Iced Coffee Illusion
Iced Coffee Illusion or: 7-11, how could you?
Yesterday I forgot my insulated cup for my tasty ‘coffee chiller’ at 7-11. I was despondent since I don’t want to pay $1.49 for a medium, when I can pay that and get a refill in my large insulated, dedicated chiller coffee cup. The sadness lasted until I found out that I could at least get a medium for a dollar (on sale), and I was happy until I took it back to my office and poured it into my refillable cup and found out… it’s the same size.
Now, because its insulated it looks bigger, but it’s like catching the magic act as they’re working out the kinks. I’ve seen behind the curtain and I’m a bit saddened because… basically, when I buy a refill, I’m ‘saving’ them money.
To be fair, it’s the green thing to do and I don’t mind that, plus it is insulated so it stays cooler longer, but still. Have you ever noticed that the sizes are relatively name. The sodas and slurpees are indeed labeled on the machine, but the coffee? There’s small, which we think is 12 oz, but it could be 8. Which would mean that the medium would be 12 or 16… ish, but still, why obfuscate volume?
When it comes to the cold joy that is iced coffee, they have 2 sizes: Medium and Large, which is confusing enough since well, there are only two sizes. Why not small and medium? No, Medium and Large sound better. They sound bigger, stronger: no small coffees here!
But now I find myself staring at my insulated cup of empty joy and wondering… just how big is the medium, and how much bigger is the large? Am I better off going back to my innocent assumption that I’m getting a good deal? Or do I want to find out just how many ounces we’re talking for the fifty cent difference.
I know it’s business, and yet… I’m disappointed, not terribly, but still…
Author’s note: This post made me go and research and while I couldn’t find the actual sizes (they preferred to talk content) according to one person on Yahoo – the coffee sizes are:
small: 12oz
medium: 16oz
large: 20 oz
extra large: 24 oz
In a news item on 7-11’s site from 2009, I found the following in regards to the iced coffee:
Two sizes are currently offered: medium (16 ounces) and large (24 ounces), with the exception of Long Island, NY, area stores, where corresponding sizes are 20 and 28 ounces.
My fitness pal gives you the nutrition (or lack thereof) but you have to check for the flavor, for one the choices are 1 and 8 oz while another lists the nutrition information for a 24 oz cup. Live Strong gives you the calories etc for 8 oz.
Also, the price has gone down from their original prices to keep them competitive with the plethora of Iced Coffee offerings now available. (and officially they don’t do refills on the iced coffee)
Leave a Reply