Dunkin' Donuts vs. Tim Hortons: Top Twin Cities chefs take blind taste test to crown winner

Like a punched dough, doughnuts are on the rise in the Twin Cities. Again. Following the cupcake craze of the early '00s, some big chains rode into town with great fanfare, only to disappear. (Remember Krispy Kreme?) Since then, local bakers have reinvented the doughnut game, opening artisanal boutiques across the Cities.

Now two out-of-town chains — Canadian import Tim Hortons and East Coast stalwart Dunkin' Donuts — are trying to assert their dominance. Is one really better than the other?

We asked three top chefs to take part in a blind taste test to determine which chain stands a chance in the Twin Cities' increasingly handcrafted and health-conscious food landscape. It's a Canada vs. New England throwdown, right here in Minneapolis.

THE CHEFS

Mike Brown, chef/owner of Travail and Pig Ate My Pizza.
Doughnut and coffee expertise: "I eat a lot of doughnuts and coffee." Brown's never been to a Dunkin' Donuts, "and I don't know who Tim Horton is."

Ann Kim, chef/owner of Hello Pizza, Pizzeria Lola and Young Joni.
Expertise: "I thrive on coffee, but to be honest, I don't really like doughnuts. We'll see if these two shops can change my view."

Carrie Summer, chef/owner of Chef Shack food trucks and restaurants.
Expertise: "I've been making doughnuts for about a decade. It's a great pairing, coffee and doughnuts."

RAISED DOUGHNUT

Dunkin's Chocolate Frosted vs. Hortons' Chocolate Dip

Chefs say: Hortons' Chocolate Dip is "light, airy, not heavily oily," said Kim. Brown thought it imparted a "high-sugar, fake chocolate-y flavor." Dunkin's haphazard job on the chocolate frosting job "looks like a bad accident," said Kim. Brown said it "tastes exactly how you think it would taste: like, 'Oh, yeah, I got one of those doughnuts.' "

Winner: Hortons, if appearance counts.

BLACK COFFEE

Dunkin's black coffee vs. Hortons' black coffee

Chefs say: Hortons' coffee is "more acidic" and "bitter," said Brown, who also dissed Dunkin's, saying it "smells cheap" and has a "muddled finish." Said Kim, "It doesn't really taste like anything."

Winner: Two chefs couldn't choose. "They're both equally flavorless in an equal way," Brown said. Summer gave the win to Dunkin'.

CAKE DOUGHNUT

Dunkin's Glazed Chocolate vs. Hortons' Chocolate Glazed

Chefs say: Hortons' "spongy quality," said Kim, and "more handmade" look, said Summer, impressed the chefs. "I would order this," Brown said. Dunkin's "tastes more generic," he said. Kim disliked its lingering "artificial, burnt" aftertaste.

Winner: Hortons swept this category, though "neither of them taste particularly chocolate-y," complained Kim.

FILLED DOUGHNUT

Hortons' Brownie Batter vs. Dunkin's Chocolate Creme

Chefs say: The sprinkles on Hortons adds "a little extra pizazz," said Brown, but Summer said the filling tasted "manufactured." Dunkin's powdery coating "looks sad," said Kim. And the lack of filling was a letdown for Summer, even if it "tastes like canned frosting," according to Kim.

Winner: Hortons got two votes, while Brown found both equally distasteful.

HOLES

Dunkin's Munchkins vs. Hortons' Timbits

Chefs say: Hortons' glazed Timbits looked like "a bad sunburn starting to peel," said Kim, but Summer liked the "pillowy soft" texture. Kim didn't think much of Hortons' cake doughnut holes, either, saying they "taste like oil." Dunkin's blueberry holes taste and smell "really fake," said Brown, and the chocolate cake holes tasted machine-made.

Winner: By one hole, Hortons wins a majority vote.

SWEETENED COFFEE DRINKS

Dunkin's French Vanilla Swirl Latte vs. Hortons' French Vanilla

Chefs say: Hortons had an "odd swirl" that looks like "gasoline," said Brown. Kim compared it to the "sulfuric film" on geysers. Dunkin's Swirl reminded Brown of coffee from a machine at a gas station. Summer, however, considered it "more coffee-forward."

Winner: Across the board, Dunkin'.

FROZEN COFFEE DRINKS

Dunkins' Coffee Coolatta vs. Hortons' Iced Capp

Chefs say: The Iced Capp has "more of a richness to it," said Brown. Kim complained it "looks like bad flesh." The Coolatta, though, is "a little flat, a little one-note," said Kim. Brown described it as looking "like the slush on the side of the road."

Winner: Hortons won by a hair. "The pastier, fleshier one actually tastes better," said Kim.

GRAND TOTAL

Tim Hortons won 5 out of 7 rounds in the battle between the Twin Cities' two newest doughnut/coffee chains. Canada reigns supreme!