This is not really an update on Melissa or I, but this is something I’ve needed to get off my chest. For those who may not be familiar, I am a strong fast food coffee advocate. In reflection of my Midwest roots, I often eschew coffee from Starbucks as too strong and expensive. Instead, I prefer a coffee that you can drink a lot of without getting gut rot or excessive caffeine overdose – not to mention at a lower price and with free refills. Consumer Reports has recently provided the lone voice of reason in the wilderness by rating McDonald’s coffee as better than Starbucks. Motivated by their review and the fact fast food joints have presented a rash of new “roasts” I thought I should give my own detailed evaluation.First, a bit of clarification is needed here regarding why fast food restaurant coffee is preferable to the heavy drinker. Heartburn and excessive caffeine intake are related because it is mostly the caffeine level in coffee, not the roast or taste acidity, which determines a coffee’s influence on heartburn. Although the high-end retailers of coffee, such as Starbucks, use Arabica beans (which taste better and possess less caffeine than the Robusta beans found in generic/low-end coffee brands) their desire for extracting the most flavor from beans also results in extracting the most caffeine from the bean as well. For instance, an 8-ounce cup of regular Starbucks coffee has about twice the caffeine amount of coffee from a non-gourmet provider. Although the recent popularity of these new fast food “premium” roasts partially negate this difference, to my disappointment in fact, fast food coffee still is a good bet for the person who likes to drink coffee like it is water.
Now taste is subjective, but there are fast food coffees out there that provide a wonderful balance of flavor at a cheaper price. Fast food joints have also improved their coffee preparation by instituting thermos containers instead of hot plates, going away from percolators, and regulating new batches be made frequently. Still some places are better than others. Furthermore, the fast food coffee experience not only takes into account the level and consistency of coffee taste, but also the price, and what other food you can get there. I used these factors to produce a 20-point rating scale where 10 points is based on taste and consistency of preparation, 5 points on price, and additional 5 points on what you can eat there (heck coffee is always better with something to go with it). This resulted in the following rankings of fast food coffee:
# 1) WHITE CASTLE – 18 points (Taste and Consistency: 9, Price: 5, Food: 4). I did not know the joy of White Castle coffee until I moved to Columbus. Before my opinion of the place was totally based on their steam prepared sliders – which aren’t my kind of burger. To be honest, I thought White Castle was kind of trash. However, their coffees and fresh breakfast foods (they fry their eggs and toast on a buttered griddle after you order it) have totally won me over. White Castle coffee has a great smooth flavor that’s not too strong (people even buy their coffee for home use) and I’ve never been served a bad cup. Add to that their sausage, egg, and toast for breakfast, or their fries for afternoon consumption and you have a winning combination. Best of all, a large 20-ounce coffee costs me a $1.10 and they most often double-cup it.
# 2) TIM HORTONS – 16 points (Taste and Consistency: 10, Price: 3, Food: 3). The only good thing Canada has given us? Maybe not, but Tim Horton’s is definitely the US winner when it comes to a decision simply based on coffee taste and consistency. The big detractor with Tim Horton’s is the fact that their donuts and bagels are really the only appropriate item to go along with it. Their donuts are good, but often I desire the grease. Add to that the fact that their price comes close to Starbucks range and the tendency of their employees to automatically add cream when you forget to request it black and the overall experience is somewhat less than the WC.
I should also mention that Tim Horton’s should be rewarded for the fact that their big “Roll up the Rim to Win” sweepstakes is totally centered around hot beverage purchases. Compare this to McDonald’s Monopoly game where you can get two game pieces for a jumbo soda but squat for a large coffee.
# 3) McDONALD’S – 15 points (Taste and Consistency 6, Price: 4, Food: 5). I was previously a strong advocate of McDonalds and felt vindicated by the recent Consumer Reports review. Let’s go over the basics. McDonalds uses 100 percent Arabica beans. They mostly use drip coffee makers into insulated carafes and often give free refills. Plus, and this is big, they most often go through high volumes of coffee leading to fresher pots. When traveling long distances on the highway (or across the world), one quickly appreciates the dependability of Mickey D’s for a coffee stop, although small towns on Friday nights have high school students who don’t seem to check for fresh pots as often.
That said, I’m less of a fan of their new “premium” roast. I don’t think it tastes better, in fast food coffee terms, and it seems liked they really only upped the price and marketing to make consumers think it is better. McDonalds gets high marks for food however. The extra value meal means I can choose from the diverse options of 2 apple pies, a double cheeseburger, or a McChicken for only an additional buck.
# 4) DUNKIN DONUTS – 11 points (Taste and Consistency 6, Price: 2, Food: 3). No real strong opinions on Dunkin Donuts besides their higher prices and lack of drive through windows. Maybe other donuts differ, but my large sample of Boston Crème’s suggests they are equal to Tim Horton’s. Their coffees not great, but certainly a bit more consistent than McDonalds.
# 5) BURGER KING – 10 points (Taste and Consistency 2, Price: 4, Food: 4). I know BK has tried to up their product with their Joe line of roasts, including a high powered “turbo” blend, but it still usually gives me a bad taste. This is the opinion of Consumer Reports as well. Other fast food operations probably go above BK, but I haven’t experienced them enough to know.
The big thing with BK is it is a huge hit or miss. Sometimes it is good, often bad. This is partly because it has less coffee-drinker traffic and that means you’re less likely to get a fresh batch. This problem is now exasperated by them offering separate “octane” levels, meaning each pot gets renewed in longer timeframes. I also find many Burger King operations serving their coffee out of large percolators, which notably produce lesser quality coffee. Despite all this, those french toast sticks are tempting in the morning.
That's all I have to say about that. I know there are probably other candidates out there I have missed but these one's are the most prominent in my fast food experience. Regardless, I hope now you have a deeper appreciation for fast food coffee and learn to enjoy it for the value that it is.
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