Best Coffee: Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks?

Greetings from an early rising Chicago commuter that thrives on a quality cup of coffee to get the day started. My daily commute to work involves a stop for a cup of java at one of three usual locations: Caribou, Starbucks, and Dunkin Donuts. That's right.....you heard me....I threw in Caribou along with this Dunkin Donuts vs. Starbucks event. These three particular companies have managed to really corner the coffee market in the Windy City as well as suburbs. Yes, we do have other quality coffee stores in the area such as Gloria Jeans and Seattle's Best; however, these companies are not as numerous in the Chicago Metropolitan Area.

That being stated, I decided to weigh these three major coffee vendors against each other by comparing a small light roast coffee (12-14 oz size). The judging panel consisted of a grand total of one, me. I decided to judge the coffee based on taste, price, and convenience. You may or may not agree with this analysis, but I hope you enjoy reading my comparisons and have a quick minute to take the poll question on this page. I can't emphasize enough that this is my own humbled opinion. You may like your coffee brazenly bold and thick as tar; therefore you will find my comparison useless. At least take time to answer the poll question regarding who makes the best coffee. It would be interesting to know who the front runner is. I will throw out some extra companies in the poll question so the voter isn't limited to just the three franchises I am comparing in my lens. This is your chance to be the judge of who makes the best coffee.

This business opened up in the Chicago area market about ten years ago. The coffee venue is very "Northern Exposure" in theme with a lodge atmosphere donning a cozy hearth and wooden accents throughout the store. I usually order the light blend coffee which can be a different type depending on the week, month, etc. For sake of comparisons, I ordered Amy's Blend. Amy's blend is the featured current light blend. The coffee fared as follows:

Taste: Smooth, very light, a little acidic. I usually prefer light blends, but this one could have been even a tad stronger.

Price: The small 12 oz. cup of coffee was $1.80. A portion of the cost was donated to breast cancer research (hence Amy's Blend), so I commend Caribou for their charitable efforts for a seemingly competitive price.

Convenience: The coffee store is a few blocks off my route and does not provide drive thru service. I do have to park a few blocks away to get my java.
This coffee store offers up wi-fi service and decent outside seating. The cozyness feature is sort of a tease when I am commuting to my windowless office. If only I could convince my supervisor of my plan to telecommute and set up camp at Caribou!

I don't think I need to educate the reader on this coffee empire. When I commute downtown, it appears you can find a Starbucks on just about every street corner. Starbucks are attached to grocery stores, discount stores, and airports. I usually have access to this brand of coffee when staying at most of the premier hotel chains. This is my "go-to" java when I am lacking adequate sleep from the prior night. On my occasional visit to Starbucks, I will order the "Tall" cup of breakfast blend.

Taste: Taste is satisfactory. Even the weaker blends of Starbucks still seem to possess a strong roasted bite. I go back and forth on this one depending on how awake I am. If I need the caffeine boost, I will opt for a trip to Starbucks and order the breakfast blend. I can only imagine how the bold roasts affect the ticker.

Price: A Tall (which is the smallest) at 12 oz. costs $1.90.

Convenience: The daily commuter will not find a more convenient setting than than Starbucks. I do like the drive thru feature for some of the stores. In addition,the Seattle based company is one of the wi-fi pioneers for coffee admires choosing to dine in. On a down side, I am not a big fan of the size categories offered by Starbucks. I still find it strange that the smallest cup of coffee is labeled a "Tall", and a "Grande" is not the largest. Confusing?

In Illinois, one can find Dunkin Donuts in just about every suburb and throughout the city of Chicago. Dunkin Donuts, the donut place? They are known for donuts, muffin, and bagels, right? Never did I imagine this franchise could produce a very competitive, tasty cup of coffee.

Taste: Excellent taste. Coffee has slight roast flavor and is not too acidic. I usually order with cream and sugar and the coffee is consistently good whichever location I order from. The downside is when I drain the java in about five minutes. Where did it go?

Price: A medium cup (14 oz) of coffee costs approximately $1.74.

Convenience: Other than Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts can be found just about everywhere with easy drive thru access on my morning trip to work. Apparently people are realizing the quality of coffee because drive thru lines can be crazy on some days.

The winner is Dunkin Donuts. I think word is getting around about the richness of their coffee because I notice the lines seem to be continually growing; and not just for donuts. Besides using quality beans, the secret appears in using just the right amounts of cream and sugar. Every location seems to be consistent in preparing the coffee because it always comes out good as ever. I have purchased the Dunkin Donuts coffee beans with hopes of recreating this "addiction", but have not had any luck replicating the cup purchased at the store. So in the meantime, I will be continue to take my place in line at the nearest Dunkin Donuts.

Which coffee would you prefer?

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