The Real Reason You Shouldn't Drink Dunkin's Bottled Iced Coffee
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Your basic iced Dunkin' Classic blend coffee is actually the very best thing you can drink at the beloved coffee chain'. So why not stock up on the bottled version of Dunkin' iced coffee, available at pretty much any grocery or convenience store? Flavors range from mocha, to French vanilla, so conceivably, you should be able to get your chilled java any time you want, no Dunkin' run required.
Except, true Dunkin' fans say the pre-bottled version just isn't the same as enjoying a freshly brewed-iced coffee. Spork and Barrel said Dunkin' bottled iced coffee wasn't as good as the in-store version, conceding that it's a "passable option for those who live outside of driving distance of a Dunkin' Donuts."
The limited edition Cookies & Cream bottled iced coffee — currently available online on just a few sites, such as Big Lots —produced a similarly meh reaction from The Impulsive Buy, which said that despite the fancy flavor name, the pre-packaged flavor really just tasted like the bottled mocha stuff. It's "mochacceptable," the review concluded.
Not living up to the taste of an in-store iced coffee isn't the only reason why bottled iced coffee is a Dunkin' don't.
Dunkin's bottled iced coffee is expensive and high-calorie
It's convenient to have a grab-from-the fridge-and-go Dunkin' iced coffee waiting for you every morning, but it's no bargain. You get a lot less java for your money. Consider that a 13.7-ounce bottle is $2.49 at Target — the same price of a 32-ounce serving in-store (via Fast Food Menu Prices). On Amazon, the cost can be much higher; a 3-flavor sampler pack is listed for as much as $27 by some sellers. One customer called this variety an "insanely overpriced ripoff," and other reviewers agreed, landing this particular variety with only two stars out of five.
The bottled version comes with one thing iced coffee from a Dunkin' location does not: added sugar, milk, and cream, which translates into a lot more calories and fat than chilled, freshly-brewed coffee, which you have the option of drinking with just a splash of milk and no sugar, or sugar-free sweetener. A medium iced coffee from Dunkin' with no mix-ins is just 5 calories and 0 grams of fat; if you take yours with skim milk and sugar, you'll be taking in 120 calories and still, 0 grams of fat (via Dunkin'). The bottled version, meanwhile, has 260 calories and 7 grams of fat, according to Coca Cola, which manufacturers the read-to-drink version.