Starbucks 'Pike Place' coffee better than McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts

In a taste test that, for once, is not accompanied by a press release from Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks Pike Place Blend coffee was unanimously deemed the best hot coffee -- better than McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts and 7-Eleven.

The blind taste test, conducted by the St. Petersburg Times and five "java junkies," also rated iced mochas; Starbucks came in second in that contest, after McDonald's. McDonald's iced mochas were perfect, said the panel: "fairly intense coffee flavor, we felt this one had the best balance of chocolate and coffee, refreshing and not too sweet. A blob of whipped cream gave it a rich texture, and it had a satisfying, lingering aftertaste."