# Coffee Wars: Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [April 3, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736 "2013-04-03T15:46:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/21 "2013-04-03T19:51:53Z")
It’s not so much that I think Dunkin’ Donuts is better than Starbucks, it’s just that I tend to drink coffee, not double-half-caf mochachocovanilla chai fruit smoothies with a shot of arugula-espresso and whipped cream and sprinkles on top. So I go to Funkin’ Gonuts. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/22 "2013-04-03T19:51:59Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > I am literally mystified by DD coffee lovers. IMHO it’s is virtually the nastiest coffee available anywhere. It’s true that SB sometimes overroasts, but every cup of coffee I’ve ever had at DD has been weak, sour, and has traces of nasty mixed up flavors because they don’t seem to separate their machines into flavored and non-flavored. I’ve never noticed any traces of weird flavored coffees in my DD coffee, and I tend to be good about that, especially with hazelnut, since I _hate_ hazelnut in my coffee. (Although I love hazelnuts in general.) I think most people love DD because it’s a classic American-style drip coffee, and the type of coffee they’re most familiar with before coffeehouses started springing up. The coffees at coffeehouses tends to be a bit deeper in flavor and, I dunno, “heavier” for a lack of better word, and I don’t mean the roast. DD coffee is not quite as concentrated in flavor. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/23 "2013-04-03T19:55:59Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > It’s not so much that I think Dunkin’ Donuts is better than Starbucks, it’s just that I tend to drink coffee, not double-half-caf mochachocovanilla chai fruit smoothies with a shot of arugula-espresso and whipped cream and sprinkles on top. So I go to Funkin’ Gonuts. This has always been the weirdest objection to Starbucks for me. Yes, they have regular coffee at Starbucks and, yes, lots of people order it. You’re not a freak to go into Starbucks an order a “large black coffee.” (And, yes, you don’t have to use words like “venti,” and the baristas will still understand you.) And, no, unless you’re on the Vegas strip where I discovered Starbucks is expensive, it’s not $5 a cup, either. I think a 20-oz (aka “venti”) drip coffee goes for $2.25 right now in Chicago. It was under $2 just a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/24 "2013-04-03T19:56:21Z")
Either one would be infinitely better than the grossly robusta Maxwell House (yuck!), which is our workaday _café ordinaire_ here for economic reasons. We get to enjoy _arabica_ only on weekends—it happens to be Starbucks “caffè Verona” blend beans, and damn does it taste good after a work week of nothing but Maxwell House sewage. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/25 "2013-04-03T19:56:50Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > No, you just get stuck behind someone wanting three plain munchkins, five powdered, four jelly, seven chocolate… is that 25 yet? No? OK, uh, make that four plain… They don’t do that anywhere I’ve seen. And if you try to tell them numbers they wave you off and just grab a handful of each. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/26 "2013-04-03T19:57:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > This has always been the weirdest objection to Starbucks for me. Yes, they have regular coffee at Starbucks and, yes, lots of people order it. You’re not a freak to go into Starbucks an order a “large black coffee.” (And, yes, you don’t have to use words like “venti,” and the baristas will still understand you.) And, no, unless you’re on the Vegas strip where I discovered Starbucks is expensive, it’s not $5 a cup, either. I think a 20-oz (aka “venti”) drip coffee goes for $2.25 right now in Chicago. It was under $2 just a few years ago. Yeah, well, their cups tend to leak too, so there. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/27 "2013-04-03T20:04:55Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > This has always been the weirdest objection to Starbucks for me. Yes, they have regular coffee at Starbucks and, yes, lots of people order it. You’re not a freak to go into Starbucks an order a “large black coffee.” (And, yes, you don’t have to use words like “venti,” and the baristas will still understand you.) It is irrational on the face of it; people say that only to emphasize their populist identification with the common man and distance themselves from those hoity-toity fancy-pants “latte liberals.” But, as I always say, a too-ostentatious rejection of pretentiousness is often itself a form of pretentiousness. As for myself, I’ve never ordered anything but plain black coffee from Starbucks (or anyplace else), and I like it just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/28 "2013-04-03T20:13:30Z")
Horseshit. I say it because I just never got into drinking all that sweet shit. I like coffee. Dunkin’s makes a decent cup. And if pressed, I’d say, yes, I’d rather have Dunkin’s cup than a Starbucks cup. But all in all, I’d much rather have some Green Mountain, thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/29 "2013-04-04T01:23:34Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > I am literally mystified by DD coffee lovers. IMHO it’s is virtually the nastiest coffee available anywhere. It’s true that SB sometimes overroasts, but every cup of coffee I’ve ever had at DD has been weak, sour, and has traces of nasty mixed up flavors because they don’t seem to separate their machines into flavored and non-flavored. I agree with all of the above. I drink coffee black, no sugar, and I vastly prefer SB. I do also like Peet’s and McDonald’s. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/30 "2013-04-04T01:46:21Z")
If I drink coffee outside the house it’s usually a treat and I get a latte. Starbucks wins because they offer dairy alternatives at every SB store I’ve been to. DD’s website says there may be dairy alternatives available but I have yet to find one that actually has any. If I have to drink a black drip, I find DD’s sour to me, so SB still wins. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/31 "2013-04-04T13:56:48Z")
Well, I suppose I can throw in my two cents now. I \*love \*Dunkin Donuts, and think Starbucks is pretty much crap. I’m certainly not above drinking it, mind you, if I’m dying for some caffeine. But I’d never say, “Hey, I’m in the mood for Starbucks!” Which is weird, because I used to feel the exact opposite. Loved Starbucks, drank it all the time. I only drank Dunkin Donuts in a pinch, and it was pretty terrible. But gradually, SB got worse, and DD got much, much better. I know people say that the burnt flavor of SB is not as bad as it used to be, and that may be true, but I’ve had it within the last 6 months or so, and it’s still extremely unpleasant to me. There’s a SB in my grocery store, and I find just the smell alone can be off-putting. There are times when I walk in and think, “Whoa! Did they have a fire in the bakery? Did a cashier burn popcorn in the break room? Oh, it’s just Starbucks.” > [@pulykamell](#): > > I think most people love DD because it’s a classic American-style drip coffee, and the type of coffee they’re most familiar with before coffeehouses started springing up. The coffees at coffeehouses tends to be a bit deeper in flavor and, I dunno, “heavier” for a lack of better word, and I don’t mean the roast. DD coffee is not quite as concentrated in flavor. I think this is a big part of it. I love coffeehouse-style coffee; I just wouldn’t go to Starbucks for it. But I go to DD when I want a good ol’ cuppajoe. I wouldn’t call it weak or watery (anymore), but it’s definitely not as dense as a coffeehouse-style cup. To me, it’s like the difference between, say, a lager and an ale. Very generally speaking, a lager tends to be lighter-bodied, with a brighter, cleaner flavor. It’s what I drink when I want to hang out on the porch and have a few beers. An ale is slightly more dense and richer in flavor. It’s what I drink when I want to sip my beer and savor it. So if I want to sit and nurse a big mug of coffee and relax with the paper, I’ll go to a cafe. If I’m headed to work and just want a simple, great-tasting coffee that I can gulp down if need be, I go to DD. ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/32 "2013-04-04T13:58:39Z")
DD’s coffee tastes like farts smell. I don’t understand how anyone drinks it. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/33 "2013-04-04T14:08:56Z")
> [@wmulax93](#): > > DD’s coffee tastes like farts smell. I don’t understand how anyone drinks it. You clearly have never smelled my farts. ---
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/34 "2013-04-04T14:56:32Z")
As long as I live in a state with a Wawa…I’m not going to bother with either of those two. And the way Wawa is expanding exponentially the rest of the country will soon discover my addiction. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/35 "2013-04-04T15:40:03Z")
At home, I’m glad to make my own coffee. (From [Katz](http://www.katzcoffee.com/)!) Near the transit line to work, Starbuck’s is the only option (if you don’t count percolated cafeteria coffee); so I start each weekday with a fat free latte. There are no convenient Dunkin’ Donuts. I’m sure there are plenty in the city, but Shipley’s is Houston’s Choice For Donuts (and [Boudin Kolaches](http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2011/09/100_favorite_dishes_no_3_boudi.php))… ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/36 "2013-04-04T15:46:16Z")
Starbucks is fine. I prefer Peet’s. I’ve only had Dunkin Donuts once and I didn’t realize that when you ask for “coffee” it was going to have milk or whatever in it, because everywhere else I’ve ever bought coffee, asking for a large coffee gets you black coffee with nothing in it. I didn’t check before leaving and was stuck with something I could barely choke down. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/37 "2013-04-04T18:20:17Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > Starbucks is fine. I prefer Peet’s. > > I’ve only had Dunkin Donuts once and I didn’t realize that when you ask for “coffee” it was going to have milk or whatever in it, because everywhere else I’ve ever bought coffee, asking for a large coffee gets you black coffee with nothing in it. I didn’t check before leaving and was stuck with something I could barely choke down. That’s not SOP at any Dunkin’ I’ve ever been to. Your guy just made a mistake, that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/38 "2013-04-04T18:41:02Z")
On the other hand, a number of times I’ve ordered a coffee with cream only at Dunkin’s only to receive a coffee with cream and sugar. That’s one thing Starbucks has over Dunkin Donuts – at least you get to do your own creamin’ and sugarin’. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/39 "2013-04-04T18:45:14Z")
Starbucks is still in business? I thought the current generation of car batteries weren’t designed for end-user supplementation of the acid reservoir… ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736/40 "2013-04-04T18:49:08Z")
DD coffee is over-rated dishwater. Years and years ago, it was passable, but even then it was inconsistent. It is completely different at every DD I’ve ever tried. Like Starbucks or not, you know what you are going to get. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-wars-dunkin-donuts-or-starbucks/654736.md?page=3)