Coffee Taste Test

Howard Schultz has said, "Starbucks represents something beyond a cup of coffee." Perhaps that is true, but according to Consumer Reports, when it comes to getting a good cup of coffee, you should try McDonald's (that's right) instead.

 In Fact, recently Robert Ancill of Restaurant Consultants; The Next Idea, talked about the risk that the fast food giant was beginning to pose to Starbucks.

The March issue of the magazine ran a taste test among Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's and Starbucks. Two taste testers went into the various stores and ordered their beverages black.

In the end, Starbucks' coffee was deemed to be "strong, but burnt and bitter enough to make your eyes water instead of open."

The winning coffee from McDonald's was described as "decent and moderately strong," and having "no flaws."

The coffee of the next two chains in the test were described as inoffensive (Dunkin Donuts) and tasted more like hot water" (Burger King).

Starbucks sought to downplay the report. The company released a statement saying, "Choosing a brand of coffee is a personal decision, as taste is subjective."

McDonald's, on the other hand, was ecstatic about the news. Danya Proud, a spokesperson for the fast food chain, told the Los Angeles Times, "It was great news." Particularly rewarding to McDonald's is that the company gets this recognition a year after it changed the coffee blend it sold in its restaurants, with many wondering if a premium brew would catch on with the chain's customers.

Discussion Questions: Will the Consumer Reports article and the media coverage of it give McDonald's a boost with its coffee business? Will this taste test induce trial of McDonald's coffee by customers of Starbucks?

As an FYI - There is some controversy surrounding the Consumer Reports taste test.

Willem Boot, who trains tasters for the Coffee Quality Institute, told the Los Angeles Times, "We assemble panels of at least six testers to taste the coffee under tightly controlled conditions. Doing only two samples in this case is crazy."

We don't know if conducting the taste test is crazy, but we do know that we've heard consumers use similar language to describe the coffees in question. In our case, we'll continue to drink Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts coffee. Of course, given the option, we'll just grind the beans at home and do it ourselves. That's the best coffee.