Why You Should Never Order A Cappuccino From Dunkin'

Dunkin' has become far more famous for its coffee than for baked goods. Nowadays you can buy products like Dunkin' Original Blend Medium Roast Ground Coffee and K-cup pods to brew at home. Still, people may want to make a stop at an actual restaurant for a more elaborate coffee, tea, fruit drink. The chain cranks out plenty of fan favorites, but there are also drinks you should never order at Dunkin'. Both hot and cold cappuccinos are menu items to avoid.

Hot cappuccinos differentiate themselves from the latte by a layer of foam that tops the espresso and milk blend. Unfortunately, Dunkin' gets a little too enthusiastic with their foam and completely overshoots the proportion of foam to the actual drink, according to some folks on Reddit. A tester for Tasting Table also took issue with the foam, finding that it deflated too quickly and wasn't well-made. 

Consequently, not only is the cappuccino poorly executed, but it's also the worst-value drink at Dunkin' because you're paying for a cup full of foam. The iced cappuccino isn't much better as it can suffer from the same disproportionate foam to drink ratio. Whatever is left at the bottom of the cup might barely taste like coffee at all; the milk and any added sugar or syrup pump could completely overwhelm the meager shot of espresso.

Our ranking of Dunkin' iced drinks yields a few general conclusions, and the most relevant is that espresso drinks aren't Dunkin's forte. Espresso drinks really need high quality espresso, freshly ground and expertly brewed to ensure that the rich flavor of the coffee shines through. According to our taste testers and various Reddit commenters, cold and hot cappuccinos basically taste like lattes with less bang for your buck. Plain lattes also rank very low on our list of coffee drinks because they lack flavor. Consequently, if you do decide to get a cappuccino, you might want to ask for an extra shot of espresso if you want a coffee-forward drink.

What we do know is that Dunkin's drip and regular coffee drinks are better-tasting alternatives. So, instead of getting an iced cappuccino, you could instead get a cold brew or iced coffee with a dash of milk. Dunkin' also has super sweet coffee drinks that have a fan following. Similar to Starbucks' Frappuccinos, sometimes we value the dessert or seasonal flavors more than the coffee itself. To that effect, we recommend the caramel craze iced signature latte topped with whipped cream and a heavy drizzle of rich caramel sauce.