Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts are probably the most popular coffee chains, but who has the best quality coffee and overall flavor? Two Daily Gamecock columnists argue for either side.
Dunkin' Donuts
Starbucks鈥� coffee selection does not hold a candle to the quality and price of Dunkin' Donuts' fall menu. We are officially in pumpkin spice latte (PSL) 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒, and if you haven鈥檛 gotten your first one yet, go for Dunkin' instead of Starbucks this fall.
Fall is synonymous with the phrase 鈥減umpkin spice.鈥� You name something, and there is probably some form of it that is pumpkin-spice flavored or scented. Products that have taken part in this craze span from more predictable items, such as , , , to things that have absolutely no business being pumpkin-spice scented, such as .
As Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks have vied for years over the title of 鈥渂est coffee chain,鈥� the title for 鈥渂est pumpkin spice latte鈥� is also up for grabs. I wholeheartedly believe that Dunkin' not only has the superior fall menu but is the better chain overall.
Though Starbucks technically makes more money than Dunkin鈥�, are responsible for this disparity. Quality has nothing to do with it. Some even go as far as to say that Dunkin鈥檚 quality exceeds that of Starbucks.
The complaint of Starbucks' coffee tasting has echoed throughout the coffee-lover community, while that complaint is rarely ever made about Dunkin' coffee. ; this is a fact. We should not be paying more for coffee that is not properly roasted 鈥� it makes no sense.
Speaking of higher prices, Starbucks is known for its over-the-top pricing, some even making it a competition to see how expensive one drink at Starbucks could be. . Dunkin' and to be able to provide for a broader demographic.
Coffee is something you need every morning, if you are an avid coffee consumer like myself. In order to get your fill every day, especially as a college student, Starbucks鈥� prices are not sustainable.
The menu is obviously the most important aspect of who gets the coffee chain crown. Both chains offer pumpkin spice lattes (naturally), pumpkin cream cold brews and other pumpkin-flavored coffee options, such as chai lattes and espressos. The main difference between the two chains in this category is that you can get the same drink at Dunkin' that tastes better and saves you money.
For those who don鈥檛 care to remember an entirely different set of sizes for their morning brew, Dunkin' doesn鈥檛 try to make you order in Italian, which can be much easier in your pre-coffee fog. A simple 鈥渕edium pumpkin spice latte, please鈥� is much more favorable over trying to figure out the difference between a "grande" and a "venti."
The last detail I will provide for Dunkin' Donuts鈥� case is that it was founded in . As a native New Englander, I know that no one does fall like the East Coast. I implore you to stop paying for overpriced, burnt pumpkin spice lattes, and opt for the more affordable and authentic PSL that you deserve.
Starbucks
When putting all our favorite fall flavors to the test, Starbucks reigns supreme. Starbucks might have higher prices and a long drive-through line, but its quality and fantastic fall flavors are top tier compared to Dunkin鈥� Donuts.
It was Starbucks that first came out with everyone鈥檚 fall craze 鈥� the (PSL) 鈥� in 2003. Meanwhile, the is still in the early years after its creation in 2019. No matter if you're a die-hard Starbucks fanatic or just someone who visits once a blue moon, there is a fall-flavored drink or treat out there for all of us. We were fortunate enough that this year, all our favorites and soon-to-be favorites came to stores on .
If you鈥檙e in the mood for a staple such as the PSL, or craving something new, such as the apple crisp macchiato, Starbucks has options and can cater to your liking. With at least fall-flavored drink creations, you can pick your style and create the drink of your choice to be hot, iced or even blended into a frappuccino.
Second-year biological sciences student Tyson Ansani has been a barista at Starbucks for two years and spoke of the environment and drinks at Starbucks with high admiration.
鈥淲e make all of our cold brew fresh; we literally grind the beans and brew it ourselves," Ansani said. "I feel like we have a better quality than Dunkin'. So, I don't think it can really compare.鈥�
Starbucks has also graced us with not one, but to pair along nicely with the fall drink of your choosing. There鈥檚 a pumpkin scone with icing on top, a pumpkin cream cheese muffin and the year-round pumpkin loaf.
鈥淎 lot of people order the pumpkin cream (cheese) muffin, which is so super 鈥� it's super good. It's like the pumpkin bread that we have, but it has cream cheese in the middle,鈥� Ansani said.
It鈥檚 understandable that we all want fast service, whether it鈥檚 for that pumpkin cream cheese muffin or the PSL, but in the grand scheme of things, is an in a drive-thru line really too much of your day when it comes to treating yourself?
There are three Starbucks locations on campus. Next time you鈥檙e thinking of saving a few bucks on a Dunkin鈥� coffee, remember how much gas you would save by ordering from the Thomas Cooper 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒 Starbucks, the Welsh Humanities Starbucks or the one located in the Russell House bookstore.
Then, not only can you grab a fall drink that鈥檚 delicious, but you can do so with a friend or roommate and find a spot on campus to sit and enjoy the fall weather.
If you were still undecided on how to feel about Starbucks having the best fall flavors and need more reassurance, just know that in a random survey of 89 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒 students, 86.5% of them chose Starbucks' fall flavors over Dunkin's.
When asked whether these students would recommend a Starbucks fall flavor over Dunkins鈥�, 34.5% of them picked 鈥渆very time.鈥�
While a from Starbucks will set you back $4.95 and a pumpkin cream cold brew $4.45, 39.3% of those surveyed said the price doesn鈥檛 have anything to do with their selection of fall-flavored drinks. Even if Starbucks is slightly more expensive than Dunkin鈥�, it seems that the quality and experience you receive with a Starbucks purchase can鈥檛 be beaten.
鈥溾�嬧�婼tarbucks may be a little bit more expensive, but you're paying for the quality; the experience," Ansani said. "Your order is not going to be wrong every time you go; you're going to get the same thing every time.鈥�
Next time you鈥檙e headed for your caffeine break or an after-class pick me up, Starbucks has the fall flavor you鈥檙e searching for and the quality you can taste.