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

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

Abby Thiel, a food scientist, explained that the flavorful taste, the extra bubbles and the superior taste all stem from the chain's treatment of the carbonated beverage.

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

McDonald's also claims its wider straws fully expose customer's taste buds to the Coke.

McDonald's uses filtered water and colder temperatures to give it the extra sweet and bubbly taste that customers have grown to love. The restaurant partnered Coca-Cola in 1955, one year after it was franchised

McDonald's has the syrup used in Coke delivered in a stainless steel container that prevents it from losing its carbonation and keeps the temperature from fluctuating which contributes to the superior taste

For years, McDonald's-goers have taken to online forums with questions about how the Coke tastes better than at other establishments, with some people claiming it 'tastes way more refreshing than bottled coke.'

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

Typically, soda is stored in plastic bags that are 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 strays off the beaten path and has their soda delivered in stainless steel tanks that can hold 80 gallons of syrup.

The stainless steel containers have the dual purpose of maintaining the temperature so it doesn't fluctuate and limiting the light exposure.

The tank also stores CO2 - which controls the amount of carbonation - it prevents the soft drink from losing its bubbles.

'Any carbonated product that is kept in a container will gradually lose carbonation,' Thiel told Parade, adding: 'This gives McDonald's the benefit of carbonating the Coke on-site and right before you drink it.'

Most soda syrup packaging is mixed with water at a rate of one part syrup to between three and six parts water which, when combined with ice, dilutes the flavor.

Because McDonald's adds the carbonation on site, it means that the taste won't become watered down if you're given too much ice.

The containers also keep the syrup cool by using insulated tubes that connect the liquid to the soda fountain which doesn’t allow the carbonation to escape. 

McDonald's uses wider straws so the Coke can hit all of the customer's taste buds at once and carbonates the soda on site so it remains bubbly and flavorful

READ MORE: Why McDonald's ice cream machines are always broken

Federal agencies have requested exemptions to allow franchise owners more freedom in repairs as current restrictions limit repairs to authorized technicians 

In 2021, McDonald's briefly acknowledged that its Coke tastes better than other establishments because it keeps the soda at colder levels and uses filtered water that removes all chlorine and anything else that could tarnish the taste.

'Soft drink producers will usually have their own water supplier or a filtration system to increase the quality of water,' Thiel told Parade. 

'Most often, chlorine is removed as it can result in a 'disinfectant' taste, the water hardness will be adjusted since it affects the acidity of the drink, and iron will be removed to limit color and flavor defects,' she continued. 

'Without this treatment, the end result is a Coke that has off-flavors and aromas due to low-quality, inconsistent water.'

McDonald's has also said its straw impacts the taste because it is wider, allowing the Coke 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 ran the soft drink company's fountain division.

'Those two companies helped each other grow and expand around the globe,' Dick Starmann who was close with Croc told The New York Times in 2014.

'Neither one would be what they are today without the other,' he added.