Dunkin Donuts Coffee - or is it?

[Andy M.]

Around here DD coffee is the best. You wouldn't believe the lines at every DD shop in Eastern MA. on a workday morning.

Their coffee is legendary around here and they sell a lot of ground coffee in one pound bags in their shops.

You can also buy DD coffee in supermarkets and warehouse stores in this area. This is where we get our coffee. Costco sells DD coffee in 2.5 pound bags for a pretty good price. We like this coffee.

We had dinner at SIL's tonight and met her son's new girlfriend who just happens to work for DD. Well, I was floored to learn that the DD coffee sold outside their shops is NOT THE SAME COFFEE! DD licenses their name to Smuckers, who distributes the coffee to outlets outside the DD shops. The coffee is not the same blend.

So I checked the Dunkin' Donuts Coffee | Now Available in a Coffee Aisle Near You website and found this statement in the tiniest print at the bottom of the page: "Product formulation and packaging may change."

It's not that the coffee is bad, it's that I feel I was mislead. I consider this a highly questionable practice even though I'm sure their lawyers have assured them it's legal.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Don't mess with the coffee, man...that is very dangerous.

 

[spork]

as questionable as fake Rolex watches under different legal/moral rules, I also agree. Why not just launch your own brand, "Shmucker's Coffee?"

I often see DD coffee at the top in taste tests, but am not a regular customer.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I was under the impression that all of the coffee was from Folgers and that Smuckers owns Folgers. Who used to make the DD coffee?

 

[Selkie]

I don't know about the packaging, but the "formulation" is dependent upon a very volatile crop and a specific blend of coffee beans (types and grades), some of whom may not always be available year round on a world market. Also consider that many growing locations are politically unstable. Consistency of this product is most likely problematic, and they are saying so in legalese.

 

[pacanis]

Wow. I find that practice highly questionable, too. I loved DD's coffee, but their chain died here. They sell the grounds in our stores though. And of course I assumed it was the same stuff they dumped into the coffee machine at their stores. That's an easy one to cover up, too, as any off taste would likely be blamed on the buyer's coffee machine. That just doesn't seem right.

 

[bakechef]

I grew up in Maine and Dunkin' was always quite popular there. I was floored though to see the sheer number of Dunkin' stores in the Boston suburbs Weymouth and Quincy where I was visiting a friend. I took her to work one morning and on the 5 mile trip we passed 4 and stopped at the 5th, because that was the one she liked best, LOL.

Yeah, that seems misleading. The line that I have heard told as to why the coffee wasn't quite the same was that people at home don't have a professional brewer, but now it seems to be more than that.

 

[forty_caliber]

I don't know about the packaging, but the "formulation" is dependent upon a very volatile crop and a specific blend of coffee beans (types and grades), some of whom may not always be available year round on a world market. Also consider that many growing locations are politically unstable. Consistency of this product is most likely problematic, and they are saying so in legalese.

Selkie hit the nail on the head.

Grade 3 (canner grade) coffee beans are traded on the NYSE (ticker symbol KC) as a futures commodity. The green coffee beans are purchased by large commercial roasting houses who blend and roast the beans to achieve a specific result. This would apply to national brands especially.

Higher grade beans are only available in small quantities by comparison. Prices for these greens can soar upwards of $40 per pound. Specialty brands and smaller regional roasters would more commonly handle this type of product.

.40

 

[buckytom]

that's it. that settle's it for me. i'm gonna go buy that lemur poop coffee. at least i'll know where it came from.

 

[spork]

ROFL, buckytom!

Usually, licensing contracts have a long laundry list of contingency clauses. And usually, there is a high level of oversight to enforce those contingencies. I'd feel better about it if I knew that Dunkin Donuts was exercising its obligation to supervise Smucker's factories to produce and package a product of DD integrity.

On the other hand, their contract might well read, "Smuckers can put whatever crap blend they want into our packages, because customers are shmucks who'd never know the difference. Just send us a yearly check for the rights." We just don't know...

 

[Andy M.]

ROFL, buckytom!

Usually, licensing contracts have a long laundry list of contingency clauses. And usually, there is a high level of oversight to enforce those contingencies. I'd feel better about it if I knew that Dunkin Donuts was exercising its obligation to supervise Smucker's factories to produce and package a product of DD integrity.

On the other hand, their contract might well read, "Smuckers can put whatever crap blend they want into our packages, because customers are shmucks who'd never know the difference. Just send us a yearly check for the rights." We just don't know...

DD surely know there is a difference and condones it.

To reiterate, I'm not saying the coffee is crap. Just that it's not the same. Considering that the bag says Dunkin Donuts Original Blend...

 

[pacanis]

DD surely know there is a difference and condones it.

To reiterate, I'm not saying the coffee is crap. Just that it's not the same. Considering that the bag says Dunkin Donuts Original Blend...

I agree. Surely they knew when they sold their name that the blend wasn't the same. For that reason I can't understand their reasoning other than the almighty dollar. I would think they would have wanted it close anyway though.
And if they can make it consistantly in thier stores, they should certainly be able to QC the consistancy in the product sold in the stores.

 

[dcSaute]

Around here DD coffee is the best. You wouldn't believe the lines at every DD shop in Eastern MA. on a workday morning.

Their coffee is legendary around here and they sell a lot of ground coffee in one pound bags in their shops.

You can also buy DD coffee in supermarkets and warehouse stores in this area. This is where we get our coffee. Costco sells DD coffee in 2.5 pound bags for a pretty good price. We like this coffee.

We had dinner at SIL's tonight and met her son's new girlfriend who just happens to work for DD. Well, I was floored to learn that the DD coffee sold outside their shops is NOT THE SAME COFFEE! DD licenses their name to Smuckers, who distributes the coffee to outlets outside the DD shops. The coffee is not the same blend.

So I checked the Dunkin' Donuts Coffee | Now Available in a Coffee Aisle Near You website and found this statement in the tiniest print at the bottom of the page: "Product formulation and packaging may change."

It's not that the coffee is bad, it's that I feel I was mislead. I consider this a highly questionable practice even though I'm sure their lawyers have assured them it's legal.

you'll probably want to contact DD itself and inquire about the differences.

could be the bags in the stores are the same as the bags in the market.
where does it say it isn't the same as in the stores?
could it be the stuff they dump in their pots changes, too?

the "may change" bit is utterly standard - if they are using beans from country X and the crop fails, what's the alternative? Tea?

I noticed in the market Friday the ground beef was labeled product of Canada and USA. it's normally just USA - guess they got in a bunch of Eh?Beef....

 

[Andy M.]

you'll probably want to contact DD itself and inquire about the differences.

could be the bags in the stores are the same as the bags in the market.
where does it say it isn't the same as in the stores?
could it be the stuff they dump in their pots changes, too?

the "may change" bit is utterly standard - if they are using beans from country X and the crop fails, what's the alternative? Tea?

I noticed in the market Friday the ground beef was labeled product of Canada and USA. it's normally just USA - guess they got in a bunch of Eh?Beef....

The fine print on their website is not what prompted my post. I explained how I know it's not the same in my OP.

 

[Dawgluver]

that's it. that settle's it for me. i'm gonna go buy that lemur poop coffee. at least i'll know where it came from.

Lol! I think it's civet cat poop coffee, not lemur poop coffee.

 

[Timothy]

The fine print on their website is not what prompted my post. I explained how I know it's not the same in my OP.

I'm not quite sure I understand what your complaint is, Andy.

Is the taste of the DD marked coffee you bought, different than that which is served in DD?

Or, is it that what is printed on the package what sets you off?

I guess my "coffee taste buds" aren't developed. I've tried sips of as many as six brands of coffee within a minute or two, and frankly I didn't taste any difference between any of them.

I'm a non-smoker and can taste seasoning differences, but the difference between coffees is lost on me.

I can taste a HUGE difference between (Yuck) Instant coffee and freshly made coffee from canned ground coffee, but not anything between the brands of coffee in cans.

I've also drank DD coffee at their stores and again, taste no difference between that and the Maxwell House at home after brewing.

If you were given a blind taste test, do you think you would be able to pick out DD's coffee from others?

Over the years, I've used taste tests to disprove many claims made by family and friends. It's remarkable how much *seeing* the product makes. I've even switched products in the packages and had people SWEAR that it was what the package said, NOT what I put in it.

This is in no way an attack on you. I'm just curious about the reality of the taste differences.

Perhaps you could do your own taste test.

1. *Borrow* enough coffee grounds from friends to make one cup of coffee. Get about ten different brands.

2. Have someone else make the coffee, one cup at a time. Mark the cup with #1, #2, #3....etc.

3. Have the person who made the coffee hand the cup of finished coffee to another person and THAT person should deliver it to you. The second person ALSO doesn't know what brand is in any cup. Only the person who made the coffee knows what brand any of the cups hold.

4. YOU drink the coffees. Write down your favorite... #1, #2, #3...etc.

5. THEN, find out what brand your favorite is.

If this test is done 5 times, a week apart, don't be surprised if your tastes change to a different brand. Taste buds change daily, depending on sleep, what else you've eaten or have had to drink and your body chemistry.

If you pick the same coffee every time, then I would be greatly surprised.

Simple test. Low cost. Interesting results.

This can be done with any food. I've done it with many foods and drinks over the years and proven to people that they respond mostly because of the packaging, NOT the product within it.

 

[Andy M.]

I'm not quite sure I understand what your complaint is, Andy.../QUOTE]

I learned the coffee sold outside of DD shops is different from that sold in the shops. This coffee is sold as the same product. The package labels clearly state Original Blend, when it clearly is not.

My complaint is that this is false advertising, deceptive marketing practice, deceiving the customer, etc.

As I have said, it's not that the stuff is crap, it isn't. It's what I consider a significant misrepresentation of what DD offers in their shops.

 

[MSC]

Just a comment or two from an 'objective observor' as there aren't any DD's in L.A. (or hidden well if there are!) so have never had a cup of DD coffee.
First in this thread, bakechef drove a friend to the '5th' DD, passing up the first four because that's the one she 'preferred'. So why is the coffee better in that DD than the closer ones...
As a quick google revealed, DD has more than 6,000 stores in the U.S. and more than 9,000 worldwide, and I think it's fair to consider that it's unreasonable to think that all those DD's are getting exactly the same coffee to sell. Actually with that amount of coffee being provided, I'd go so far as to say it would be impossible to have every cup of coffee being 'equal'.
An apparent truism is that Smucker's is bing misleading in their sale of alleged DD coffee for which they have rights to sell only in markets, but taking the previous comments into account, could they possible distribute exactly the same coffee as it's very unlikely that DD itself can distribute the same coffee to all their outlets.
So what's the solution...LOL...get yourself a burr grinder, buy the best beans you can find and brew your own!

 

[Timothy]

I'm not quite sure I understand what your complaint is, Andy.../QUOTE]

I learned the coffee sold outside of DD shops is different from that sold in the shops. This coffee is sold as the same product. The package labels clearly state Original Blend, when it clearly is not.

My complaint is that this is false advertising, deceptive marketing practice, deceiving the customer, etc.

As I have said, it's not that the stuff is crap, it isn't. It's what I consider a significant misrepresentation of what DD offers in their shops.

I agree that labeling something like; "Beluga caviar" and then putting a disclaimer like "The caviar in this package may be from farmed catfish raised on the moon" is sneaky and transparent mislabeling, but *legal* as long as the USA's FDA allows it within their labeling laws.

I am curious if you actually taste any difference. Do you?

 

[Andy M.]

...I am curious if you actually taste any difference. Do you?

No. I haven't done a side-by-side and don't intend to. Taste is not the issue.