Despite the fact that McDonald’s isn’t mainly a coffee shop, the company sells millions of coffee cups every day. People usually go to the drive-thru window in the mornings for a McGriddles or Egg McMuffin, as well as the coffee that completes their meal. So, how does McDonald’s make its coffee so popular for a fast-food chain?
Let’s discuss that here.
What Makes McDonald’s Coffee So Tasty?
Even though they’re not coffee drinkers on a daily basis, most individuals love espresso. Let’s simply say that a bunch of milk and different kinds of sugar may make dirt taste delicious. McDonald’s does not just add sugar and milk to their espresso beverages, but the Arabica coffee beans are a good choice for the coffee itself because of their moderate flavor profile. While Robusta is much more famous among coffee lovers, the flavor profile is earthier and more bitter, which deters many individuals from consuming coffee on a daily basis.
One of the best parts about Arabica beans, apart from their smoothness, is that it contains less acid compared to Robusta. This is essential for some people, particularly those who are prone to gastrointestinal problems. You may not need a cup of coffee to drive you over the line into indigestion if you’re eating some heavier cuisine as you’d find at McDonald’s. Take a sip and relax.
Who Are McDonald’s Primary Coffee Suppliers?
Gavina Gourmet Coffee and Newman’s Own Organics Blend are perhaps McDonald’s two most important coffee suppliers. Let’s take a deeper look at each one of them and how it all began.
Gavina Gourmet Coffee
The two firms have been working together for 33 years. McDonald’s engaged with this coffee roaster in 1987 and asked them to manufacture gourmet coffee exclusively for the company. The fact that they have been working together for so many years shows us that they may have done an excellent job.
This brand provided us with the much-loved McDonald’s Premium Roast Blend. Coffee beans from South and Central America are used in this beverage, and they are recognized for their mild yet sweet undertones, flowery bodies, and sharp acidity. The organization also teaches its personnel to guarantee that they are doing things correctly!
Every year, McDonald’s sells almost 400 million Gavia coffee cups! It’s no surprise that the partnership is still going strong.
Newman’s Own Organics Special Blend
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, another McDonald’s supplier, paved the path for this mix. Their collaboration began in 2005 and it is still going strong now.
This mix is available in three coffee flavors such as caramel, vanilla, and hazelnut. These are also available in medium and light roasts. Another plus is that if you have a late-night coffee need, they offer a decaf ready for you!
Newman’s Own Organics is now available in over 600 McDonald’s locations across Massachusetts, Albany, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
Which Coffee Grounds Does McDonald’s Use?
They combine many types of coffee beans from different countries along with Guatemala, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Colombia to produce their coffee grounds. This is the formulation of McDonald’s Premium Roast Coffee, which is advertised on their website. The fact that McDonald’s uses each round of Premium Roast Coffee in 30 minutes of brewing it attests to its high quality. As a result, they brew in smaller quantities to ensure that the coffee in their cups has always been fresh and also never stale.
Also, the Premium Roast Coffee comes in light to medium roasts. Lighter roasts emphasize the nutty and chocolate tastes, while medium roasts are slightly bitter but still quite delicious.
If you prefer a lighter roast, keep in mind that your McCafé will provide you with a cup with a greater caffeine concentration. If you want to make it easier on your stomach, you may always put creamer, sweetener, dairy, or sugar in your cups.
In addition, based on how much coffee you want to drink, Premium Roast Coffee is available in small, medium, and large cups.
Does McDonald’s Sell Bags Of Their Coffee?
Yes, bags of McCafe’s blend are available in most grocery shops as well as on Amazon.
However, these coffee grounds are still not available for purchase at McDonald’s restaurants, probably because the firm prefers to encourage people to purchase its ready-made items instead.
Back in 2014, the fast-food giant began selling the trademark roast in supermarket stores and online. They launched numerous mixes for sale in grocery stores with the goal of boosting awareness of their incredibly popular coffee, including Premium Roast, French Roast, Breakfast Blend, French Vanilla, Colombian, and Hazelnut.
McDonald’s released K-cups to invest in the popularity of the Keurig and other similar styles. Premium, Decaf, and French Vanilla K-cups are offered.
McDonald’s Farmer Support
The huge steps that McDonald’s takes to help its farmers are something that we just could not overlook. McDonald’s coffee is supplied from certified sustainable farms, which means that the company is involved in the overall process, from bean to the roast up to the cappuccino. They make sure the entire land and its owners are not mistreated or exploited.
McDonald’s has launched a new conservation initiative dubbed McCafe SIP, which stands for Sustainability Improvement Platform. This group guarantees that coffee beans were kept to a high quality while also protecting and investing in growers and their communities.
McDonald’s has committed $6 million to battle poverty, create employment, provide nourishment to the soil, and educate local coffee producers in Guatemala alone. The SIP program encompasses five different nations and about 6,400 farms.
Once the coffee is made, the practice of giving does not end. Rather than cluttering our landfills with leftover coffee grounds, McDonald’s provides them to local public schools and gardens to enrich the soil, thus reducing waste.
What Are The Best Coffee Drinks At McDonald’s?
Although people would prefer various coffees based on their personal tastes, we’ve compiled a list of the most popular and hence greatest beverages available at McDonald’s.
Iced Caramel Coffee
It tasted unpleasant and unbalanced. The caramel flavor in McDonald’s is really buttery, and so this drink tastes like burnt popcorn. The caramel tasted like it didn’t contain much sugar on its own.
Iced French Vanilla Latte
The French vanilla latte was indeed the sweetest of the group, with a strong vanilla taste. This drink might have been enhanced by using a few fewer pumps of syrup.
Caramel Frappe
The Caramel Frappe is made with a caramel coffee frappe mix and caramel drizzle, thus the combination of the two made it excessively caramel.
Iced Caramel Latte
The caramel and espresso complement each other perfectly and deliver just the appropriate amount of sweetness.
Iced Caramel Mocha
If you enjoy a splash of caramel in the brownies, this is pretty much what you’re looking for. It’s a rich, delicious drink that tastes like dessert.
Iced Coffee
Refreshing, coffee-forward, and slightly sweetened by the liquid sugar. This is a good rendition from every coffee shop classic. The only criticism would be that it tasted a bit watery, but it’s not unpleasant and was a fantastic alternative to grab for on a hot day.
Iced Caramel Macchiato
The caramel macchiato is essentially identical to the caramel latte, but with an additional caramel drizzle, this drink has 30 calories more than that of an iced latte, and the caramel boost truly takes this coffee to the next level.
Iced Latte
For good reason, this is another classic. The mix of milk and espresso together was a terrific combo, gently sweetened with liquid sugar.
Iced French Vanilla Coffee
Because iced coffee tasted bolder compared to espresso-based beverages, the French vanilla taste in the iced coffee popped out more than that in the iced latte.
Mocha Frappe
This chilled, mixed drink tastes like melting ice cream and became the most delectable beverage on the menu. The espresso taste wasn’t overpowering, and the chocolate went nicely with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A Light Cream And A Light Whipped Cream?
Light cream is prepared from whole milk and cream, whereas light whipped cream is prepared from nonfat milk and cream.
Can You Order A McDonald’s Iced Coffee Without Milk?
Yes, however, you must indicate whether you want your coffee black or without milk, or it will be served with milk already included.
Does McDonald’s Use Different Coffees For Their Espresso And Iced Coffee Drinks?
Yes. McDonald’s employs a medium roast mix for coffee beverages for both hot and iced. McDonald’s employs a darker roasted mix for espresso beverages for both hot and iced.
Conclusion
If you enjoy coffee, there are probably a hundred other spots that are of a better caliber than McDonald’s. The truth remains, though, that there is still a McDonald’s on each and every corner. You can rely on it for a good cup of coffee, especially if you’re on it for a bite to eat. With genuine, high-quality espresso and 100% Arabica coffee beans in brewed coffee, you’re likely to find something to your liking.
