Starbucks vs. McDonalds

[Bubba Wheels]

Too good to pass up. With Starbucks prices who didn't see this one coming sooner or later?http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/080107/mcdon...ffee.html?.v=1

[Mustang]

Surprised to see shares down 48% for Starbucks given that a cup of coffee there costs what... $159.00 and there is always a line of 5-6 cars at our local one.

[Bubba Wheels]

Related: Now free refills! http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/080123/starb...king-budgeting

[Groundhog]

A lot of our McDonalds stores over here in Australia have had 'McCafes' in them for some time now.

[jeff061]

Starbucks, paying more for the same beans burnt.

[Fidatelo]

It does seem odd to see Starbucks shares down, they seem like goldmines everywhere I see one.

[st.cronin]

My guess is its something similar to what happened with Krispy Kreme - the stock price never anticipated there was a saturation point (enough stores to meet demand), and then one day there was.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I have tried McDonald's coffee and it is vile.

[JimboJ]

I like McDonalds coffee, but whether they can pull off the fancy drinks is another matter. If they can, then I don't see how Starbucks won't suffer. If there's a McD's on one corner and a Starbucks on the other, I'm going to the one thats half the price of the other.

[miked]

I was just in Mexico, saw lots of Starbucks. Their coffee may be a rip off, but they have a big international presence.

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

I have tried McDonald's coffee and it is vile.

True. Had some over Christmas in Missouri and it was bad...

[ISiddiqui]

If there's a McD's on one corner and a Starbucks on the other, I'm going to the one thats half the price of the other.

But there isn't. I think McD's is about a $1. A cup of regular coffee at Starbucks is ~$1.50 (for a similar sized cup).

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

I have tried coffee and it is vile.

Fixed it for you, and I strongly agree.

[MJ4H]

I don't even like the smell of coffee. Never gone near enough to taste it.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

Fixed it for you, and I strongly agree.

Sorry you're missing out, Schmidty. Drinking coffee is something I take great pleasure in.

[Subby]

I love coffee and I love Starbucks. Forget all of the specialty drinks they have. Just give me a large cup of their strongest coffee, drop in a shot of espresso, and I am good to go - for a few minutes, at least.

Be interesting to see if McDonald's is going to grind the beans in the store.

[General Mike]

I <3 Starbucks.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Subby

I love coffee and I love Starbucks. Forget all of the specialty drinks they have. Just give me a large cup of their strongest coffee, drop in a shot of espresso, and I am good to go - for a few minutes, at least.

Amen, brother... Amen.

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Sorry you're missing out, Schmidty. Drinking coffee is something I take great pleasure in.

I drink probably 4-5 cups every week day at work. The weekends are more difficult, as my kids won't let me sit down long enough to even have one cup .

Regardless of that however, I concur. Coffee is good stuff.

[Mustang]

I hope McDonalds serves coffee better than what I witnessed in a McDonalds once. Guy ordered 3 Coffees and asked for 3 sugars and 3 creams. I would think that a normal person would think, "Ok.. 1 coffee and a sugar and cream in each", but I watched as the server put in 3 sugars and 3 creams into each coffee (and their sugar dispensing machine doesn't put in like one packet, it is a pretty hefty dose) I can't imagine there was any room in those cups left for coffee.

At least I got my wife to switch to Lattes at Starbucks. She was drinking Cappucinos, but 1/2 that is foam...

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by Mustang

I hope McDonalds serves coffee better than what I witnessed in a McDonalds once. Guy ordered 3 Coffees and asked for 3 sugars and 3 creams. I would think that a normal person would think, "Ok.. 1 coffee and a sugar and cream in each", but I watched as the server put in 3 sugars and 3 creams into each coffee (and their sugar dispensing machine doesn't put in like one packet, it is a pretty hefty dose) I can't imagine there was any room in those cups left for coffee.

At least I got my wife to switch to Lattes at Starbucks. She was drinking Cappucinos, but 1/2 that is foam...

Henceforth, from this moment on we will never forget to graduate high school and perhaps attend college in order to avoid the dreaded server position......

[cartman]

There are no Starbucks in Italy. Discuss.

[Bubba Wheels]

Originally Posted by Mustang

I hope McDonalds serves coffee better than what I witnessed in a McDonalds once. Guy ordered 3 Coffees and asked for 3 sugars and 3 creams. I would think that a normal person would think, "Ok.. 1 coffee and a sugar and cream in each", but I watched as the server put in 3 sugars and 3 creams into each coffee (and their sugar dispensing machine doesn't put in like one packet, it is a pretty hefty dose) I can't imagine there was any room in those cups left for coffee.

At least I got my wife to switch to Lattes at Starbucks. She was drinking Cappucinos, but 1/2 that is foam...

You have to ask for a 'wet' cappucino, that gets you 2/3 coffee. Heard that from a server when a customer complained about the same thing.

[Celeval]

Originally Posted by Mustang

I hope McDonalds serves coffee better than what I witnessed in a McDonalds once. Guy ordered 3 Coffees and asked for 3 sugars and 3 creams. I would think that a normal person would think, "Ok.. 1 coffee and a sugar and cream in each", but I watched as the server put in 3 sugars and 3 creams into each coffee (and their sugar dispensing machine doesn't put in like one packet, it is a pretty hefty dose) I can't imagine there was any room in those cups left for coffee.

At least I got my wife to switch to Lattes at Starbucks. She was drinking Cappucinos, but 1/2 that is foam...

If I was asking for that, I'd expect 3&3 in each of the 3. But that may be just me.

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by Mustang

I hope McDonalds serves coffee better than what I witnessed in a McDonalds once. Guy ordered 3 Coffees and asked for 3 sugars and 3 creams. I would think that a normal person would think, "Ok.. 1 coffee and a sugar and cream in each", but I watched as the server put in 3 sugars and 3 creams into each coffee (and their sugar dispensing machine doesn't put in like one packet, it is a pretty hefty dose) I can't imagine there was any room in those cups left for coffee.

At least I got my wife to switch to Lattes at Starbucks. She was drinking Cappucinos, but 1/2 that is foam...

I dunno is that's an exaggeration, but when I worked at Caribou, we made a cappucino with 1/3 espresso, 1/3 milk, 1/3 foam. Anyway, what's wrong with half foam? If you want foam, isn't that a good thing?

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

I dunno is that's an exaggeration, but when I worked at Cariou, we made a cappucino with 1/3 espresso, 1/3 milk, 1/3 foam. Anyway, what's wrong with half foam? If you want foam, isn't that a good thing?

no man should want foam

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

no man should want foam

Mustang's wife is a man?

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Mustang's wife is a man?

well that is news!

[terpkristin]

For plain drip coffee bought from a restaurant chain, Dunkin Donuts FTW, especially if it's a DD up in New England. I think the coffee is better at DD the closer you get to Boston, as in CT and MA, it's downright fantastic, but down here in northern VA, it's just average (to me anyway).

Of course for my coffee, I usually brew my own before I leave for work (I have a 20 oz. thermal mug I take into work with me) or a drip coffee from Wegman's. I also have an espresso machine, so I can make my own, but I'm also a fan of skim lattes from *$.

That all said, buy more *$ coffee, I'm a shareholder!

/tk

[Fidatelo]

I haven't acquired a taste yet for coffee, but I'm slowly getting there. I'm up to drinking iced latte's and stuff now, so it's just a matter of time.

For people that like iced latte's/cappucino's, the Big Train Kona Mocha mix makes an amazing drink! Every morning I make myself a big iced cap, which consists of:

- 1 - 1.5 cups of coffee
- .5 cup of milk
- 3 "half scoops" of the Kona Mocha mix
- then about 10-12 ice cubes (I add 6, blend, check the consistency, add a couple more, blend, etc until it is a nice smoothness).

[Coffee Warlord]

*watches over this thread with an evil glare*

[General Mike]

When I go to Starbucks, or any of those type of places, I go to get the drinks I can't get elsewhere.

If I just want coffee, I'll go to Dunkin' Donuts, or Wawa.

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

If you want foam, isn't that a good thing?

Too much man foam talk...

Eh, just filler. (Cappucino filler foam not fill her foam). Same reason I hate ice when I get a soda at a fast food place.

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by Mustang

Too much man foam talk...

Eh, just filler. (Cappucino filler foam not fill her foam). Same reason I hate ice when I get a soda at a fast food place.

ooh, you've won me over...i hate ice in soft drinks! Fast food places aren't so bad, cuz most of them have serve-yourself fountains. It's the $10-$20 an entree places that are the killer, where I have to make a big deal about asking for it, and still risk getting ice anyway. As for anything above $20 an entree, they put it in a fancy glass that you drink down too fast, and never refill it enough, and it costs more, so it's just not worth it.

As for foam, I do like some on occasion, but in those cases, I'll always get a latte instead of a cappucino (whereas normally I'd get a mocha or something else with whipped cream).

[stevew]

McDonalds iced coffee is vile.

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

ooh, you've won me over...i hate ice in soft drinks! Fast food places aren't so bad, cuz most of them have serve-yourself fountains. It's the $10-$20 an entree places that are the killer, where I have to make a big deal about asking for it, and still risk getting ice anyway. As for anything above $20 an entree, they put it in a fancy glass that you drink down too fast, and never refill it enough, and it costs more, so it's just not worth it.

As for foam, I do like some on occasion, but in those cases, I'll always get a latte instead of a cappucino (whereas normally I'd get a mocha or something else with whipped cream).

You are the wind beneath my wings.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by RomaGoth

I drink probably 4-5 cups every week day at work. The weekends are more difficult, as my kids won't let me sit down long enough to even have one cup .

Regardless of that however, I concur. Coffee is good stuff.

How do you deal with the kids without coffee?!!??!

Anyway, I think I am a little spoiled, in the bottom of my office building is a local chain (i think about 4-5 "stores") place called 'Cool Beans' that has some pretty good coffee that i pay $1.50 for medium (whatever that is in Starbucks terms).

[ice4277]

Tim Horton's coffee is the best, bar none.

[Galaril]

Dunkin Donuts baby!

[JimboJ]

Didn't consumer reports do a test of take out coffee and find that McDonalds was the best, beating out Starbucks? And McDonalds is only $.69 for any size.

[k0ruptr]

Originally Posted by JimboJ

Didn't consumer reports do a test of take out coffee and find that McDonalds was the best, beating out Starbucks? And McDonalds is only $.69 for any size.

i wish it was that cheap here, no chance in hell tho.

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by JimboJ

Didn't consumer reports do a test of take out coffee and find that McDonalds was the best, beating out Starbucks? And McDonalds is only $.69 for any size.

They used "trained testers" which probably just means they had a couple people do it, instead of getting a lot of data from having several people do the taste test.

Hoping that consumers are fed up with asking Starbucks for “double-caramel skim half-caf macchiato” before they’ve even had their jolt of joe, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, and McDonald’s have been boosting their coffee cachet.

McDonald’s Premium issues the slightly icky invitation to “wake up and smell your life” with a “richer, bolder” coffee; BK Joe suggests that you “wake up with the King”; Dunkin’ Donuts touts its usual coffee, but with more flavors and attitude. “My mouth can’t form these words,” customers in a recent ad sing when faced with the options in a fancy shop: Himan plu cento, for one.

We compared the rivals with Starbucks, all in basic black--no flavors, milk, or sugar--and you know what? McDonald’s beat the rest. Our trained tasters, who visited two locations from each company, spill the beans below (prices are an average of what we paid for the closest thing to a medium cup).

McDonald's, $1.35, was decent and moderately strong. Although it lacked the subtle top notes needed to make it rise and shine, it had no flaws.

Burger King, $1.40, looked like coffee but tasted more like hot water. It was a little sour, with an unusual hint of chocolate.

Dunkin' Donuts, $1.65, was weak, watery, and pricier than Starbucks. It was inoffensive, but it had no oomph. (If you brew with Dunkin’ beans at home, you can make it stronger.)

Starbucks, $1.55, was strong, but burnt and bitter enough to make your eyes water instead of open.

CR's take. Try McDonald’s, which was cheapest and best, or make your own coffee--just call it something special. The other three were all only OK, but for different reasons.