Food scientist explains the four-step process McDonald’s uses to make its cola taste so good

McDonald’s Coca-Cola has long been touted as a top tier soft drink compared to other fast food joints and restaurants, but now there’s a scientific reason why.

Abby Thiel, a food scientist, explained that the flavorful taste, the extra bubbles and the superior taste all come from the way the chain handles the carbonated drink.

The chain filters the water which removes chlorine and other chemicals to give it a better taste and stores the Coca-Cola syrup in a stainless steel barrel-like container that regulates the temperature and keeps the drink carbonated.

McDonald’s also claims that its wider straws fully expose the customer’s taste buds to the cola.

McDonald’s has the syrup used in cola delivered in a stainless steel container, which prevents the carbonation from being lost and the temperature from fluctuating, contributing to its superior taste.

For years, McDonald’s patrons have taken to online forums with questions about how the Coke tastes better than at other establishments, with some people claiming that it “tastes much more refreshing than bottled Coke.”

McDonald’s has reportedly achieved the perfect four-step recipe to offer sublime Coca-Cola that has customers raving about its quality and taste.

Normally soda is stored in plastic bags kept in a cardboard box and when the syrup from one bag runs out, a hose is unscrewed and reattached to a plastic cap in a new soda bag.

To give Coke a better taste, McDonald’s goes off the beaten path and has their soft drinks delivered in stainless steel tanks with a capacity of 35 liters of syrup.

The stainless steel containers serve a dual purpose: maintaining the temperature so it does not fluctuate and limiting light exposure.

The tank also stores CO2 – which regulates the amount of carbon dioxide – and prevents the soft drink from losing its bubbles.

“Any carbonated product stored in a container gradually loses carbon dioxide,” Thiel said Processionand adds: ‘This gives McDonald’s the advantage of carbonating the cola on the spot, just before you drink it.’

Most soda syrup containers are mixed with water at a ratio of one part syrup to three to six parts water, which, when combined with ice, dilutes the flavor.

Because McDonald’s adds the carbonation on the spot, it means the flavor isn’t diluted if you get too much ice cream.

The containers also keep the syrup cool by using insulated pipes that connect the liquid to the soda fountain, preventing the carbon dioxide from escaping.

McDonald’s uses wider straws so that the cola can hit all the customer’s taste buds at once and carbonates the soft drink on the spot so that it remains sparkling and tasty

McDonald’s briefly in 2021 recognized that the Coke tastes better than other establishments because it keeps the soda at a colder level and uses filtered water that removes all the chlorine and anything else that could affect the taste.

“Soft drink manufacturers usually have their own water supplier or a filter system to increase the quality of the water,” Thiel tells Parade.

“Typically, chlorine is removed because it can result in a ‘disinfectant’ taste, water hardness is adjusted because it affects the acidity of the drink, and iron is removed to limit color and taste errors,” she continued.

‘Without this treatment, the end result is a cola with unpleasant flavors and aromas due to inconsistent, low-quality water.’

McDonald’s has also said that the straw affects the taste because it is wider, allowing the cola to hit all your taste buds.

Coca-Cola has had a special relationship with McDonald’s since 1955, when then-owner Ray Croc met with Waddy Pratt, who headed the soda company’s fountain division.

“These two companies helped each other grow and expand around the world,” said Dick Starmann, who had a close relationship with Croc The New York Times in 2014.

“Neither would be what they are today without the other,” he added.