5 Reasons Dunkin' Donuts Is Better Than Starbucks

1. You don't have to mortgage your firstborn child Rapunzel-style for a cup of joe at Dunkin'. Starbucks has become infamous for its wildly expensive drinks — some customers are even purposely vying for the title of most expensive drink purchased on record (one recent beverage hit the $57 mark), whereas Dunkin keeps its prices perfectly reasonable nationwide.

2. Starbucks only franchises on a very limited basis, but most Dunkin Donuts are owned and operated by folks in your town who want to own their own business without assuming all of the risks associated with opening an independent store. This means that the dollars you spend at a Dunkin' franchise help support a family in your community rather than contributing to a gigantic corporation's bloat-factor.

3. Dunkin' is seriously unpretentious. Unlike at Starbucks, you can pronounce all of the words on the Dunkin' menu on your first try, and the barista won't correct your request for a "medium drink," with an eyeroll and the insistence that the word "medium" is somehow incorrect, and should properly be "grande." Plus, the chances that you'll run into the worst people in town are much, much lower at Dunkin' than they are at Starbucks. Bluetooth dude who snaps gum and barks his order at the barista like she's a dog? He goes to Starbucks. Skinny blonde lady with a purse the size of her torso who takes 10 minutes to order what is, in the end, just a cup of skim milk, saccharine syrup, and espresso? Starbucks. Guy who works on his laptop while taking a neverending stream of business calls and who addresses all of his associates as "bra?" You know he goes to Starbucks.

4. Dunkin' actually tastes better; Starbucks roasts their beans until they're burnt, whereas Dunkin actually roasts them until they taste, you know, roasted. While we would never claim that Dunkin' makes exceptional or complex coffees, their brew tastes like a solid, classic cup of joe.

5. Do you like fresh-made treats with your coffee, or would you prefer pastries that have been brought in from outside? Dunkin has bakers in the store who make your treats right there, whereas Starbucks has theirs shipped in and lets them sit for who knows how long before microwaving them for a sort-of fresh-seeming effect.