SEATTLE -- Consumer Reports magazine has declared McDonald's coffee the winner of a taste test against three rivals, reported the Associated Press.
After sampling four leading brewed coffees for its March issue, the magazine said McDonald's premium roast coffee bested competing cups from Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks.
The tastings were led by a professional tester, the report said, and included staffers from Consumer Reports' food-testing division, spokesperson Heather Joy Thompson told AP.
The [image-nocss] group tasted medium cups of coffee with no cream or sugar at two locations from each company in November. They rated McDonald's premium brand the best, calling it decent and moderately strong although lacking subtle top notes.
The others didn't fare so well, according to the report. Dunkin Donuts' coffee was deemed inoffensive, but it had no oomph. Starbucks was labeled strong, but burnt and bitter. Burger King's offering resembled coffee, but tasted more like hot water, the magazine said.
Consumer Reports said McDonald's was the least expensive, at $1.40 per cup on average. Dunkin' Donuts was the priciest, at $1.65.
In response, Starbucks spokesperson Sanja Gould said taste is subjective and pointed to the Seattle-based company's sales. The 44 million customer visits to our stores per week globally indicate that many people enjoy our premium coffee, Gould said in a statement cited by AP.
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