I compared McDonald's and Tim Hortons coffee to see who wins — once and for all

Freshness and flavour

I'll lay my cards on the table here: I came into this with a bias toward McDonald's. I had it in my head that it was the better coffee and the competition would be a slam dunk. But I stayed open-minded and really turned on my coffee-critic analysis.

After ordering both with two creams (how I normally take my coffee), I sat down to try them.

McDonald's was first. It was piping hot, even with the cream, and had a smooth, mild flavour. It was not acidic and didn't have any obvious "tasting notes" like citrus, chocolate, or other things you find in more expensive roasts. It wasn't very strong, but it wasn't weak either — a medium roast, I'd say. Good. Solid. As I expected.

Then, Tim Hortons. I took a sip, and it was also nice and hot. But, well, it tasted basically the exact same to me! I was so surprised. It also had a smooth, non-acidic flavour. As you can see in the photo, the Tim Hortons cup was visibly lighter, with more cream added in. This made the flavour milder than the McDonald's cup, with an overall less coffee-y taste.

This first go made me think that the cream was obscuring my results because it was masking the actual coffee. So, I went back and got two more cups — black this time.

This is where I could really tell the difference: McDonald's coffee maintained the smooth, non-acidic, medium-roast flavour, whereas the Tim Hortons cup was notably more acidic. I understand some people like a more acidic (I think they call it a "bright" taste in the biz), but I do not.

Round 1 Winner: McDonald's, but by a smaller margin than I expected, and virtually indistinguishable when cream is added. I would assume zero difference once you add sugar in, too.

Price and experience

A good cup of coffee is about the taste, but it's also about the experience. For my two rounds of coffee-buying, I went to two McDonald's drive-throughs, but I had to walk into both Tim Hortons stores. That will depend on where you live, but something to keep in mind.

McDonald's cups are double-walled, so you don't need a sleeve — I like that. Tim Hortons are a more classic option that needs a sleeve to avoid burning your hands. Both stores have a rewards program, so you can get free stuff when you spend there.

The real difference comes in price. For a medium coffee, you'll spend $1.49 plus tax at McDonald's and $1.92 plus tax at Tim Hortons. That's a pretty substantial difference if you ask me, especially if you're a caffeine addict who fuels up regularly. It all adds up.

Round 2 Winner: McDonald's.

The overall winner: McDonald's

McDonald's wins.

But despite my initial assumptions, it's by a small margin. It's cheaper, so that's an obvious win, but taste-wise, it's not as different as I would have expected. Overall, it has a smoother, stronger flavour, but that difference was really only noticeable when I drank the coffee black.

I'll stick with McDonald's when I have the option, but Timmies will forever be an acceptable, affordable, and good-for-when-I-also-want-a-donut back-up option.

Now, I've heard good things about A&W coffee... Should I try it next?