New Coffee War Brewing; Where Will You Get Your Fix?

What's the first thing you did at the office this morning?

Before checking any e-mail, before starting the billing clock, you probably kicked off your day by procuring a nice mug or cup of a coffee-based beverage.  Maybe your firm still has plenty of good, free stuff on hand.  But maybe they've used the recession as an excuse to cut back, or maybe you've gotten yourself firmly into an espresso-based-beverage habit.  In which case you're making a daily stop at a coffee shop or kiosk to get a little latte or cappuccino love.

If that's your game, then get ready for a new coffee war.  Venerable fast-food purveyor McDonald's is now touting its McCafe coffees, which are apparently aimed squarely at Starbucks: cappuccinos, lattes, and mochas will soon grace the menu of a Mickey D's near you.

But should you ditch your current coffeehouse of choice and begin getting your A.M. fix at McDonald's?  The good news is that, out here on the internet, someone's already got a pretty well-formed opinion to share, and at Greedy Associates, we have an absolute obligation to call to your attention any significant developments in this most important daily work ritual.
The good people at Coffee Review, which touts itself as "the world's leading coffee-buying guide," have conducted an in-depth comparison of the McCafe offerings with the current heavyweight champ Starbucks.

Coffee Review is careful to disclaim any brand loyalties or animosities: "With this article we are not taking sides in some vaguely ideological conflict between corporate styles and customer demographics. We are simply doing our best to describe what you are likely to taste at the point you pry the plastic top off your logo-adorned cup of milk, coffee and syrup."

Then they get down to the business at hand.  Cappuccinos, lattes, mochas, and (gag) caramel lattes from both chains were given a thorough tasting, and the results duly noted.  The conclusion: taste-wise, you get what you pay for -- and you can probably guess which brand costs less.  We would probably only add that, for lawyers, image matters too: are you a fancy-pants corporate professional type, or a down-to-earth people's-lawyer?  Choose wisely.  Oh, and don't forget that only one of these establishments can also offer you an Egg McMuffin.