- McDonald’s Coca-Cola’s taste secret: filtered water, stainless steel storage
- Wider straws enhance Coke’s flavor exposure to taste buds
- McDonald’s unique Coke process creates exceptional taste and quality
There is now a scientific explanation for why McDonald’s Coca-Cola has long been regarded as a premium soft drink compared to other fast-food and restaurant establishments.
According to food scientist Abby Thiel, the superior flavour, additional bubbles, and flavorful appearance of the carbonated beverage result from how the chain processes it.
Chlorine and other contaminants are filtered out to improve the water’s flavour. The Coca-Cola syrup is stored in a stainless steel keg, which controls the temperature and maintains the beverage’s carbonation.
McDonald’s also asserts that its wider straws expose the consumer’s taste buds to the entire Coke.
McDonald’s patrons have flooded online discussion forums for years, debating whether Coke tastes superior to competing brands; one user even remarked, “It tastes considerably more refreshing than bottled Coke.”
McDonald’s purportedly perfected a four-step formula for producing Coca-Cola of such exceptional quality and flavour that patrons exclaim in awe.
In the customary procedure, carbonated beverages are contained within cardboard boxes containing plastic bags. When the syrup within one bag depletes, a hose is detached and reattached to a plastic closure on a fresh bag of soda.
To improve the flavour of Coca-Cola, McDonald’s deviates from the norm by storing their soda in stainless steel containers with a capacity of 80 gallons of syrup.
The stainless steel receptacles serve a dual function by preventing temperature fluctuations and restricting light exposure.
In addition to regulating the quantity of carbonation, the tank stores CO2, which prevents the carbonated beverage from losing its carboninosity.
“Any carbonated product stored in a container will lose carbonation over time,” Thiel explained to Parade, adding, “This allows McDonald’s to carbonate the Coke on-site, just before consumption.”
Most soda syrup packaging contains three to six parts water to one part syrup, diluting the flavour when combined with ice.
Because McDonald’s places the carbonation on-site, excessive ice will not dilute the flavour.
Additionally, the containers maintain the syrup’s temperature by connecting the liquid to the soda fountain via insulated passages that prevent carbonation from escaping.
McDonald’s momentarily acknowledged in 2021 that its Coke tastes superior to its competitors due to the colder storage conditions and filtration of water, which eliminates chlorine and other impurities that could tarnish the flavour.
Thiel told Parade, “Soft drink manufacturers typically have their own water supplier or filtration system to improve water quality.”
“Chlorine is typically eliminated because it imparts a ‘disinfectant’ flavour; water hardness is modified because it affects the beverage’s acidity; and iron is eliminated to prevent colour and flavour defects,” she further explained.
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“Without this treatment, Coca-Cola would have off-putting aromas and flavours due to inconsistent, low-quality water.”
McDonald’s has also stated that the flavour of its Coke is affected by the straw’s width, which permits the beverage to reach all of the taste buds.
Coca-Cola and McDonald’s have maintained a unique relationship since 1955, when Waddy Pratt, who oversaw the soft drink company’s fountain division, met with then-owner Ray Croc.
“Those two companies assisted one another in their global expansion and growth,” Dick Starmann, a close associate of Croc, told The New York Times in 2014.
“Without the other, neither would be where they are today,” he continued.
