Is McDonald’s Coffee Actually Good?

Author: Melissa Collins

Updated: April 2, 2023

McDonald’s is well-known all around the world for its fast food. However, it should also be mentioned that McDonald’s serves several different coffees. McDonald’s has an official menu solely for cafe-style drinks, including espresso drinks, as well as blended coffee drinks amongst a lot more!

Depending on the weather and your preference, you can choose between hot coffees and iced coffees! All of McDonald’s hot and cold coffee drinks can be ordered in a small, medium or large size.

McDonald’s has been serving coffee since it first opened. However, more fun and delicious tasting coffee drinks were added to the menu in 2009 to compete with another large coffee chain, which is Starbucks.

Types of Coffee You can Get at McDonald’s

The following are the many different coffees you can get at McDonald’s:

Hot Coffees

Premium Roast Coffee – The simplest and most classic of all coffees available. You can easily adjust this coffee to your liking as you can add sugar, sweetener, dairy or even creamer to it. Did you know there are 0 calories in a small Premium Roast Coffee? (Without anything added to it, of course).

Caramel Macchiato – McDonald’s Caramel Macchiato is made with dark roast espresso and served with whole or nonfat milk. The drink is then mixed with a sweet caramel syrup and topped with ribbons of caramel!

Cappuccino/ Caramel Cappuccino/ French Vanilla Cappuccino – For a classic and very popular hot drink, McDonald’s cappuccino is a must try! The Cappuccino is made with whole or nonfat steamed milk, rich espresso, foamed milk and you can also add your favourite flavour to it! If you would like a bit of a caramel kick in your cappuccino, you can try out the Caramel Cappuccino! And if you prefer vanilla, worry not as McDonald’s even has a French Vanilla Cappuccino!

Mocha/ Caramel Mocha – For a creamy, warm drink, go for McDonald’s Mocha! This cozy drink is made with espresso beans, steamed whole or nonfat milk and chocolate syrup. It is then topped with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate! For a caramel flavour along with that of chocolate, McDonald’s also has a Caramel Mocha available to order! They both sound so heavenly, you will have a difficult time choosing between the two!

Latte/ Caramel Latte/ French Vanilla Latte – McDonald’s Latte is the perfect milky coffee to warm you up on a cold morning! The McDonald’s Latte is made from espresso and steamed milk. Pretty simple right? If you wish to have more flavour in your latte, a Caramel Latte and a French Vanilla Latte are also available on the McCafé menu!

Americano – You can never go wrong with an americano! This is a simple, yet very satisfying coffee made with hot water which is poured over Rainforest Alliance Certified™ espresso.

Iced Coffees

Iced Coffee – A refreshingly cool coffee made with 100% Arabica beans, cream and your syrup of choice! Choose between French vanilla, hazelnut, caramel or sugar free French Vanilla.

Iced Mocha/ Iced Caramel Mocha – If you like creamy, cold drinks with a chocolate flavor, then this is the drink for you! McDonald’s Iced Mocha is made from sustainably sourced espresso beans, whole or nonfat milk, chocolate syrup and topped with whipped cream. It is then drizzled with chocolate for that extra chocolatey flavor! Another option is to order an Iced Caramel Mocha, for that extra caramel flavor along with the chocolate! Sounds delicious, right?

Iced Caramel Latte/ Iced French Vanilla Latte – A mixture of espresso, whole or nonfat milk and a buttery caramel flavor! You can try the Iced French Vanilla Latte instead if you prefer a sweet vanilla taste to caramel.

Iced Caramel Coffee/ Iced French Vanilla Coffee – A refreshing iced coffee made with espresso and a buttery caramel flavor. This drink can be personalized by adding sweetener or creamer according to your liking. You can even try out the Iced French Vanilla Coffee for that smooth vanilla flavor instead of caramel!

Caramel Frappé/ Mocha Frappé – Frappés are perfect for anyone who likes their iced coffee to be creamy and smooth, yet still extremely refreshing! Order a caramel or mocha frappé for that rich caramel/ chocolate flavor with a hint of coffee which is then blended with ice. Frappés are then topped with whipped topping and drizzled with caramel or chocolate syrup.

Iced Caramel Macchiato – McDonald’s Iced Caramel Macchiato is made using a dark roasted espresso and is served with whole or nonfat milk. The drink is then mixed with caramel syrup and drizzled with a buttery caramel syrup.

Does McDonald’s Coffee Taste Good?

Coffee connoisseurs would probably not pick McDonald’s as their first place of choice to get coffee. However, compared to other big chains found around the USA, McDonald’s coffees taste pretty good! Obviously, you can ask a thousand different people and get a thousand different opinions. For the price, we think McDonald’s coffee is pretty delicious!

McDonald’s coffee tastes good as it is freshly brewed every 30 minutes. Thus, you will never get coffee which has been brewed a long time before you actually place an order.

Moreover, Arabica beans are used and the black coffee is made from a medium roasted blend instead of a dark roasted blend. Due to the lighter blend, the coffee is not as bitter as you might sometimes get from other popular franchises.

In our opinion, McDonald’s coffees taste good. However, as much of a variety as there is on the menu, if McDonald’s would like to continue competing with other franchises around the USA, adding more flavours to the menu should be considered, rather than solely having a plain, chocolate, caramel or French vanilla option.

McCafé at Home

McDonald’s has recognized that a lot of consumers have been buying and drinking their coffees and maybe not everyone likes going to a McDonald’s restaurant every day to get their coffee. Thus, McDonald’s has come up with packs with everything you could need to make a delicious cup of coffee at home with the same rich aroma and delicious taste of their 100% Arabica coffee!

These are available in K-Cup pods, bags, as well as cans and they come in a variety of blends! As part of the range, McDonald’s offers a Premium Roast, Breakfast Blend, Premium Roast Decaf, French Roast, Colombian, French Vanilla and a Mocha Collection. Quite the variety!

Premium roast is a medium roast blend with a rich aroma and a smooth texture. There is even a non-caffeinated version! The Breakfast Blend is a light roast, has flavor of citrus and a toasty aroma. The French Roast is a bold, dark roasted blend with an intense aroma and a mild taste of cacao, so if you prefer your coffee to be very rich, this is the blend for you! Colombian is a medium-dark roast with hints of fruit in it.

Lastly, McDonald’s has come out with two sweet blends which are the French Vanilla and the Mocha Collection, perfect for any time you would like a bit of a treat! In the Mocha collection, one can choose between Cinnamon Mocha, Chocolate Mocha or even Salted Caramel Mocha. There is definitely something for everyone within the McCafé at Home range!

McDonald’s App and MyMcDonald’s Rewards Program

McDonald’s coffee can be ordered from the McDonald’s App. Bonus: You even get free large fries when you download the McDonald’s app and join MyMcDonald’s Rewards.

After your first purchase from the app, you even get McChicken, Hash Browns, Vanilla Cone or a Cheeseburger for free! How much better than that can it get?

If the convenience of having McDonald’s almost around every corner wasn’t good enough, McDonald’s also has a McCafé Rewards Program. Through this program, you can get a free McCafé drink, when you buy 5. However, this is only available on the app. You also earn points on coffee, as well as on other McDonald’s foods!

Did you know that McCafé also does delivery of all coffees and they can be delivered right to your doorstep? Or if you prefer you can also order it via the app and pick it up yourself from any restaurant location which is nearby!

Concluding remarks

Let’s face it, a lot of people love a cup of coffee in the morning. The fact that McDonald’s has many drive-throughs all around the states, just makes it a little bit easier for anyone to cave in and get a take out coffee in the mornings.

With all the different coffees available, McDonald’s has something on the menu for everyone’s liking. Whether it is a hot coffee to warm you up on a cold winter morning or an iced coffee to cool you off on those hot summer months, McDonald’s has got you covered!