I tried 5 vanilla iced coffees from the grocery store. They'd all save me money, but a few stood out above the rest.
However, if doing so takes too much time and the results aren't even that delicious, are those savings even worth it?
So, I tested out five premade vanilla iced coffee drinks from the grocery store in hopes that at least one could be a worthy replacement for my drive-thru habit.
To see how much I could actually save, I compared the cost of a 12-ounce cup of each to what I usually pay for roughly the same thing while out. For reference, a 12-ounce iced coffee with vanilla syrup and milk is about $3.75 at my local Starbucks.
Here's how the coffee drinks stacked up.
I liked the price of Coffee Mate's French vanilla iced coffee, but I wouldn't get it again.
I've had Coffee Mate's creamers before, but this was my first time trying its iced coffee.
The French vanilla iced coffee rang up at $4.49 for 50 ounces, about $1.08 per 12-ounce serving, making it one of the least expensive options I tried.
The vanilla flavor tasted a little unnatural and a bit too artificial to me, and the coffee left an almost chalky aftertaste in my mouth. This was my least favorite coffee of the bunch.
I wasn't super impressed by the Dunkin' iced coffee.
The French vanilla Dunkin' iced coffee was only available in single-serve bottles at my local Walmart.
One 13.7-ounce bottle was $2.98 — based on the price per ounce, a 12-ounce pour would cost about $2.64. Of the coffees I tried, this cost the most per ounce, though it's worth noting this price may have been lower if I'd been able to find a larger bottle.
I appreciated that this coffee had real milk in it, but I felt it also had a slightly artificial vanilla taste. I wasn't particularly impressed by the price or the flavor.
International Delight's vanilla iced coffee had a good coffee flavor.
In terms of price per ounce, the least expensive option I sampled was International Delight's vanilla iced coffee.
I paid $4.86 for a 64-ounce carton, so a 12-ounce serving cost about $0.96. I'd be able to drink four cups of this for the price of just one vanilla Starbucks iced coffee, which felt impressive.
The vanilla flavor wasn't overwhelming, and this coffee didn't taste as sweet as some of the other options. I appreciated the subtle flavor, and I'd drink this again, especially at this great price point.
I loved that I could add my own milk to Cafe Bustelo's vanilla iced coffee.
Cafe Bustelo 's vanilla iced coffee cost me $5.99 for 40 ounces, or roughly $1.80 per 12-ounce serving. This was the only option I tested that didn't have milk or cream in it.
In my opinion, the coffee didn't have much of a vanilla flavor. This may be because the base seemed to be more concentrated (espresso) than some of the other drinks I tried. However, I prefer a subtle vanilla flavor over an overwhelming one, so this was a win for me.
The coffee was smooth, and I really liked that I could control how much milk or cream to add to it — or that I could drink it black. I'd absolutely buy this again.
Starbucks' vanilla Frappuccino chilled coffee drink tasted like I could've ordered it from the drive-thru.
A four-pack of Starbucks vanilla Frappuccino chilled coffee drinks cost me $7.78. Each bottle was 9.5 ounces, which would make a 12-ounce serving about $2.40.
Although Frappuccino is in the name of this drink, this isn't a milkshake-like beverage like the ones at Starbucks locations. It's more of a milky iced coffee.
And, in my opinion, this vanilla coffee drink tasted the best by far.
I don't think I'd be able to tell the difference between a cup of this and a vanilla iced coffee from my local Starbucks. This was my favorite pick, and it felt like the best compromise — it really tasted like something I'd ordered from a barista, not poured at home.
Although Starbucks was my winner, I'm glad I found several iced-coffee options I like — now, I'm confident I can still have a great drink at home for a lower cost.
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