# New Flavors better than the original **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 17, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064 "2012-04-17T17:56:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/21 "2012-04-18T02:01:08Z")
Milky Way Midnight rocks. The regular bar is only so-so. ---
**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 18, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/22 "2012-04-18T02:15:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > New Coke was better than the original recipe. Their miscalculation was just in assuming that people drank Coke for the taste. It’s been a long, long time, so I don’t remember that well. From my recollection as a kid, New Coke seemed to taste more like Pepsi. I recall it being sweeter and more citrus-like or something than regular Coke. As I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, I preferred regular Coke to the new one, and we even did little blind taste testings as kids for fun, playing off the whole “Pepsi challenge” thing with Coke, New Coke, and Pepsi. I preferred regular Coke consistently, but New Coke did actually win out in our informal and unscientific focus group. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/23 "2012-04-18T02:31:39Z")
> [@](#): > > From my recollection as a kid, New Coke seemed to taste more like Pepsi. Right, that was by design. The Pepsi Challenge wasn’t a lie: Most folks really did prefer the taste of Pepsi to Coke. So, in what seemed a logical enough move at the time, the Coke folks decided to change their formula to taste more like Pepsi. The problem is that the Coke brand has built up such a long tradition, that when people saw that they’d changed the recipe, they didn’t give it a try; instead, they panicked and said “How dare you change such an American classic!”, and refused to buy it. With the end result, of course, that Coke went back to (almost) the original recipe. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/24 "2012-04-18T03:26:29Z")
Cool Ranch Doritos and Cheddar and Sour Cream Ruffles. Most of us knew then and still know now what the various cola products taste like. I know it’s fun to think we’re all rubes who cannot tell the difference between various brands, but Coke and Pepsi don’t taste anything alike. Hell, they don’t even smell alike. Coke smells of cinnamon, and Pepsi of lemon. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Dord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@The\_Dord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Dord)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/25 "2012-04-18T10:37:48Z")
> [@Omega\_Glory](#): > > Vanilla Coke is better than the original. There’s a brand of doritos that’s better than nacho flavor too. I don’t remember the name, but the doritos were spicy and slightly sweet. Don’t you mean [these](http://www.fritolay.com/our-snacks/doritos-spicy-sweet-chili-chips.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/26 "2012-04-18T15:39:30Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Coke Zero kicks Diet Coke in the junk. **Yes.** Coke Zero is much more like Coke Classic in flavor; Diet Coke is very “battery acid”-tasting. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/27 "2012-04-18T16:36:07Z")
> [@Omega\_Glory](#): > > Vanilla Coke is better than the original. There’s a brand of doritos that’s better than nacho flavor too. I don’t remember the name, but the doritos were spicy and slightly sweet. That would probably be Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos. (Or, less likely but still possible, one of the really tasty Doritos flavors aimed at the Hispanic market, like Flamas or something.) ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/28 "2012-04-18T17:28:44Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > **Yes.** Coke Zero is much more like Coke Classic in flavor; Diet Coke is very “battery acid”-tasting. That is because Coke Zero is the zero calorie version of Coke. Diet Coke is a completely different formula with a different flavor profile. I think it was based on Tab, but I am not sure about that part. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/29 "2012-04-18T18:26:33Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Right, that was by design. The Pepsi Challenge wasn’t a lie: Most folks really did prefer the taste of Pepsi to Coke. It was sort of a lie. How many more people preferred Pepsi? Did they ever show anyone picking Coke? Do you think that meant no one did? How scientific were the tests? Did they over-sample people who really like sweet things, like say 10 year-old boys? Also let’s say 55% picked Pepsi and 45% picked Coke. Is it then logical for Coke to reformulate so they taste just like Pepsi? Wouldn’t that alienate the 45%, many of whom were Coke customers? The only thing I’ve agreed on in this whole thread is Crunchberries. Those were delicious! ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/30 "2012-04-18T18:32:57Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > Chili Cheese Fritos are the best chips every made. Regular Fritos are kind of bland, salty and corny. There’s a reason for that. Fritos have exactly three ingredients: corn, oil, and salt. Here’s the ingredient list of Chili Cheese Fritos (from their web site): > [@](#): > > Whole corn, corn oil, salt, whey, spices, cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), whey protein concentrate, wheat flour, tomato powder, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium caseinate, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, Romano cheese from cow’s milk (cultured pasteurized part skim milk, salt, enzymes), dextrose, onion powder, sugar, natural flavor, butter (cream, salt), disodium phosphate, buttermilk solids, citric acid, garlic powder, artificial colors, lactic acid, disodium inosinate, and disodium guanylate. OK, so neither one is exactly good for you, but I’ll stick with the original. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/31 "2012-04-18T18:36:29Z")
I didn’t like original Doritoes until I had the Cool Ranch variety. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/32 "2012-04-18T18:37:01Z")
I took the Pepsi Challenge once. They gave me a cold, fresh cup of one drink and a diluted with melted ice, flat cup of the other. Guess which one was the Coke. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/33 "2012-04-18T18:39:17Z")
> [@FrancisCastle](#): > > Wildberry Skittles are the best out of all the Skittles flavor varieties. I’ll keep my original flavor Starburst, though. This man speaks the truth…for Skittles, anyway. I also like the “Crazy Core” ones. I prefer the “summer flavors” variety of Starburst. And ‘Almond Snickers’ kicks regular Snicker’s (Snickers’s?) ass. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/34 "2012-04-18T18:44:46Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > I took the Pepsi Challenge once. They gave me a cold, fresh cup of one drink and a diluted with melted ice, flat cup of the other. Guess which one was the Coke. When I took it, I pointed at the Coke and said “I prefer the Coke.” The tester shrugged and said a lot of people do. I snuck a peek at her score sheet and it looked about 50/50. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/35 "2012-04-18T18:58:55Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > There was a time when I would have immediately said “Ranch Doritos”, but something in my body changed and I now realize that Nacho Cheese Doritos are best. Anyway, I believe taco was the original flavor and I consider Nacho Cheese to be way better. Where I live, Toasted Corn was the original flavor, with Taco being second. As for my preferences to newer flavors being better, my first choice is Vanilla Diet Coke, although I’m not sure they sell it any more, at least in 2L bottles (I can’t find it in any of three different chains). Also on the list are pretty much any non-hot non-original flavor of Doritos, Cheddar and Sour Cream (one flavor) Lay’s / Ruffles, Golden Oreos (white cream and white cookie - but not Double Stuf), Dark Chocolate and Pretzel (different flavors) M&Ms, and Peanut Butter Twix. ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/36 "2012-04-18T19:14:06Z")
> [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](#): > > I’ll drink Cherry Coke over Coca-Cola “Classic” any day of the week. > [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Coke Zero kicks Diet Coke in the junk. Combine these and you have a winner: Cherry Coke Zero is basically the only thing worth drinking on the whole planet. > [@Student\_Driver](#): > > That would probably be Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos. (Or, less likely but still possible, one of the really tasty Doritos flavors aimed at the Hispanic market, like Flamas or something.) I used to love Cool Ranch Doritos, but since being introduced to the magic that is Spicy Sweet Chili, I can’t go back. ---
**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 18, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/37 "2012-04-18T19:38:05Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > That is because Coke Zero is the zero calorie version of Coke. Diet Coke is a completely different formula with a different flavor profile. I think it was based on Tab, but I am not sure about that part. I’ve heard that New Coke was quite similar to what you’d get if you made a sugared version of Diet Coke. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/38 "2012-04-18T22:45:02Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > That is because Coke Zero is the zero calorie version of Coke. Diet Coke is a completely different formula with a different flavor profile. I think it was based on Tab, but I am not sure about that part. It’s actually the diet version of New Coke, although my recollection is that they don’t taste as close as Coke and Coke Zero do. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/39 "2012-04-18T22:48:17Z")
Snickers ice cream bars are better than any variety of actual Snickers. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064/40 "2012-04-18T22:51:08Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > I took the Pepsi Challenge once. They gave me a cold, fresh cup of one drink and a diluted with melted ice, flat cup of the other. Guess which one was the Coke. I believe that when the test is fair, Pepsi really did come out on top (it certainly did when I took the Pepsi Challenge c. 1981), but that might not mean that the customer would prefer a whole can of Pepsi vs. a whole can of Coke. But the Cola Wars, I think, changed all that. Now people know what Coke and Pepsi taste like such that hiding the label doesn’t effectively hide the products’ identities. –Cliffy [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-flavors-better-than-the-original/619064.md?page=3)