(I’m blogging too much tonight, but nevermind that. Please read this.) What do you think of Consumer Reports? Great source for unbiased product testing? Uneven results in some things? I like the CR goals, but I don’t view them as a bible on products like I used to–a strong recommendation for everyone, but their choice may not be the best for me.
Now CR has turned it’s trained reporters on the common man’s cup of joe, and the result? The Boston Herald reports:
McDonald’s latest caffeinated endeavor, Newman’s Own Organics Blend coffee, is better than both Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, says Consumer Reports magazine.
“We compared the rivals with Starbucks, all in basic black – no flavors, milk or sugar – and you know what? McDonald’s beat the rest,” the magazine said in its March issue.
The CR tasters visited only two stores in each company for the report, which may be too small a sample for a subjective survey like this. Bloomberg.com reports the tasters comments:
McDonald’s coffee was “decent and moderately strong,” while Starbucks was “strong, but burnt and bitter enough to make your eyes water.” . . . Dunkin’ Donuts brew was “weak, watery, and pricier than Starbucks. It was inoffensive, but it had no oomph.” Burger King, meanwhile, served a beverage that “looked like coffee but tasted more like hot water.”
I’ve had some pretty bitter coffee at Starbucks, which I assumed came from an overbrewed pot, not the company beans. Generally, Starbucks is good, but I don’t care to buy my coffee there. They irritate me.
Have you tried McDonald’s coffee in the past year? Was it better than you expected? If I ever buy coffee there, I expect to get the dark hot water variety. Maybe I should try it. I have drunk Chick-fil-a’s dark roast several times over the last several months. If MacDonald’s was just as good, I’d be impressed. (by way of The Boars Head Tavern)
Perhaps you could start (or become) a rival to CR, beginning with this very post. For example, you could put Lars in charge of taste-testing Mike’s Lutefisk against their competitors (do they have any?)
I think using the Newman’s Own organic coffee is the key to the recent success of McCoffee.
BTW, I see that I have broken a uncharacteristic streak of eight commentless posts. I hope you weren’t hoping to set a record. :O)
Strangely enough, when we were traveling, we found that the next best coffee to Starbucks (which I am quite fond of) is to be found at Pilot Truck Stops. Several blends are available and they’re quite strong and tasty!
If given the choice (driver control issues) I choose Burger King.
I’ve never cared for Starbucks.
When my husband drove a delivery truck for a year, he prefered truck stop coffee to all others.
I have had good coffee from truck stops. It seems to be a gamble when I look for coffee there–could be good, could be burnt, could be tasteless. I like my coffee at full strength, so I generally get watery stuff when I’m in the wild. I’ll have to take my daughter to breakfast at McD’s and try their coffee.
And, no, Michael, I wasn’t looking for a string of commentless posts. I think our traffic lags on the weekends, so I was going to postpone my disappointment until Tuesday, hoping I had not struck a vein of disinterest. Where are your other seven comments, I might ask? 😀
I think I left them the same place where I put my keys.