Starbucks, Dunkin’, Panera, Black Lion Cafe; the list goes on. There are countless places students can grab a quick cup of coffee before the first bell, but which cold brew will satisfy students’ taste buds the most?
To best compare, I ordered a small cold brew with cream and sugar at each location. I started my hunt at Starbucks. The coffee tasted fresh, the ratio of cream and sugar to coffee was perfect, not too sweet yet not too bitter. Starbucks has been an overall favorite for students: It is quick, tasty, and conveniently located at Fallsgrove shopping center. Starbucks has been one of my favorites for a while and almost never disappoints, granting it an overall rating of 9/10.
Both Starbucks and Panera are located in Fallsgrove, which makes them convenient places to stop by before school and still make it on time for first period. Junior Nichole Kitzler said, “I’m not that big of a cold brew drinker but when I want to get a good cup of coffee, Panera or Starbucks are usually my go-to, they are conveniently located in Fallsgrove and have some really good cold brew.”
For Junior Alina Parikh, “Starbucks is my number one place for coffee or matcha; 90% of the time my drink comes out perfect and delicious. I also really like how Starbucks allows you to customize your coffee by giving you the option to add syrups, creamers and different dairy options.”
Next on my list was Dunkin’; the cold brew had a solid taste but the cold brew to creamer ratio was somewhat off. I’ve had cold brew at Dunkin’ several times, and it tends to be inconsistent; either it’s good or not so good. You have a 50/50 shot of getting what you have been craving or receiving something you wish you never spent your money on. This grants Dunkin’ an overall rating of 7/10. “Dunkin Donuts is definitely my favorite place to grab iced cold brew, although the taste and quality may be inconsistent, you just need to know the right location to go to,” junior Addison Purvis said.
Next on my list was the Panera cold brew. In Panera I was handed an empty plastic coffee cup, and it was up to me to make my own cold brew at a coffee station. After filling my cup with cold brew and adding creamer and sugar, I was met with an average coffee taste. The cold brew itself wasn’t bad but since it was made by me, it didn’t have the best ratio of cold brew to creamer, thus granting Panera a rating of 6/10.
My last stop was Black Lion Cafe, an authentic Ethiopian coffee shop located at Traville Gateway. The cold brew was flavorful and authentic, although expensive. The cold brew was high quality and didn’t disappoint, receiving an overall rating of 9.3/10.
