Coffee is important to caffeine fiends like me.
Or, as we like to call it, $tarbuck$.
What makes good gas station coffee?
Judging the Coffee at 10 Gas Station Chains
Who has the best gas station coffee?
Well, whoever said life was fair?
You brew coffee at home, you dont walk into Target and you refuse to order avocado toast.
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
We mean that literally, because were still wide awake days after this big coffee taste-testing tour.
*Prices sourced in January 2024.
Several gas stations had no coffee at all!
Youre more likely to find good, fresh-brewed coffee.
The alternative tastesterrible, but well get to that.
Regional Chains Rule
We found our favorite coffee in regional gas station chains.
Apparently theyre trying harder.
(Also a lot of these stores are bigger.)
The Harsh Truth
Worst deal:7-Eleven was the biggest disappointment.
We paid $2.29 for lukewarm coffee.
Best deal:Speedway had the cheapest coffee of all, and it was tasty.
It was surprisingly hard to find coffee sometimes.
In the end, it took going to 15 places to try coffee from all 10 chains.
Were giving each a total score of zero to 5 coffee beans, because its super scientific that way.
BP
Options:These all used to be Amoco stations.
Anyway, our first BP station didnt have any coffee.
There was a single coffee pot with just enough coffee to fill a Styrofoam cup.
The coffee was so old it had a learners permit.
Taste:It was foul.
Sorry, BP.Score:Zero coffee beans.
Price:$1.59 for a small coffee.
Total:Half a coffee bean.
Chevron
Options:Like BP, we had to hit two Chevron stations before we found coffee.
Again, there was a single coffee pot featuring coffee that had been there too long.
There were big sugar dispensers but no packets of artificial sweeteners.
There were a few creamers in those little bitty cups.
There were white Styrofoam cups with plastic lids that didnt fit.Score:Zero coffee beans.
With ChevronsExtraMile rewards program, purchases earn you credit toward free food and drinks.Score:Half a coffee bean.
Total:One coffee bean.
Can You Survive 10 Days of Budgeting?
Sunoco
Options:We had to go to three Sunocos to get coffee.Score:Half a coffee bean.
Taste:We finally got a surprisingly good cup of coffee.
Thats what it says in my notes, at least.Score:One and a half coffee beans.
Price:All sizes were priced at $1.87.
Sunoco appears to have a gas rewards plan but no coffee rewards plan.Score:Half a coffee bean.
Total:Two and a half coffee beans.
Options:This was the first gas station we tried.
There was a single coffee pot, but it was empty.
Luckily, the stores sole employee (maybe a manager?)
popped out from behind the register and brewed a fresh pot for me.
It took four to five minutes to brew.
At least I wasnt in a hurry.
On the positive side, the guy was super friendly about it.
This is another place with only sugar and no sweeteners.Score:One coffee bean.
Taste:It was hot!
Price:$1.49 for a medium coffee.
TheExxon Mobil Rewards+ programsaves you 2 cents per dollar you spend in the store.Score:Half a coffee bean.
Total:Three coffee beans.
7-Eleven
Options:So many choices!
Lots of creamers and sweeteners on tap, and mini marshmallows!
Oh, the decadence!
They also had iced coffee and cold brew coffee on tap.Score:Two coffee beans.
Taste:The nations biggest convenience store chain was our biggest disappointment.
After all that buildup, our coffee was lukewarm!
Oh, the betrayal!
It was like finding out theres no Santa Claus.
Coffee is tricky, people.
7-Eleven is ranked this high only because we vaguely recall having had decent coffee there before.
Not only that, but $2.29 was the highest price we paid all day.
Circle K
Options:Now were getting somewhere.
Youre no doubt familiar with Circle K, which is in nearly every state.
In any case, the machines fresh-brew your coffee on command.
There were flavored syrups.
There were four kinds of creamer on tap hazelnut, vanilla, half-and-half and whole milk.
We cheated this time and got a salted caramel toffee cappuccino basically hot liquid candy.
But according to my receipt, I was quietly charged an extra dime $2.09 for a medium.
Were taking points off for the sneaky price increase.
Total:Three and a half coffee beans.
All the creamers and artificial sweeteners you could want.
Theyve got iced coffee on tap.Score:Two coffee beans.
Taste:I tried the bold blend, a Perks brand coffee.
Total:Four coffee beans.
Price:$1.79 for a small coffee.
TheRaceTrac Rewardsprogram allows you to earn points toward eventually scoring free drinks.Score:Half a coffee bean.
Options:Our Speedway had basically the same machines as our RaceTrac.
It also had a ton of those pre-blended, sugary coffee-and-cream options you push a button to dispense.
Were not too sure about some of these caramel macchiato?
It seems like a lot, but hey, if thats what sells.Score:Two coffee beans.
Taste:Robust and delightful.Score:One and a half coffee beans.
Price:We paid $1.19 for a 12-ounce coffee the best price we got all day!
The other prices were $1.59 for a medium and $1.79 for a large.
TheSpeedy Rewardsprogram allows you to earn points toward eventually scoring free snacks and drinks.Score:One whole coffee bean!
Total:Four and a half coffee beans.
(Theyre famous for fresh-made hoagies too.)
They also have every sweetener possible, including honey and ground cinnamon.
you could also order more elaborate coffee drinks at a coffee bar if you want.Score:Two coffee beans.
(In our case, Colombian coffee cut with Irish cream happens to be a fave.
)Score:Two coffee beans.
Price:We paid $1.79 for a small coffee.
Is Your Paycheck Not Going As Far As It Used To?
We get it.Everythingis more expensive than it used to be, but your paycheck hasnt kept up.
When money is tight,these resourceswill help nearly everyone.
The takeaway
Why do we care so much about gas station coffee?
On the other hand: We may be cheap, but life is too short to drink bad coffee.
Mike Brassfield ([email protected]) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
