I used to really enjoy coffee from Dunkin Donuts. Since there isn't one in my area, I had to rely on the prepackaged version to make at home. It's a bit pricey, but I treated myself occasionally. My kids also bought me some for mother's day, etc. We recently rented a cabin for our anniversary, so I bought some Dunkin Donuts coffee to take with me. It was not the same coffee. It said "original" blend on the package, but it's nothing like what they used to offer. It doesn't even smell as good, and it certainly doesn't taste the same. It tasted like average, and somewhat weak, coffee. I refuse to pay premium prices for something that is average. I plan to contact them and let them know that this is not the same coffee, and that I will not continue to purchase it or recommend it.
I think this is the same as a few of the "premium" coffees I have tried! I am in the UK and LOVE Costa coffee, I bought some of there coffee and it was not like it is buying it from the coffee house! It is a shame though because it costs much more than a standard jar of coffee!
I voted yes, but there's a caveat. When you go to Dunkin Donuts, they tend to fill the cup with roughly 1 part coffee, 1 part cream, and 1 part sugar. (At least, that's how it seems to me.) I use DD k-cups in my Keurig, and I find that they taste very similar if I add plenty of milk and sugar. You will also see a difference based on freshness. In the store they go through tons of coffee, so the beans never have time to go stale. If you are buying the coffee pre-ground, it will already be going stale a bit in the sealed bag, and both grounds and whole beans will start to age more quickly once you once you break the seal. One of the reasons I use a Keurig is because I don't drink much coffee. (I might have a couple of cups in one week, and then I will go four or six months without making another cup.) I have a much better coffee experience with the individual cups that won't go stale quickly in the time between cups.
I have also noticed that the coffee I purchase already brewed directly from Dunkin Donuts doesn't taste the same anymore. It just doesn't taste as fresh. My husband and I were actually just talking about this yesterday. It seems no matter what time of the day I go, the coffee always tastes as if it's been sitting around for hours. We were wondering if it is just the location we've been going to, but we've even watch a pot finish brewing just before it was poured for us and it still tasted old.
It could be that the grounds are stale, either because they aren't going through coffee quickly enough to get through the bag before it goes stale or because they aren't storing it properly. I don't buy coffee at DD often enough to be able to judge (I love their coffee but that's a splurge I can't afford to do regularly) so I don't know if it's a change across the board, but I would bet it's that location. I've been to a couple of DD franchises where the quality of everything has been terrible. Stale donuts, rubbery breakfast sandwiches, poorly mixed frozen drinks. It was definitely a management/ownership issue.
I just bought my first bag tonight. I'm using it for cold brew! I've actually never had Dunkin Donuts because there isn't one close by so this will be my first time! After much deliberation, I chose the caramel coffee cake flavor.
I've experienced the same with my packed Starbucks coffee but I'm not too much of a coffee fan so I didn't think much of it. I am guessing that they are selling somewhat different quality of products to take home as compared to what they serve at their stores, possibly to give people reason to visit and buy more than just their coffee. It might also be because of how we process or store the bags at home though, but I agree that it is probably best to get in contact with tier offices to see what's really going on.
Not the same at all really! I remember stopping at Dunkin Donuts for as far back as I can remember, and while the kept quality of their products for a long time, it seems that the arrival of Starbucks and similar coffee shops pushed them to remain competitive on the market and probably made several changes to their original recipes, blends, and baking processes because they have fallen behind the quality we used to find in there.
How did it turn out? I've heard the strongly flavored ones can be pretty hit or miss. The grounds will also lose their flavor more quickly so you are left with very perfume-y coffee. I noticed that a bit on the hazelnut k cups, and will only buy the regular now.
It's strange but I have noticed the perfumed flavor not just at Dunkin Donuts, but also at Walmart's bakery and bread area. Incidentally there is a Dunking Donuts establishment outside the Walmart store close to my home, and the same way donuts have a perfumed taste, Walmart's bread has it as well. Not sure if this is only happening here.
When I lived at home, we bought the huge bag of Dunkin Donuts coffee from Sam's Club. I find that I only like dark roasts now after drinking it for so long. I just realized that they make their iced coffee with dark roast coffee and that's why it tastes better than other places. I do think the mass production of coffee would effect the taste and how the beans are grown. I'm sure buying from a more artisan brand might produce a better taste and smell.
Since I was a little kid of 5, I enjoyed Dunkin Donuts. There really wasn't much of a competition where I came from. It's almost second nature to me as a child that when it comes to donuts, the last word was Dunkin or better yet the only one. Now, there is Krispy Kreme, JCo and stuff, but the company that introduced me to them sweets was Dunkin.
The things you've mentioned make a lot of sense. The thing is, the bagged coffee that I've purchased in grocery stores in the past was better quality as well, not just the stuff I got at their shop. They are clearly doing *something* differently, whether that's poor packaging (letting it get stale, as you noted), or using inferior coffee beans. There is a definite difference, and not for the better. Sadly, I can't justify the purchase any longer.
You may have just gotten a bad batch, or the package may be expired. Dunkin Donuts has great coffee but you I dont really expect the pre packaged stuff to taste as good. I like to add s lot of sugar and cream to my coffee anyway,
