by Nigel Ong
Dunkin is one of the world’s largest coffee and baked goods restaurant chains. It also makes one of the more ‘accurate’ medium roasts, while many others have made their medium roasts darker.
Aside from its shops, you can also brew your Dunkin coffee at home. Their most popular roast? The Original Blend. How good is the Dunkin Original Blend? Can it match up to the store’s coffee? Let’s find out.
I’ll first brew the coffee in several ways and then sample it using different flavorings. I’ll also compare it against other house blends and medium roasts.
About Dunkin Original Blend
Dunkin started as a donut and coffee shop in Quincy, Massachusetts 1950. Since then, it has evolved into a behemoth, with over 12,000 shops worldwide.
Dunkin originally focused on coffee and donuts but has since doubled on coffee. As a result, Dunkin dropped the donut from its name in 2018.
Dunkin likely noticed how its coffee appealed to a large section of Americans who wanted a more American-style medium roast. Many coffee houses in the US, such as Starbucks, started offering stronger coffee, using darker roasts.
Aside from the shops, you can also pick up Dunkin coffee in your grocery aisles. These are usually coffee beans or grounds and come in many styles. There are blends, single origins, and even decaf and flavored coffee.
We will look at Dunkin’s Original Blend. This original blend of coffee was first introduced in 1950 and has kept America running for decades. It is 100% Arabica, and the beans are sourced from Central and South America.
This is a classic medium roast, perhaps on the lighter side if you are used to the darker stuff from Starbucks. Unlike other coffee, Dunkin never mentioned what the coffee would taste like.
Perhaps Dunkin is so confident in the Original Blend that they do not need to convince buyers. Let’s see how good it is.
How Does Dunkin Original Blend Taste?
First Impression
I was greeted by a decent fragrant smell when I opened the coffee bag. There is some nutty, slightly earthy smell to the coffee. The aroma is toasty rather than toasty. It is not strong, and I would not say it is impressive.
The aroma of the coffee is not as strong as McCafe Premium Roast or Starbucks’s own House Blend. But I can imagine this coffee-producing aroma you will enjoy wafting down your hallway on weekend mornings.
Overall, the coffee smells pleasant and comforting. I am confident I’ll get a good cup of coffee from this roast.
As the roast comes as ground coffee, I cannot see what the individual beans look like. The grind size is medium, suitable for regular coffee dripper machines or brewing methods such as French press.
French Press
I can sample the coffee with all its oils and particles with a French press. I expect a ‘dirty,’ murky, full-flavored coffee here.
I pulled out my trusty Bodum Caffettiera French press and brewed a 2-cup batch. I used the 1:12 coffee-to-water ratio recommended by Illy Coffee, similar to my other coffee reviews.
I added 15 grams of coffee and 180ml of hot water at around 185°F (about 85°C). After stirring the coffee ground, I let the concoction brew for 4 minutes before pouring myself a cup.
The aroma is delicious. A rich, nutty, and slightly sweet aroma wafted into my nostrils as I sipped the coffee for the first time.
My first taste was how gentle the coffee was. There is little smoke nor earthy bitterness in the cup. Whatever smoke inside the coffee could be described as toasty goodness, hinting at toasted cereal and nut flavors.
I also picked up a bit of acidity in the coffee. It’s not strong, but it adds flavor to the coffee. Dunkin Original Blend is smooth and easy to drink, too. No wonder people love their Dunkin coffee.
Pour Over With Filter Paper
Pour-over is another popular way of making coffee, and it allows me to drink the Dunkin Original Blend with the particles and some oils removed. This should produce a cleaner cup of coffee with more noticeable flavor notes.
I use the following gear to brew my pour-over coffee:
I use the pour-over brewing method from Starbucks. I added 20 grams of ground coffee and slowly poured 360ml of water.
I first focused on wetting and blooming the coffee ground when I started, pouring just a little water. Once I cover all areas, I slowly add more water to brew the coffee.
The coffee tastes lighter and with more clarity. The coffee, already quite soft, is now even softer since even fewer coffee particles are floating around in the drink. This means less smoke and bitterness.
With less smoke, I can detect stronger nutty notes, perhaps some vague floral notes from the coffee. There is also some acidity, but gentle enough that you enjoy it as part of the coffee.
Espresso
I wanted to explore how the Dunkin Original Blend would taste as an espresso, just to see how much of its light flavor I could concentrate in a small cup. I grabbed my Wacaco Minipresso GR and pulled a shot.
The result is a great espresso with rich, thick crema. When I smell the crema, it is lighter, without the charred, smoky smell most dark roast espresso has. I can also pick up a bit of cereal-like and acidic notes.
The espresso is extremely nice to sip. It does not have the punch typical espresso drinkers want, but this can easily become a casual espresso you sip if you prefer something lighter. This may pass as a blonde espresso.
What Flavorings Taste Best With Dunkin Original Blend?
I do know that not all like to enjoy their black coffee. I thought I’ll go further with the experiment, and try the Dunkin Original Blend with some popular flavorings.
Sweeteners
Let’s start with the sweeteners. Here, I have two types:
- Regular brown granulated sugar
- Equal artificial sweetener (Aspartame)
I made two cups of black, French press Dunkin Original Blend. I added a stick of sugar to one cup and two drops of Equal to the other.
Sugar changes the texture of the coffee slightly, making it silkier and slightly shinier. The coffee also makes the already smooth Dunkin Original Blend even smoother.
When darker roasts, I tend to dislike how the smoke and sweetness do not jive well. This is not an issue with the Dunkin Original Blend since it is a soft coffee with little smoke.
As for the Equal, I think it helps give the coffee a smoother finish, with a longer sweet aftertaste lingering on my palate. The sweetness, however, does not taste as natural as sugar. I think I still prefer the former.
Milk and Creamer
Aside from sweeteners, many like coffee fat, including myself. Depending on dietary and flavor preferences, people usually gravitate between using milk or non-dairy creamer.
I have both ready for this test:
- Fresh, whole, UHT cow’s milk
- Coffee Mate creamer
Again, I brewed two fresh cups of Dunkin Original Blend, French press style. I added a shot (30ml, about 1 oz) of milk and a stick of Coffee Mate creamer to the other.
I like the taste of both, although my taste buds seem to prefer the milked version. I think it’s the natural taste, and the fat from the milk is more satisfying to the mouth. The lactose in the milk also sweetens the coffee ever so slightly, improving the taste.
Ice
Finally, I added a freshly brewed coffee into a glass stuffed to the brim with ice. I suppose Dunkin Original Blend would make a nice coffee drink.
I was not wrong. It is ice cold, with a bit of bitterness and acidity. It may not rival iced Americano made using dark roasts, but it is a comfortable cold coffee to sip on a hard day.
Dunkin Original Blend vs. Popular House Blends
Since the Dunkin Original Blend is Dunkin’s house blend, I can compare it against the house blends of other coffee roasters.
I pulled out these coffee blends and then brewed a cup of coffee from each. I then sip them side by side to compare the taste:
- Starbucks House Blend
- Folgers House Blend
- Gevalia House Blend
- McCafe Premium Roast
I seem to enjoy Dunkin Original Blend the most. This may be because it is a lighter medium roast than the rest of the list. Coffees here have more smoke than Dunkin Original Blend, which makes them take a bit more effort to enjoy.
I would rank McCafe Premium roast closely second, only for one reason – it has a bit more smoke. Your palate is different from mine, so try them on your own before making your judgment.
Dunkin Original Blend vs. Popular Medium Blends
I can also compare the Dunkin Original Blend with other popular medium coffee blends and see how it performs. Similarly, I sipped these coffee side by side with the Dunkin Original Blend:
- Folgers 1850 Pioneer Blend
- Lavazza Qualita Oro
- Gevalia Colombian Roast
- Starbucks Breakfast Blend
I could say that Dunkin Original Blend is head-to-head with the Folgers 1850 Pioneer Blend and tastes better than the rest. I enjoy how easy and light the Dunkin Original Blend is, making other darker medium roasts a bit harder to drink.
Gevalia Colombian Roast and Starbucks Breakfast Blend are especially smoky and acidic when you drink them side by side with Dunkin.
Dunkin Original Blend vs. Regular Coffee
Finally, I purchased a regular coffee and drank it side by side with the Lavazza Qualita Oro. The idea is to see if it is good enough than these regular coffees that you would rather make them at home.
In this case, I picked up a regular Americano from 7-Eleven. This coffee should represent all the coffees from gas stations or convenience stores well.
It goes without saying here, but Dunkin Original Blend wins.
Dunkin Original Blend is probably about as cheap as these regular coffee, maybe only slightly more expensive. But the taste and satisfaction you get from drinking it is much better.
It is smoother and has more depth in flavor and taste. It satisfies me more and makes my breakfast sandwich or cereal more complete.
Is Dunkin Original Blend For You?
Dunkin Original Blend is a medium roast on the lighter side. It is smooth, easy to drink, and has a round, less edgy flavor. To me, it is a comfortable coffee to enjoy.
I would enjoy this coffee as a daily wake-me-up drink for slower afternoons. This is also an excellent coffee to sip as you bit into something, such as a sandwich, bagel, or donut.
This would also make a good coffee for people in shops or at home. It has a ‘normal’ taste that should not offend many palates, which means most of your guests would enjoy the coffee.
Finally, if you are a Dunkin coffee fan, just get this. This should help you save money since making your Dunkin coffee at home will be cheaper than buying it in the stores.