Coming from Australia, I knew of Starbucks because of the small existence of stores, but I had no idea what Dunkin’ Donuts was. The Australian version called Donut King is a similar resemblance of this store, but does not live up to the reputation Dunkin’ Donuts has in America. 

Coming to America I gravitated to Starbucks. Why? Because Starbucks is better. Trying out the huge variations of products from Starbucks, I fell in love with its quality and overall taste.  Starbucks continues to be my number one coffee store, despite its high-end prices. Good quality comes with a cost. 

Iced coffee

Winner: Starbucks

Two words: Dunkin’ and Sugar. Trying Dunkin’s iced caramel coffee for the first time, these two words practically morph into one. Adding sweetness to a drink is not a bad thing, but when is too much? The 38 grams of sugar added to this iced beverage creates an imbalance in flavors. 

Starbucks iced coffee leaves you with a more original coffee taste, quenching your thirst without giving you a sugar overload. Although the prices of Dunkin’s products are quite attractive, being $2.18 for a medium-size cup, it does lack the high quality that Starbucks possesses. 

Starbucks Iced coffee is priced to reflect the work and ingredients put into making it. The quality of this drink and balanced use of flavors provide you with an original flavour that tastes fresh.

For those who crave a sweet addition to their iced coffee, Starbucks does have a variation of syrups like, caramel and vanilla you can choose from. I would absolutely order an Iced Coffee from Starbucks again, where I can customize my flavor of drink the way I like it. 

The refresher

Winner: Starbucks

When you think of Dunkin’ Donuts, refreshers don’t usually come to mind. For a place known for its combined serving of coffee and donuts, I didn’t expect to be surprised by their peach and passion fruit refresher. 

Its gradient color of orangish pink drink draws you in, while its fruity watery base quenches your thirst. From the first sip, it’s easy to identify the strong sweetness of this drink; again there is a disparity in flavors.

The sugary flavoring hits your taste buds while other ingredients take a step back. Starbucks Strawberry Acai Refresher always has a perfect combination of fruity flavouring and freshness; I never seem to be disappointed with this refresher. 

The medium size at Dunkin’ and the large size at Starbucks both hold 24 ounces. There is a 50 calorie difference between the two. Dunkin’s refresher is 180 calories, while Starbucks is 130. 

Either drink can be the energy boost you need on hot summer’s day or even a heavy day at school. 

My heart lies with Starbucks refresher, although, Dunkin’s refresher did surprise me. If you’re looking for a sweet drink to treat yourself, Dunkin’s refresher is a great choice, and if you’re looking for a more fruity refresher, choose Starbucks’. 

The breakfast sandwich

Winner: Starbucks

Spotting the difference between the two breakfast sandwiches was nothing less than difficult. The main ingredients were the same; it was challenging to distinguish the superior one. 

Dunkin’s Bacon, Egg, and Cheese breakfast sandwich had a good aesthetic, but the Starbucks’ presentation was much more pleasing, although the overall size and price of the sandwich at Dunkin’ was much bigger and cheaper than the one at Starbucks. 

Because of the larger size of Dunkin’s breakfast sandwich I couldn’t help but taste the egg consistency more, with slight hints of the cheese and bacon in between. Dunkin’ strives for large quantities of coffee/food at low prices, while Starbucks targets high quality reinforcing its premium image rather than doing competition-based pricing like Dunkin’. 

Either sandwich suffices, but if quality and style is important to you, then join me on the Starbucks side. 

Final thoughts

Although my love for Starbucks has remained unchanged, my eyes have been opened to some amazing Dunkin’ Donuts products that I will definitely be revisiting the Lake Forest store for a second taste. If you want an experience on top of quality products Starbucks is for you! 

Ever since freshman year, Dunkin’ Donuts has 100% been my greatest vice. A trip to Dunkin’ quickly became a part of my routine. While I wouldn’t say that I dislike Starbucks, I definitely rank Dunkin’ first. 

I think Starbucks is overpriced, whereas Dunkin’ could probably charge more. Plus, portions at Dunkin’ are bigger, so you get more for less. What high school student doesn’t want to lessen their daily coffee expenses? 

Iced coffee

Winner: Dunkin’

Iced coffee is my go-to order at Dunkin’, so I may be a little biased. I usually go for the sweeter flavors, and I think that Dunkin’ does a great job of having just the right ratio of flavoring and coffee. They offer a wide range of different flavorings, and I can personally attest to all of them! Caramel is a classic, though.

The Iced Coffee from Starbucks left much to be desired in my opinion. Compared to Dunkin coffee, it was pretty bland. Also, there is a large difference in the sizes of the drinks. A medium iced drink at Dunkin’ is 24 oz, and a medium flavored Iced Coffee costs us $2.18 (this could vary depending on other additives). At Starbucks, a medium iced drink would be 16 oz and cost us $3.75 (again, this could vary).

I would definitely order Dunkin’s Iced Coffee. The taste is better, and you get more for your money! I definitely liked the Dunkin’ iced coffee more.

The refresher

Winner: Dunkin’

Dunkin’ Donuts refreshers are the perfect drink for a summer day. They’re extremely light and will keep you cool without a crazy amount of sugar. I especially love the peach passion fruit flavor, although there are others as well. 

While I’ve only tried one kind of refresher from Starbucks, I did still enjoy it! It had a lot of flavors but wasn’t overwhelming. The Starbucks refresher did have a strong taste of lemonade, though. While I don’t hate that the taste was there, it was a little overpowering. 

And again, the cost of the refreshers is much different. A medium refresher from Dunkin’ would cost $2.39, while a medium from Starbucks would cost $4.49, and there is a considerable difference in the sizes (a medium from Dunkin’ is about 8 ounces larger, and cost less). 

If I were to buy a refresher, I would pick one from Dunkin’. 

The breakfast sandwich

Winner: Dunkin’

In all honesty, the breakfast sandwiches were pretty similar. It’s hard to say which one was better. Both were well made, although the size is different. 

The Starbucks sandwich was definitely more aesthetically pleasing, but the Dunkin’ sandwich was bigger. When it comes to food, looks only go so far. In my opinion, taste is much more important. 

There were slightly different ingredients, but I really enjoyed the use of a croissant on the Dunkin’ sandwich. It was much softer than the bread on the Starbucks sandwich, which I thought was a little tough. 

The breakfast sandwich from Starbucks cost $3.75, and the Dunkin’ cost $3.59. The Dunkin’ sandwich was still less, even though it was larger, and in my opinion better quality.

I would definitely choose Dunkin’ for a breakfast sandwich. 

Final thoughts

My overall opinion of Starbucks didn’t really change. I think they have good options and fun menu items (I would definitely get any of the options we tried again), but at steep prices. I would rather go to Dunkin’, where I can get quality food and drinks for a much lower price.