McD's coffee is always awful.

Actually, McDonalds drip coffee here is pretty darn good!! And this is Coffee Central USA! We know and appreciate our coffee :-) But I have never seen them add milk or sweetener themselves....that is aways self-servce......and always should be!

I don't trust drive thru coffee, regardless of vendor. I always go inside & order to go. I stopped patronizing our local Tim Horton's. It has been slacking in customer service; little attention to detail, presentation of product, etc. Oh, and the coffee is usually lukewarm and older than 20 minutes.

McDonalds coffee here is better than Starbucks and Tim Horton's. It's always fresh and hot and less expensive. $1 for a large versus $1.95 at Tim Horton's where they serve lukewarm air-pot coffee.

We like McDonald's coffee, but I agree that it's got to made to my specifications.

I'm a coffee aficionado and I agree with gardengal. It's not my go-to place but when I'm on the road, McDonalds are usually easy to find and offer much better coffee than no coffee at all. Their espresso is usually pretty good too and cheaper than the usual crap Starbucks produces.

PS, I think Starbucks coffee is mediocre/awful on a good day and worse at other times, I avoid them when I can. And oh yeah, I avoid drive-throughs of any kind

I like 1 1/2 Splenda and now I go in to do my own. They never get it right.

I agree. Go inside. I will wait for a fresh pot every time if it’s after ‘normal’ hours. Usually drink it black but on occasion like a bit of cream, not even the whole pod. So don’t make it for me please.

Have always enjoyed their coffee. Plus getting the senior coffee discount.

I love their sausage biscuits. Just don't add the eggs,

I really liked their coffee but it seems different now to me for some reason...and I'm definitely a need to do my own cream/sugar mix type of coffee drinker...

Senior coffee discount? How much?

Senior coffee discount here amount seems to depend on the location. Which is strange because most are owned by the same relative.

Some MickyD's use a machine that adds milk and sweetener in a premeasured amount so you do need to ask for it on the side. A very few still serve only black coffee and have bins for creamer and sweetener packets of all types.

One of their selling points is they add all the stuff for you . I take mine black . If I didn't,I think I'd rather put my own creamer / sugar in . I love McD's coffee . I do hate that it's so hot . If I'm in a hurry to drink it ,I end up dumping some out and throwing in some ice.

What is it about Starbucks? Our local one is terrible. Poor reviews, bad tasting coffee, long wait, and yet the line is unlimited every morning. SMH.

Starbucks always tastes burnt to me, I could never figure how it became so popular. I love McD's coffee though, I like plenty of cream in mine so the temp is always just right after the addition of it.

Yes, I hate those places that want to add milk/sugar FOR you. When I used to put milk in, I just always wanted a LITTLE. Not the amount of crud they wanted to add FOR me... I've finally gotten to where I no longer need milk, unless the coffee is truly bad. (I got out of the sugar "habit" around 40 years ago...)

Starbucks is okay but way overpriced. The only thing I buy there now is their green iced tea - that's REALLY good. (Unsweetened and un-milked, of course.)

McDonald's coffee is the only edible thing in that place. If I have to stop and use their restrooms (which are reasonably clean) - and if there's no line when I get out - I'll buy a coffee. Black. Yes, it's hot but I'm already on the road and I can wait to sip on it.

Back when I did use milk.... if you wanted to do your own, you had to use those fakey creamer things rather than real milk. Nope, sorry. I like Panera's coffee, and drank it back in my milk-days simply because they WANTED you to choose your own amount of actual milk or whatever. Instead of those fakey creamer things.

Elmer, each McDonald's makes their own decision about their discount policy. We have at least one store where the senior coffee is free!

I love Mac Donald’s coffee and I get the 20% senior discount.

Starbucks is my favorite coffee, but I can't bear to pay twice as much for it as McDonalds, and I don't mind McDonalds either. I didn't know they had a senior discount. Actually I like McDonalds as much as Tim Hortons so there's no point paying more for that either. At home I buy organic coffee, I wish stores would sell organic as an option.

In Canada, McDonald's offers a 20% discount to people 55 and over.

All McDonald's are independently owned and operated franchises so discounts are not uniform across the board. Some offer them, some don't. But at only a buck for a cup of fresh, hot and very good coffee, a discount is hardly necessary :-)

"But at only a buck for a a cup of fresh, hot and very good coffee, a discount is hardly necessary :-)"

Yeah, I think that's how I feel too. I didn't know about the discounts. My wife goes overboard with such things even for inconsequential amounts, I don't.

I only wish the coffee was a buck here. The amount is minor but for some seniors especially in the Midwest having coffee in the morning can be the only time that they meet friends. If you are living on the average SS of just over $1,500 and that is your only income as it is for many seniors that buck is an expense that is deleted along with those once a week get togethers.

Can't stand McD's coffee, it is awful no matter where I've tried it all over the country, bitter, nasty stuff.

I didn't know McDonald's offers espresso, that is good to know for when traveling. I only go there about once every five years, and never if I have any say in the matter.

I find most drip coffee far too weak and watery, and usually much too hot, and what little flavor there is is usually bad -- burnt or bitter, but when traveling its usually a Hobson's choice of taking what they offer or doing without and since skipping coffee is not a viable option (for me), I have to select from various bad places' bad coffees. One best of the not-so-great options I've found is Dunkin Donuts

Given a choice I will usually get 4 shots of espresso in a 12 oz cup and then add cold whole milk to achieve a 40% espresso/60% milk blend.

kathsgarden, coffee is usually bitter when it's not fresh and has been sitting on heat for too long. Especially in a McDonalds, if you encounter that, tell them and you're likely to be cheerfully accommodated with a freshly brewed cup.

bob, not all McDonalds have espresso machines but many do. It's surprisingly good. I get a double, it's usually under $2 and a more generous portion than the collection of drops you get at Starbucks. A cheap quick pick-me-up.

Many people associate the term 'bitter' to strong coffee as well. And McD's does brew a good strong coffee!! I first encountered this with my midwest inlaws who were admittedly serious all-day coffee drinkers. But what they considered 'good' coffee was to me tasteless, brown colored hot water!! What I considered "good" coffee back here in Seattle (including my own home brew) they thought was horrendously bitter and undrinkable.

It's just a matter of what you are used to :-)

btw, McDonald's coffee is brewed fresh every 30 minutes, regardless of how much has been left sitting in the pot.

"Many people associate the term 'bitter' to strong coffee as well."

Really? I believe you, that's something I haven't encountered.

The McDonald's coffee here isn't too bad either. It's $1 for any size which I think is a good value for reasonably decent coffee.

I'm another one who can't drink Starbucks coffee. My company uses Starbucks for our catered affairs and I end up running a chemistry set at the coffee line - adding extra hot water, sugar, and cream trying to come up with some sort of drinkable concoction that only loosely resembles coffee by the time I'm done. It's more cafe au lait by then, but at least I can get it down....

McDonalds here doesn’t offer $1.00 for coffee on a regular basis. A medium coffee is $1.75, so with the senior discount it’s a $1.40. I never ask for a discount when they have their $1.00 promotion.

I love McDonald's coffee, detest Tim Horton's coffee and will only drink Starbucks if that is my only option. There is one McDonald's around here though that makes the worst coffee and I can't figure out how it can taste so different than the others. We avoid going to that McDonalds but when my brother brings me a coffee I can always tell by the taste of the coffee he bought it at that particular McDonald's. My cousin was a manager at McDonald's for over 30 years and even she can't figure out why that coffee is so different McDonald's closest to where I live is really popular with older seniors in the mornings, this one has the comfortable seating and fireplace and sometimes they bring in a musician and they love their discounted coffee. I think if you get a small coffee sometimes you can get a refill.

I have to camouflage Starbucks regular roast with enough cream and sweetener to get it down. Their lighter roast, called Veranda, is a "blonde" roast and isn't as bitter.

Cherryfizz, we visited family in Olde Riverside during Easter holidays and stayed at the casino hotel. The Coffee Exchange on Quellette is a good place for delicious coffee. The hotel offers Tim Horton's carry out only. Not so good coffee.

No, I didn't drive across the bridge! Ugh.

Michael, in the 1990's when I worked downtown I was always at the Coffee Exchange after work or in the evening with friends. I rarely go downtown any longer since my sister passed away. I live in Olde Riverside. The bridge is a mess.

cherryfizz, remember the dilapidated, vine covered building on Riverside? I'm amazed at the improvements being made there. According to my DIL, it's going to be retail on first floor, offices and condo living on second and third floors. It sure has brought that corner back to life.

Michael, only reading this topic did I know you are a fellow Ontarian!!

I detest Starbucks, I only had it once 15 years ago and it was gawd-awful stuff. I also don't like Tim's, and they're everywhere. 4 in my neighbourhood alone. Once hubby and I picked up 2 Tim's as we were driving up north for a trip. The first stop sign we came to we poured it out on the road.

I knew McD's had a senior discount but I didn't realize it was at 55. Even without the discount their coffee is cheaper and a larger size than Tim's.

And I always, always get my cream and sugar on the side.

I love McD's coffee. Canadian here, and I HATE Tim Hortons poor excuse for coffee. I'll take McD's coffee any time! It's good. It's strong. It's VERY hot. So hot in fact, one day I went through the drive through to get my Latte and when I took the cup, the lid fell off and the hot coffee spilled all over my legs and stomach. I had 2nd and 3rd degree burns! I had to jump out of my car in the drive through and they ran for a bag of ice to put on me. The coffee pooled on the seat next to my leg so those burns were horrible. I don't buy coffee in the drive through anymore. I walk in. ;)

Michael, that is the old Walker Power Building, it is wonderful it was not torn down and is going to be redeveloped into something wonderful. http://walkerpower.ca/#hero

Jasdip, I'm not a fellow Ontarian. I'm an Ohioan. I visit Ontario quite often since we have a son and DIL and many other relatives and friends scattered throughout Ontario.