This Popular K-Cup Coffee Pod Is One Of The Best (And Most Affordable) We've Tasted

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No morning is complete without a hot cup of coffee, and no cup of coffee is more mindlessly convenient to make than sticking a K-Cup into your Keurig coffee maker. But even if you have one of the best Keurig machines that money can buy, that'll only get you so far — you need some quality coffee inside your K-Cup too. Fortunately for you, though, that rejuvenating cup of joe is both accessible and inexpensive, and comes from a familiar if somewhat unexpected source.

In a ranking of nine Keurig K-Cup coffee pods from worst to best, McDonald's classic roast found its way onto the podium, placing second only behind Caribou Coffee's selection. It's no secret that McDonald's has amazing coffee, due in part to the beans used in McCafe's blend, but it's still interesting to see it right up there with the heavy hitters of the coffee world. So while you may be tempted to use two coffee pods in your Keurig out of habit, there might just be enough flavor from the golden arches to make your morning more chipper with just one pod.

Chowhound's taste-tester, a seasoned coffee-drinker with years of experience as a barista, lauds McDonald's classic roast for very similar reasons as those who line McDonald's drive-thrus in the morning — namely, flavor and price. This selection (which isn't the darkest roast from McDonald's K-Cups, mind you) is noted for being bold and strong, with a distinct forwardness on its flavor profile just like the coffee you'd find at a brick-and-mortar McDonald's location. This is the distinct McDonald's coffee that customers all over the country know and love, so the familiar flavor alone is enough to warrant having a box of these in your cupboard.

But then you get to the price, and things become even brighter than the first sip of a zippy coffee. As of the time of writing this piece, a 32-pack of McDonald's K-Cups is under $20, making this brand one of the more affordable options out there. So when you combine this outstanding price point along with the sheer flavor quality of this coffee, it's well deserving of its place high on the rankings of best K-Cups you can buy.