Iced Coffee Rankings
Brad and I have really been into drinking iced coffee lately. It actually started about a year and a half ago. We were in Atlanta at the Chick-fil-a pregame pep rally prior to the Ole Miss vs. Boise State game. Chick-fil-a was giving away free samples of their new iced coffee. We tried it, and we were amazed. I always hated the idea of cold coffee, but this was great. We were given coupons for a free iced coffee, and when we used them, we were really disappointed. I think they just were not trained in stores on how to make them. We gave them another shot about 8 months ago. They were still just ok. Over the past few months, we have been on the search for the best iced coffees. Below are my rankings so far!
1. Jack's - Jack's has the best and cheapest by far. Unfortunately we do not have a Jack's super close. So whenever we pass one, we take that opportunity to purchase one. We have tried both the Vanilla flavored and Original. There isn't a huge difference between the two except vanilla is a bit sweeter. So it really just depends on how sweet you want it. They are also only offered in one size.
2. McDonald's - We recently discovered that McDonald's also has iced coffee. We had tried their iced lattes, but they just were not the same. We decided to give McDonald's a try when they had a sign advertising the small iced coffee for $1. Of course, we were not sure if the size would be large enough, so we got the medium. The cup had a big 'L' on it, though. To make things even more confusing, I went through the next day at a different McDonald's and ordered the small ones. I received the same size as the day before. So I am not really sure what size is best for us, but it is also really good. We have only tried their vanilla flavored one. So far, it is the closest to Jack's we have found.
3. Chick-fil-a - So Chick-fil-a started this, but why are they ranked so low? Cost. While their iced coffee is on par taste wise with Jack's and McDonald's, the cost of one iced coffee here is the greater than two at Jack's and McDonald's. They have two sizes and multiple flavors. I prefer the original flavor here. The vanilla isn't bad, but it is fairly sweet.
4. Dunkin Donuts - We received a coupon for a $0.99 iced coffee here, so we decided to give it a try. The big difference here is that you can customize it more. You are given the opportunity to add sugar, cream, milk, etc. Just like regular coffee. At the other three restaurants that is not the case. I like the way they are made at the other three, so this perk doesn't impact me. I guess the reason Dunkin Donuts is so low is that I don't have as much of a reason to go here. The donuts are just ok. The other restaurants we might actually eat a meal at, so it is more convenient.
5. Sonic - So Sonic doesn't really have an iced coffee. Instead they have a java chiller. They have multiple sizes and flavors. We, of course, tried vanilla. It is more like a milkshake really. It appears to be coffee, ice cream, and flavoring. It is something nice and refreshing if you are looking for something different, but still not the same.
6. Starbucks - Starbucks is the worst just because the coffee is way too strong. They are also similar to Dunkin Donuts in that you have to specify what you want added to the coffee. I added cream and sugar, but it was still way too strong. I am not sure how to fix that, so I just won't order iced coffee there anymore. I'll stick with my lattes or frappuccinos.
