Did You Know There’s A Reason McDonald’s Coke Tastes Better?
Almost anyone with kids has spent more than their fair share of time sitting on those little plastic/metal chairs at McDonald’s, sipping away at a Coke, while the kids were burning off energy on the playground. And during that time, you may have also noticed that the Coke’s at Micky D’s are way better than what you can get anywhere else…did you ever wonder why though? Here’s the real reason why McDonald’s Coke Tastes Better.
Did You Know There’s A Reason McDonald’s Coke Tastes Better?
First, it isn’t the syrup. I know you think that’s why, but you’re wrong. Actually, while most restaurants have their syrups delivered in plastic bags, Coca-Cola brings McDonalds special stainless steel containers that keep things just a little fresher and  preserve the ingredients better. So while they don’t add extra syrup, they do take steps to make sure the syrup is served as identically as possible at all of their restaurants.
You should know, too, that while they don’t give you extra syrup, the melting ice and how much it dilutes the drinks is taken into consideration with their syrup ratio. So if you’re like me and ask them to hold the ice, you actually ARE getting a slightly sweeter drink than those who go full cube.
Second, it’s cold. Like, really cold. While McDonald’s has been known in the past for their hot coffee, it should probably be recognized for its cold carbonated beverages. Cold temperatures hold carbonation better, so by serving it just a little cooler than their competitors, McDonalds is able to make the carbonation last longer and more bubbly means a better taste.
Not only that, but their straws are slightly bigger so more of that carbonated goodness hits your tastebuds all at once. Apparently, with straws at least, bigger really IS better.
Third, McDonalds really wants you to love your soda, so they actually filter the water more than most to keep the quality even higher. In fact, they invest a lot of money into keeping their double filtration system well maintained and working better than anyone else’s system.
I mean, think about it…better drinks means parents don’t mind sitting as long to watch the littles run in circles through the playground.
Pretty smart, McDonalds!
HEY, REDDIT! I was scrolling through the front page before I went to bed tonight and saw you all reading this!! Thank you so much!! You made my night!!! ~Mary
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Having worked at both McDonald’s and Wendy’s i can say this about the steel containers: bullcrap. Both restaurants have it in the same BiB (bag in box). Also, the calibration ratios are from the beverage manufacturer and are in fact very precise as too much syrup and it becomes flat, too little, it becomes too watered down.
The only part of this that’s true is the straws at McDonald’s USED to be larger than their competitors.
McDonald’s Diet Dr Pepper are terrible ….I used t go by everyday to get one but lately you can’t even drink them……What happened??
i don’t know about their cokes, but their diet dr peppers taste like crap, same way for every McDonalds here in town
Their diet coke tastes like alcohol no matter which McDonald I get it from. Mostly vodka or bourbon.
Not all stores have the metal tanks for coke syrup. The McDonald’s I worked at had bags of syrup that we had to go to the basement to change (the bags came in cardboard boxes). It was different.
Nice article. I was a General Manager for McDonalds, I had two stores. One of my stores had the big 75 gallon metal Coke tanks, the other did not, it had Bag in a Box Coke. The big tanks are not a universal thing. Most stores do have them…but not all of them do. All the rest of the stuff is true. All mcdonalds have pop stations that deliver extra cold, well filtered water with a bit more syrup to accommodate ice melting. You can tell the difference as a consumer when you use one of those self serve soda stations. Soda stations that don’t have the super cold water foam a lot more when you dispense the soda. However, the main reason for the large Coke tanks is not to preserve the quality of the cola syrup, but to save on employee labor and workers comp claims. Bag in a box syrups are really heavy, not having to unload Coke saves tons of money over a years time, and prevents both the distributors’ driver and the mcdonalds worker unloading the trucks from having to move so many heavy boxes.
I have worked at McDonalds. Let me say this: never did I see any extra filtration system for the soda machines. There is no stainless steel canister of syrup. Its called bag in a box. A plastic five gallon bag of syrup in a cardboard box. I have changed over a thousand of these suckers from Coke and Pepsi products over the years. McDonalds is cheap. In every respect. From the food and beverages it serves to the uniforms and shoes they are supposed provide at no cost to the employee.. If your issued shoes are shot before a year you have to pay out of pocket for a new pair. I was issued a used pair from a former employee when I was hired and consequently suffered from nasty fungus. They did that to cut cost of issuing me a new pair. They expect workers to drop their life at the drop of a hat and basically be on call 24/7. For example…I was not scheduled to work. My son was ill and was going to the Dr. They called me and asked if I could come in to cover. I said yes, after I take my son to the Dr. I will be in. I’m barely halfway to the drs office and they called again asking when I’ll be there. I said that I had already stated I would be in as soon as possible after my sons Dr appointment. I was summarily fired. i do not endores any one eating there or working there. Not even high school students. Its horrible. Oil is never filtered, barely changed. Floors are gross and covered with seeds and germs. The restrooms are not the cleanest place. The coffee is bitter and too strong. McDonalds just needs to go back to simpler practices and quality treatment of not only its employees but its customers. Quality food quickly..not crap soy based food quickly.
I have also worked at a McDonalds. Ours had a large stainless steel container for regular coke just inside the back door. Coke would come out and refill it for us. The other flavors of sodas did indeed come in bags inside boxes that we changed out. We had filtered water, both for the soda and the ice machine. As for the coffee, I don’t know about your store but we had 2 types of roast, bold and regular in addition to the decaf. I’m not talking about a fancy store either. I worked for a small town franchisee who only owned 2 stores, both in little tiny towns. You just worked at a sucky store. My owner was a penny pincher, but we were supplied 2 changes of basic uniform shirt/pants. Shoes were on the employee.
Clearly you have no ax to grind here…clearly. 😉
I dont know what really happened to get you fired but that isnt believable. They dont issue shoes for starters. I can assure you and everyone else that it would take maybe two days of not filtering a chicken vat to cover the element in crumbs. Newer fryers automatically filtercthemselves every five to 22 uses depending on setup, and if a store has a cleanliness problem they can lose it and be forced to sell it. Cleanliness is so important, mystery shoppers have to rate the dining and restroom. An owner can be written up if they fail.
The Mc Donalds I used to work at never had stainless steal containers for coke it was always in a bag that was inside of a cardboard box and hooked up to a hose that’s it
people that drink this stuff are retarded
People “who,” not people “that.” You don’t sound very bright yourself.
Contrary to what you may believe, “that” is an acceptable substitute for “who” or “which.”
All of the above stated reasons for McD’s Coke tasting better are absolutely true. With a few exceptions, most McD’s do in fact have one to three 75 gallon stainless steel tanks that they keep the Coke in. The delivery truck has one built in to the trailer and it’s transferred with a hose. This is in addition to another tank holding the CO2. All of their other drinks come in a BIB. I was a store manager for them for many years. Nice article. Many people don’t know these tidbits.
I have gotten hooked on the taste of McDonalds tea. The flavor is unique. Probably for all your reasons and more. Of course there are always some McDonalds that don’t clean right or do something that you can find fault with. As for me “I love the taste of their Ice Tea. Of course I live in the South…. I am tired of people saying bad things.
Weren’t they taught or don’t they remember. “If you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all. ”
I appreciate the time and work you put into this and Yes there is a difference in the taste. Thanks for finding out why.
Funny, because I don’t drink pop/soft drinks and I never liked Coke but occasionally (once or twice a year) I will order one from McDonald’s. It is the only place I ever drink Coke.
Went to Burger King years ago. Got a burger, fry, coke. I don’t what they did, but each one was the best I ever had. The burger had a unique flavor, outstanding. The fries were perfect. Even the coke was the best. Tried to tell the manager how good it all was and the workers should all get a pat on the back, he didn’t seem to want to hear it. It was a college town in Michigan and I will never forget it.
Not worth going into a McDonalds to taste.
Lol, right? That fucking smell will NOT leave your clothes or car for days afterward.
You mean watering down their soda makes it taste better?
I will tell you why the Coke taste different . I used to work at McDonald’s for a couple of years. The nozzles that the coke comes out of does not get cleaned. I have myself cleaned those little nozzles and found MOLD and FUNGI growing inside of them !!!!
When I worked for McDonald’s in the late 90’s they did have the syrup delivered in metal canisters, but they changed over to the plastic bags with in a year of me working there. I worked for one in the Middle Tennessee area. I cant say for all McDonald’s. I know a Technician comes from Coke to calibrate the Syrup and CO 2 water about once a quarter (once every 3 months). They have a special cup and a glass bobber to see if the mixture is correct. For me it does taste differently from one McDonald’s to another location even with in the same town.
Thanks, Paul, for clarifying what a quarter means. We are all smarter for having read that.
So in other words, the “author” went to McDonalds web-site, and read the following marketing blurb:
“There are many reasons the Coca-Cola tastes so great at McDonald’s. We simply follow the specs set by Coca-Cola and take steps to ensure it tastes the same as when you buy it in a bottle.
The water and Coca-Cola syrup are pre-chilled before entering our fountain dispensers with the ratio of syrup set to allow for ice to melt. We also keep our fountain beverage system cold so your drink can always be at the peak of refreshing. In order to ensure our drinks are always meeting a gold standard, we have proper filtration methods in place.
There’s also our straw – it’s slightly wider than a typical straw, so all that Coke taste can hit all your tastebuds.”
…and decided to rewrite it, and then present it as some sort of “did you know!?!?” factoid which is being spread around Facebook as “interesting”?
OK then.
Jon … your comment is the only one here with any weight. This was my suspicious reaction when reading the article, not even knowing your citation exists. If it wasn’t for the childish banter, which I so enjoy, in the comments after articles, I likely wouldn’t read another word on the internet.
I do not like McDonalds cokes anymore. Up until about 6 or 7 years ago they were really good. But since then there has been an odd taste that I cannot stand. It’s not at just one place either, it’s all the McDonalds I have stopped at
All of the flavors come in a Bag in a box. It may differ in some areas but I work at coke and build orders for all of these places. The old soda kegs (corny kegs) take up too much space and need constant maintenance and were sent off for recycling years ago. It has no effect on the taste and seems more sanitary in my mind with it being filled and sealed at the plant.
Except, soda is HORRIBLE for you. This blog says to me “YAY FOR CANCER!”
Please stop. Right now. And don’t feed me “everything in moderation”. So, just some cancer is ok?
Comments like yours cause cancer.
Geez, take it the “F” easy! I am a super healthy girl but even I like my occasional Coke here and there. Why are you even reading this article? It’s people like you who portray dietary perfection that actually have the worst problems!
I don’t drink soda so I wouldn’t know. We don’t eat at McDonnalds ever since they started using South American beef. Support America beef ranchers and boycott MickyD. I’m a lifelong 4H supporter.
I’d rather they buy shit beef from S.A. and leave the good US beef for REAL restaurants to serve….
McD has awful Coke & The Diet Coke is gross!
This info is BS!
Dr. Pepper tastes off at McDonalds. Not at all the best. Sonic is way better.
The syrup for the carbonated drinks does in fact come in plastic bags and not in metal containers
Coke is the only drink that McDonalds serves that is held in the metal containers. All the other sodas are in Bibs. (Bags in Boxs). They sell so much Coke that the truck that delivers the Coke actually has a tank of Coke syrup built on the truck and it is transferred by a hose to the metal containers in the McDonalds stores. They are very large about 6 feet tall and most stores have two of them. The McDonald’s I used to work it would take about a week to go through the syrup of one of those metal containers.
-Dont think you know what you are talking about.. Coke comes in a box.. The big tank is for carbonation tank. I have loaded 1000s of boxes of coke and sprite and other flavors…
It taste better cause its mixed on site and dont have time to set and get all gross…
The coke is delivered from a tank on the truck to a tank in the store. All other flavors are bag in box. I did maintenance at a few different ones and had to sanitize the coke tanks weekly
Each stores buys their coke. Some may be cheap penny pinchers and go for BIB. Some McDonald owners that make a ton off their coke go for steel containers. Just because you loaded 1000s at one store does not mean you did it for 1000 stores.
This is also a direct result of the coke distributor that is shipping to the store. If they made a regional decision at the distributor level (essentially a franchisee of Coca Cola), to discontinue the stainless, the stores will only be able to get syrup in BIB’s