Dunkin Donuts

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by JD10367

Okay, here's the deal when it comes to Dunkin' Donuts. They started in Massachusetts back in the 50s IIRC, so they are ubiquitous in New England (with many 24-hour locations) and have spread down the east coast as well as westward. They got their name because at one time they actually had a donut called a "dunkin' donut", a plain cake donut with a handle on it (looked like a tire with an air bubble in it) so you could dunk the donut in your coffee and not get your fingers wet, LOL.

Up until the mid 1980s, their coffee was awesome. They used to use a smooth mocha java blend that made the best cup of coffee. However, since the mid-80s, the coffee quality has gone downhill. Even if the pot's not too old it has a bit of a bitter afterkick. I don't know if this is a result of a.) cheaper beans, b.) a decline in overall bean quality on the planet, c.) the fact that disgusting strong coffee like Starbucks is now popular, or d.) a combination of the above.

However, their coffee is pretty consistent. It'll rarely knock your socks off, but it'll rarely make you grimace and throw it away. It's "consistently average", I guess you could say. The ice coffee seems better than the hot coffee.

We had Krispy Kreme here briefly. Their coffee was atrocious. And the donuts, while good as a guilty treat now and then, were just too sugary to eat on a consistent basis.

We also have Tim Horton's. Nothing to write home about, really.

Dunkin' has managed to keep afloat because they know how to diversify. They sell a lot of coffee and a lot of donuts. But they also do hot chocolate, chai tea, cappucchino, frozen coffee "smoothie-style" drinks with crushed ice, fruit smoothies, muffins (very well), bagels, croissants, danish, cookies, egg sandwiches (on bagel, English, or croissant, with a variety of meats), flatbread egg sandwiches, hash browns, and they now have egg wraps (a small tortilla). And I might have missed a few menu items there. (Frankly, as a kid I got coffee and donuts constantly, but I can't remember the last time I actually got a donut from them; I usually get coffee and an egg-and-cheese bagel, sometimes with hash browns, sometimes instead I'll get a danish or muffin.)

If you like Starbucks coffee, you probably won't like Dunkin'. On the other hand, it won't cost you four bucks for a coffee like it does at Starbucks. I absolutely detest Starbucks (to me it tastes like a four-day old cup of Dunkin' that was used as a Marlboro ashtray).

McDonald's coffee, up until the mid 1980s, was only good as a weapon since it was so hot. (I know, I used to drink it constantly when I worked at a liquor store.) However, recently they've changed to a blend of Newman's Own Organics and Green Mountain Coffee, and their coffee is actually pretty damn good now. Not too long ago, I'd stop at Dunkin' for a coffee and then at McDonald's for some breakfast; now I just get the coffee at Mickey D's as well.

Burger King coffee still sucks ass.

Thanks for the history lesson, which I wasn't familiar with.

As for the current status, I agree 100% with every word, though I actually think DD coffee is very good, not merely "consistently average". It is, however, CONSISTENT, which is important.

And I also agree on STarbucks sucking, and if you like one you probably won't care much for teh other.

You didn't mention that DD has a variety of flavors of coffees, and that those too are consistent.

And you mentioned, but I will highlight -- you won't go broke paying for it, and you won't spend half an hour in line waiting for a "barista" to make a half-caf, double soak, extra sweet, double titty no ass, mocha blend with a spritz of lemon or whatever in hell it is they spend all that time doing. By the time some of these fools are done ORDERING their coffee, I'm driving away with my coffee in hand.

[JD10367]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

You didn't mention that DD has a variety of flavors of coffees, and that those too are consistent.

Excellent point. Dunkin' has flavor shots they add to the coffee and, unlike many places, the flavors are free of charge. They have quite a few choices, including coconut, which is usually what I get. I haven't had a regularly-flavored cup in years. And if you get iced coffee, with the coconut shot in it, it's to die for.

[sedated]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

you won't spend half an hour in line waiting for a "barista" to make a half-caf, double soak, extra sweet, double titty no ass, mocha blend with a spritz of lemon or whatever in hell it is they spend all that time doing.

"Is it impossible to get a cup of coffee-flavored coffee? You can get every other flavor except coffee-flavored coffee! They got mochachino, cappuchino, frappachino, Al Pacino, what the f**k?"

[HMc]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Thanks for the history lesson, which I wasn't familiar with.

As for the current status, I agree 100% with every word, though I actually think DD coffee is very good, not merely "consistently average". It is, however, CONSISTENT, which is important.

And I also agree on STarbucks sucking, and if you like one you probably won't care much for teh other.

You didn't mention that DD has a variety of flavors of coffees, and that those too are consistent.

And you mentioned, but I will highlight -- you won't go broke paying for it, and you won't spend half an hour in line waiting for a "barista" to make a half-caf, double soak, extra sweet, double titty no ass, mocha blend with a spritz of lemon or whatever in hell it is they spend all that time doing. By the time some of these fools are done ORDERING their coffee, I'm driving away with my coffee in hand.

Are you seriously talking about drinking pot coffee? Is that the way it works?

There wouldnt be a single coffee shop in sydney that sells coffee from a freakin pot.

[Simply Red]

Originally Posted by HMc

Are you seriously talking about drinking pot coffee? Is that the way it works?

There wouldnt be a single coffee shop in sydney that sells coffee from a freakin pot.