How Long Can Dunkin's Coffee Sit Out Before It's Discarded By Employees?

A fresh cup of coffee is revered for a reason. Rich, earthy, and smooth, a good cup should leave your mouth with a pleasant aftertaste. Freshness is a big factor in good coffee because coffee is a time-sensitive drink, meaning the characteristics of the flavors begin to change the longer a cup sits out and is exposed to more bacteria. The team at Dunkin' knows the importance of freshness firsthand. With Over 75+ years to perfect their routine, Dunkin' has figured out the ideal amount to let coffee sit out before it loses its freshness: 18 minutes.

Dunkin' prides itself on having, "freshly ground, freshly brewers, and freshly served" coffee. So freshness is the rule, not the goal. In order to stay true to this commitment, Dunkin' employees are instructed to discard any carafe of coffee that isn't completely used within that 18-minute time frame and immediately make another one. While this lifespan might feel cruelly short, unfortunately reheating coffee once it cools off is not recommended, so there's really no way to bring back that freshly brewed flavor. 

With such tight freshness margins, Dunkin' has put a lot of thought into the beans they use in their hot coffee blends. There are many varieties of coffee species in the world, with only a few that are safe for human consumption. The particular variety that Dunkin' uses is arabica, a highly popular blend (Starbucks uses arabica too) making up over half of the world's coffee production. Arabica beans are known for producing a smooth taste, elegant yet complex profile, and most importantly, are low in bitterness. Yet another reason to keep those carafes as fresh as possible.

Although Dunkin' has this 18-minute freshness policy, some people feel Dunkin's hot coffee still tastes bitter and burnt. One alleged employee confirmed the allegations on Reddit, sharing that most of the time, the coffee in the carafes is burnt. Another commenter complained that the coffee taste is fine, but it's served way too hot to enjoy immediately. Regardless of whether or not your coffee tastes too burnt, or is too hot, one thing's for sure, in less than 30 minutes a new pot is on its way.