How Dunkin' Ensures Fresh Coffee: The 18-Minute Rule and Why It Matters

Dunkin' adheres to a strict 18-minute freshness rule for its coffee, discarding any leftover brew to maintain optimal flavor. After this time, coffee begins to degrade, and while reheating doesn’t restore freshness, Dunkin' ensures new pots are brewed to deliver the best quality coffee.

Dunkin' Discards Coffee After 18 Minutes to Preserve Freshness and Flavor Quality

A fresh cup of coffee is cherished for good reason. With its rich, earthy flavors and smooth finish, a well-prepared cup should leave a pleasant aftertaste. Freshness is critical to a great coffee experience, as coffee is a time-sensitive beverage. The flavors begin to change the more extended the coffee sits out, exposed to air and bacteria. With over 75 years of experience perfecting its process, Dunkin' understands this principle well. The company has determined the ideal window for coffee freshness: 18 minutes.

Dunkin’ prides itself on its commitment to freshly ground, brewed, and served coffee, ensuring freshness is the rule, not just the goal. According to Tasting Table, to uphold this standard, Dunkin' employees are instructed to discard any coffee that hasn’t been fully consumed within 18 minutes and to brew a fresh batch immediately. While this may seem harsh, reheating coffee once it has cooled off is not recommended, as it cannot replicate the flavor of a freshly brewed cup.

Dunkin' Uses Arabica Beans for Quality, but Freshness Concerns Persist Despite Strict Policies

Dunkin' has carefully selected the beans in its hot coffee blends to maintain tight freshness margins. Arabica beans, known for their smooth taste, complex profile, and low bitterness, comprise over half of the world’s coffee production. They are the variety Dunkin' uses in its blends (Starbucks also uses arabica). These characteristics make arabica beans a perfect choice for maintaining a high-quality coffee experience and further emphasize the importance of keeping carafes as fresh as possible.

However, despite Dunkin’s 18-minute freshness policy, some customers have noted that the coffee still tastes bitter and burnt. A Reddit post by a self-identified employee confirmed that coffee in the carafes is often over-brewed and burnt. Another customer complained that the coffee tasted fine but was served too hot to enjoy immediately. Regardless of whether the coffee tastes burnt or too hot, one thing remains clear: within 30 minutes, a fresh pot of coffee is always on the way.