I compared Starbucks and Dunkin'. As prices increase, Starbucks seems like the better deal due to Dunkin's inconsistency.

Mary MeisenzahlNov 26, 2022, 18:58 IST

David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Starbucks and Dunkin' both have thousands of US stores selling coffee and breakfast food.
Dunkin' used to be the more budget-friendly option, but price increases and rewards changes have diminished that advantage.

Starbucks and Dunkin' are two of the most prominent US coffee chains in the US, and both have diehard fans of their own.

Dunkin' introduced refreshers in 2020.Dunkin'

Starbucks has more than 25,000 US locations, and Dunkin' has about 9,500.

Starbucks.Scott Olson/Getty Images

Dunkin' is privately held, so sales can't be compared head to head.

It's just Dunkin' now.Dunkin'

I visited each coffee shop in the Rochester, New York area to compare them across a few criteria.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Dunkin' just changed its rewards system, which also altered the way the app looks.

Dunkin'

The app is a way to get rewards like free drinks, and it's also how I mobile ordered.

Dunkin'

One of the best features in my opinion is how easy Dunkin' makes it to reorder a previous purchase, which is very useful if you have a regular order.

Dunkin'

Bonus points and offers are easy to find under the "offers" tab.

Dunkin'

It's impossible to miss the deals in the app, so you can be sure you're getting whatever discounts you can.

Dunkin'

I'm not a fan of the new rewards system, which requires more spending to get free items, but I do think the design is attractive and easy to use.

Dunkin'

When you check out, you can easily add your frequent items.

Dunkin'

You can set the pickup time for ASAP, or any time after that in five-minute intervals.

Dunkin'

At checkout, you'll see a map of all the locations close to you.

Dunkin'

I chose to pick my order up ASAP and headed to my chosen location.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

This location is typically less busy than nearby ones because it doesn't have a drive-thru.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

This location, like most other Dunkin's I've been inside, had a sign and banner advertising mobile order pickup to the side of the cash register.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

People generally tend to gather around the pickup area, which was what I did too.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Sometimes orders are left sitting on the counter to be claimed, but at this Dunkin' the worker was calling out customer names as they were ready.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

My order was ready within a few minutes, and the worker asked if I needed a drink tray, which was very helpful.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

My order came in two bags, though it probably could have fit into one.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I went with a breakfast sandwich on a croissant, which has been my go-to Dunkin' order for years.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

My chai latte was delicious, though maybe a bit overly sweet, which I usually expect from Dunkin'.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Hash browns are one of the things Dunkin' does best, so I usually add those to my order too.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

My husband is more adventurous than me, so he tried some newer options like the cookie butter doughnut.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

He was a fan, and Dunkin' usually has fun and tasty seasonal doughnut flavors.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

He also tried the pancake wake-up wrap, which comes with syrup for dipping.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

It makes for a satisfying breakfast, and I'd order it again.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The whole order came out to $21.37 before my free hash browns discount was applied, making the total $19.98.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

This feels reasonable to me, though it's definitely more expensive than it used to be.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

My experience at Dunkin' is generally hit or miss and can be quite inconsistent, especially in the drive-thru.

A Dunkin' worker hands a coffee out of a drive-thru window wearing gloves and a mask as the Coronavirus continues to spread on March 17, 2020 in Norwell, Massachusetts.Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald

As the price increases, though, I'm becoming less willing to tolerate inconsistencies.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I also visited Starbucks, which did over $32 billion in revenue in 2022, the company said.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I used the Starbucks app to mobile order, which Starbucks says makes up about 40% of all sales.

Starbucks

Starbucks' app is easy to use, with categories for different items. I've found it tends to be updated in real-time with what items are in stock.

Starbucks

The interface is similar to most fast food apps in 2022, with a location function to find the closest store.

Starbucks

At checkout, the app reminds you again of the eligible discount, which is very useful.

Starbucks

After placing my order, the app gave me an estimated pickup time of about 15 minutes later.

Starbucks

That same screen also gives instructions for picking up the order when you arrive.

Starbucks

This Starbucks location was much busier than the Dunkin' I went to, with drive-thru and in-person lines.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The line inside cleared up quickly, but other customers kept coming in to wait for mobile orders alongside me.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Despite being significantly busier than Dunkin', Starbucks had a much better system for distributing mobile orders.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Baristas still called out customers' names, but they were also placed alphabetically on the counter.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

My Starbucks order definitely took longer than the Dunkin' order, but it was ready at about the time estimated by the app.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Starbucks' mobile ordering system isn't necessarily faster, but I do think it's more consistent and smoother than Dunkin'.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

My order came in a Starbucks paper bag, with my name written on it.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I tried a few things to get a fair representation of Starbucks that I could compare to Dunkin'.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The egg bites were really delicious, despite not looking especially appetizing.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I liked them so much I tried to replicate them at home, with moderate success.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The cheese danish was nothing special, but it was fine.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The double-smoked bacon, cheddar, and egg sandwich on a croissant bun was really good.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I don't typically buy sandwiches at Starbucks because I think of them as expensive and mediocre, but this one was pretty flavorful, and I liked the flakiness of the croissant.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I don't typically buy sandwiches at Starbucks because I think of them as expensive and mediocre, but this one was pretty flavorful, and I liked the flakiness of the croissant.

My Starbucks total was $27.15 before a coupon for half-off handcrafted drinks brought it down to $24.27.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I still slightly prefer Dunkin' to Starbucks for food, but Starbucks definitely has better drinks that are more consistent and not so overly sweet.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Dunkin' used to have its lower price point as a significant point in its favor against Starbucks, but now that its rewards are more limited and prices have increased, it's not that much of a better deal.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Dunkin' used to have its lower price point as a significant point in its favor against Starbucks, but now that its rewards are more limited and prices have increased, it's not that much of a better deal.

Ultimately, Starbucks is a superior experience, and the price difference between the two brands is smaller than ever. I think I'll be going to Starbucks more often now.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

We visited two Walmart stores on opposite sides of the country on Black Friday and were shocked by how few shoppers we saw

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I compared Starbucks and Dunkin'. As prices increase, Starbucks seems like the better deal due to Dunkin's inconsistency.

Starbucks and Dunkin' are two of the most prominent US coffee chains in the US, and both have diehard fans of their own.

Starbucks has more than 25,000 US locations, and Dunkin' has about 9,500.

Dunkin' is privately held, so sales can't be compared head to head.

I visited each coffee shop in the Rochester, New York area to compare them across a few criteria.

Dunkin' just changed its rewards system, which also altered the way the app looks.

The app is a way to get rewards like free drinks, and it's also how I mobile ordered.

One of the best features in my opinion is how easy Dunkin' makes it to reorder a previous purchase, which is very useful if you have a regular order.

Bonus points and offers are easy to find under the "offers" tab.

It's impossible to miss the deals in the app, so you can be sure you're getting whatever discounts you can.

I'm not a fan of the new rewards system, which requires more spending to get free items, but I do think the design is attractive and easy to use.

When you check out, you can easily add your frequent items.

You can set the pickup time for ASAP, or any time after that in five-minute intervals.

At checkout, you'll see a map of all the locations close to you.

I chose to pick my order up ASAP and headed to my chosen location.

This location is typically less busy than nearby ones because it doesn't have a drive-thru.

This location, like most other Dunkin's I've been inside, had a sign and banner advertising mobile order pickup to the side of the cash register.

People generally tend to gather around the pickup area, which was what I did too.

Sometimes orders are left sitting on the counter to be claimed, but at this Dunkin' the worker was calling out customer names as they were ready.

My order was ready within a few minutes, and the worker asked if I needed a drink tray, which was very helpful.

My order came in two bags, though it probably could have fit into one.

I went with a breakfast sandwich on a croissant, which has been my go-to Dunkin' order for years.

My chai latte was delicious, though maybe a bit overly sweet, which I usually expect from Dunkin'.

Hash browns are one of the things Dunkin' does best, so I usually add those to my order too.

My husband is more adventurous than me, so he tried some newer options like the cookie butter doughnut.

He was a fan, and Dunkin' usually has fun and tasty seasonal doughnut flavors.

He also tried the pancake wake-up wrap, which comes with syrup for dipping.

It makes for a satisfying breakfast, and I'd order it again.

The whole order came out to $21.37 before my free hash browns discount was applied, making the total $19.98.

This feels reasonable to me, though it's definitely more expensive than it used to be.

My experience at Dunkin' is generally hit or miss and can be quite inconsistent, especially in the drive-thru.

As the price increases, though, I'm becoming less willing to tolerate inconsistencies.

I also visited Starbucks, which did over $32 billion in revenue in 2022, the company said.

I used the Starbucks app to mobile order, which Starbucks says makes up about 40% of all sales.

Starbucks' app is easy to use, with categories for different items. I've found it tends to be updated in real-time with what items are in stock.

The interface is similar to most fast food apps in 2022, with a location function to find the closest store.

At checkout, the app reminds you again of the eligible discount, which is very useful.

After placing my order, the app gave me an estimated pickup time of about 15 minutes later.

That same screen also gives instructions for picking up the order when you arrive.

This Starbucks location was much busier than the Dunkin' I went to, with drive-thru and in-person lines.

The line inside cleared up quickly, but other customers kept coming in to wait for mobile orders alongside me.

Despite being significantly busier than Dunkin', Starbucks had a much better system for distributing mobile orders.

Baristas still called out customers' names, but they were also placed alphabetically on the counter.

My Starbucks order definitely took longer than the Dunkin' order, but it was ready at about the time estimated by the app.

Starbucks' mobile ordering system isn't necessarily faster, but I do think it's more consistent and smoother than Dunkin'.

My order came in a Starbucks paper bag, with my name written on it.

I tried a few things to get a fair representation of Starbucks that I could compare to Dunkin'.

The egg bites were really delicious, despite not looking especially appetizing.

I liked them so much I tried to replicate them at home, with moderate success.

The cheese danish was nothing special, but it was fine.

The double-smoked bacon, cheddar, and egg sandwich on a croissant bun was really good.

I don't typically buy sandwiches at Starbucks because I think of them as expensive and mediocre, but this one was pretty flavorful, and I liked the flakiness of the croissant.

My Starbucks total was $27.15 before a coupon for half-off handcrafted drinks brought it down to $24.27.

I still slightly prefer Dunkin' to Starbucks for food, but Starbucks definitely has better drinks that are more consistent and not so overly sweet.

Dunkin' used to have its lower price point as a significant point in its favor against Starbucks, but now that its rewards are more limited and prices have increased, it's not that much of a better deal.

Ultimately, Starbucks is a superior experience, and the price difference between the two brands is smaller than ever. I think I'll be going to Starbucks more often now.