Wednesday, May 21, 2008
New Product Wednesday: Iced coffee — McDonald’s vs. Dunkin Donuts vs. Jack in the Box
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Iced coffee has suddenly slammed Dallas. Jack in the Box announced its version on Monday. McDonald's and Burger King brought it to the south this year after introducing it up north last year. Dunkin' Donuts just did a big free-sample offer on May 15.
The natural impulse is to credit Starbucks, the driver of all coffee trends; and these milk-and-sugar-infused iced coffees do resemble SB's bottled Frappuccino and canned iced-coffee.
But iced coffee has been popular in the Northeast for decades. "Nobody seems to know for sure why Northeasterners go overboard for iced coffee while Southerners remain steeped in traditional tea," says this CNN story. Here, I know: Northeasters are known for being "thrifty"; iced coffee was always a way to use leftover coffee after it got cold.
The backdrop on this mighty iced-coffee wave is that 1. McDonald's has been trying to suck up Starbucks' business, and 2. Dunkin' Donuts is expanding into the south.
But overall, iced coffee consumption is climbing -- up 16% from 2005 to 2006, according to NPD, a data research firm. People who take their coffee black aren't likely to recognize these drinks as coffee, since most come pre-loaded with cream and sugar. If that isn't enough, everyone also offers flavors.
The big contenders are as follows. All drinks sampled were the "regular" or plain flavor:
McDonald's. Plain, vanilla, and hazelnut. $1.79.
Of the three sampled, McDonald's tasted the best. It had the highest amount of milk/cream, sugar, and other Things That Made It Taste Not Like Coffee. It was more like coffee-flavored milk. But the coffee itself had a toasty flavor.
But this is odd. More than one site implied that drinking McDonald's iced coffee produced gastro-intestinal distress. A sample: "I got sick the first two times, but I think I got used to it and I don't notice it any more. The stuff is pretty much an intense laxative though... so make sure there is a restroom nearby. Seriously."
Some people attributed their discomfort to the diet version that has artificial sweeteners. Here's an unofficial list of what's in the regular: Premium roast coffee, light cream (milk, cream, sodium phosphate, sodium polyphosphate, datem, sodium stearoyl lactylate, tetra sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium citrate, carrageenan).
Jack in the Box. Regular, vanilla, caramel. $1.79. Of the three sampled, JITB's was the least appealing. Its darker brown color indicated that it had less added milk, so that would be good for coffee purists, that it wasn't as gunked up with odd stuff. Unfortunately, the coffee tasted stale, as if it'd been made far in advance.
Dunkin Donuts. Almond, vanilla spice, coconut. $2.29. The prevailing flavor here: cheese. Literally. It had a weird, fermented flavor that was hard to pin down. Was it DD's creamer-type additive, or was it actually sour milk? One thing's for sure: The Dunkin Donuts in the Dallas area are nowhere near as admirable as the stores in New England. Donuts purchased at the same time as this drink tasted greasy and awful and, while the staff was friendly, the store itself was dirty.
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Comments
Fezziwig Anonymous
Interesting that McDonald's wins... Consumer Reports rated their hot coffee as the best as well. And I remember reading in the Star-Telegram that one of their feature writers sampled lots of soft serve cones and rated McDonald's as best, too. I am not a customer, but I do find it fascinating that they manage to impress in non-burger competitions.
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Alex Bentley Staff
"The stuff is pretty much an intense laxative though..."
Isn't that what all coffee does?
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
twisteddog Anonymous
Tightwad Northeasterners have the annoying habit of adding milk to iced coffee – a waste of milk AND coffee.
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Joel Woiton Verified
Can any of these drinks be purchased without any sugar added? How old is the coffee used to make their iced coffee?
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
James Scott Verified
To further expand on how McD's is trying to encroach on SBUX, they've started this new McCafe concept, offering more than just this iced coffee. They recently tore down and rebuilt the McDonald's at Northwest Highway & Abrams to include one of these McCafes. I haven't been there yet, so I can't comment on what the experience is like - but it did seem to me an odd location to choose.
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Teresa Gubbins Staff
joel, the mcdonald's has a sugar-free version. at jack in the box and dunkin donuts, they offer it with or without sugar. most of these places make the coffee in the morning and chill it. the general rule seems to be that the coffee is considered to be "good for 8 hours."
james scott, that is major news that the store @ NW Hwy & Abrams is going to be a McCafe. i didn't even know dallas was getting one of those yet. great scoop on your part
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
pnewsgal Anonymous
Look up a recipe...experiment people...Doesn't anybody make their own food/drinks anymore...come on, how hard/time consuming is it to brew a pot of coffee and add some cream and sugar and make your own 'candy coffee' for pennies, opposed to bucks and without all the crap: sodium phosphate, sodium polyphosphate, datem, sodium stearoyl lactylate, tetra sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium citrate, carrageenan,and other things you have no idea what they ARE, what they DO or HOW to pronounce...just more McCrap. America's laziness at it's best
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
TJ Callaway Verified
pnewsgal, don't forget high fructose corn syrup, it makes the modern American dietary world go round.
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Mike Orren Staff
To James' note on the new McCafe on Abrams: I went by this morning out of curiosity; because we got a coupon for a free chicken biscuit in the mail; and because it's on my way to PNWHQ.
Very confusing if you've read about the concept. Really the only difference the McCafe has in terms of layout/process is there's an extra alcove behind the counter for the barista to work. You still order at the main counter and the coffee (real, honest hot coffee without frizz or frap) still comes from the same coffee urn behind the registers. (That said, McDonald's coffee isn't bad as chain coffee goes.) Plus: No obnoxious "venti." Minus: No hot coffee other than plain coffee (I fancy an Americano, myself) and they tried to ram their frappucino down my throat. I was asked 5(!) times if I wanted to change my order.
The staff was obnoxiously over-friendly, but that may have been because the owners were afoot. There was a cake and some tables covered with cloth and people in suits in some sort of opening commemoration in the offing.
Otherwise, just feels like a clean, new McD's. There were a few flatscreen TV's and a tiny kids play area. If anything, the building seems much larger outside than in, giving a feel of wasted space.
WiFi is AT&T via Wayport so not free or cheap. The on-again off-again free AT&T wifi for iPhone peeps must be off again, 'cos it didn't work for me.
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Mike Orren Staff
Something I'm toying with right now. Consider a work in progress...
http://fmatlas.com/view/morren/200805...
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Doyle Verified
Blocked at work. =(
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
James Scott Verified
I like it, although it would be nice to see a version without all the SBUXs - they're easy enough to find on every other street corner.
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Mike Orren Staff
Yeah-- That was my original intent, but I know some people just want coffee regardless of source, so I'm playing with a w/ and w/o version. Really trying to make a mobile version for my personal use as a stopgap until the dev team finishes our real mobile edition, but if it works, I'll share.
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
pnewsgal Anonymous
TJ - You're right, can't forget the HFCS, it's in about 90 percent (personal observation) of EVERYTHING at the market. As I understand, it's banned in countries with conscience, but we put it in anything remotely edible. Try getting a stick of gum without it or aspartame...sacrificing our health in the name of convenience and the all-mighty buck.
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Teresa Gubbins Staff
Back Talk East Dallas has a report on what seems to have been an official opening this morning at this new McCafe, including this unusual tidbit: that the owner, a "devout christian," brought in a deacon to do a blessing/prayer/what-have-you
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
twisteddog Anonymous
Dear Jesus, protect our customers from heart disease ...
1 month, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
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