a nice cup of Starbucks coffee with added cream and sugar. Their coffee indeed does have a strong taste and I haven't tasted any burnt flavoring. Many people are coffee picky and will only purchase that morning cup of java from their favorite coffee shops.

Although Starbucks was topped by McDonald's according to Consumer Reports magazine, they are still the world's largest multinational chain of coffee shops. Many retail chains have Starbucks coffee shops inside their establishments and you can buy packaged Starbucks coffee at just about any local grocer or supermarket where coffee is sold. It all boils down to your own individual taste. So whether you're headed to McDonald's or Starbucks, enjoy waking up with your morning cup of coffee because to some, a morning without coffee is like sleep.

Sources: Consumer Reports March 2007 issue