Cup Sizes?

By pgn

@pgntwo (22408)

Derry, Northern Ireland

May 8, 2016 8:11am CST

One of the most widely-known fast food outlets across the world is probably McDonald's: those ubiquitous Golden Arches, they're everywhere! Walk into a McDonald's anywhere, and you're guaranteed to find a familiar favourite to quell those hunger and thirst pangs, for a while... But there are variations. I made a right boob of myself by ordering a large drink with my first meal order in a McDonald's in the United States, not realizing the outlet offered free refills, d'oh!

This prompted me to look at what constitutes a "large drink" in McDonald's outlets in various geographies - you may be surprised, or not, to learn that not all outlets are the same...

McDonald's Cup Sizes Around The World

Surprisingly similar. Surprisingly different. Like BuzzFeedVideo on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/18yCF0b Note: The states of Jammu and Kashmir are missing in th...

19 people like this

18 responses

@JohnRoberts (109846)

• Los Angeles, California

8 May 16

It's pretty much the same at all fast food joints. Get the small cup and refill.

3 people like this

@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

I know that now

The only thing available on tap, self service, is ketchup or bbq sauce in McDonald's here. Subway here let you fill your own cup at the soda machine, but I do not think they stretch to a free refill - want more, pay for the larger cup.

1 person likes this

@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

@ElizabethWallace Sometimes best avoided for that reason here - facilities tend to be cleaner in shopping malls or supermarkets hereabouts.

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ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12074)

• United States

8 May 16

I cannot remember the last time I was in a fast food place, but I can tell you why I was there. I sometimes drop into them to use their restrooms when out and about. But I haven't eaten in one for maybe 18 years or so.

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@boiboing (13153)

• Northampton, England

9 May 16

Free refills of sugary drinks are pretty irresponsible.

2 people like this

@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

9 May 16

Yes, it is... But they also serve the sugar-free variants on the same basis, so I guess they justify it to themselves at least.

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

8 May 16

At least we fall into a reasonable bracket. Many places have a variety of sizes and I always choose regular or the equivalent.

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@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

8 May 16

@pgntwo We all had cup sizes in common use prior to the introduction of McDonald's, which was probably the guideline that they used.

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

I wonder if it is based on some national average for bladder capacity?

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Peter B. Giblett

@pgiblett (6524)

• Canada

18 May 16

First thing I noticed moving to Canada was that this side of the pond "Large" is very much larger than it was in the UK. I have to admit that the large sized in some American stores are even larger.

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Peter B. Giblett

@pgiblett (6524)

• Canada

19 May 16

@pgntwo No the Starbucks cups are all identical in each country as far as I can tell. They have tall, grande, and venti sizes that remain consistent.

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

18 May 16

It is all relative, it seems. Not sure if Starbucks operate similarly across different geographies.

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

19 May 16

@pgiblett For those who partake, I am sure that is a relief to know. I still fail to understand how anyone can consume the entire contents of the largest size, though.

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@hereandthere (45645)

• Philippines

8 May 16

i think the small/regular coke here is even smaller

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

The children's size here is smaller than the smallest regular cup.

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@hereandthere (45645)

• Philippines

8 May 16

@pgntwo i'm not sure if it's 8 ounces only, plus it's loaded with ice. we also don't have refills here.

1 person likes this

@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

@hereandthere You can ask to have your drink without ice here, it is served from a refrigerated dispenser. More ice means less drink, or more diluted drink if it all melts before you have finished the drink.

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@DaddyEvil (138020)

• United States

18 May 16

Yes, I already knew about this, pgn. I do wish you had warned me that there were a whole slew of McDonald's videos on YouTube, though. I wasted half an hour watching one after the other. I just stopped watching when they started talking about a shrimp burger. (I'm allergic to shrimp.)

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@DaddyEvil (138020)

• United States

19 May 16

@pgntwo Wait! There was something I was supposed to learn there? I was just fascinated with the guy trying all the weird sounding combinations they were making for him at Mickey D's! LOL!

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

19 May 16

@DaddyEvil It takes weird to keep the rest of us sane...

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

18 May 16

You have to know when to draw the line - I only looked at the one to do with cups :) Glad to share the knowledge, though!

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@suziecat7 (3350)

• Asheville, North Carolina

8 May 16

I haven't been to McDonald's in many years. I do think those giant cups are ridiculous though.

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

You and some others here too, it seems!

@infatuatedbby (94914)

• United States

29 May 16

Large drinks at McDonalds is not a large its like XXXXXL lol. !! If it's free refills - I'll order a regular but that's shared upon two usually (boyfriend + I).

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

29 May 16

I've noticed companies use 2XL, 3XL, 5XL etc these days to denote clothing sizes, same with McDonalds it seems.

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@sishy7 (27167)

• Australia

9 May 16

I've been using its drive thru facility for so long I can't even remember if they offer free refills here or not...

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

9 May 16

A big one, to go - works for me if I'm not eating-in.

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (472258)

• Switzerland

8 May 16

Not only not all the outlets are the same, not all countries offer free refills.

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

That is true. Big cups are unwieldy too.

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@jaboUK (64354)

• United Kingdom

9 May 16

You'd think that everything would be standard, wouldn't you? Free refills sounds like a good idea.

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

9 May 16

Make the cups smaller and charge less for the smaller volume would be the logical way to go. Typically there is not much difference in price between the regular and medium or the medium and the large.

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@euphie (573)

• Ballymena, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

I can't be the only one who thought this was maybe about something else?

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

Drat! Exposed!

I knew I should've left it alone...

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

@euphie I'd it's any consolation, you're the only one to pick up on that and admit to it...

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• Ballymena, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

@pgntwo Haha, sorry!

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ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12074)

• United States

8 May 16

I think a drink cup should fit easily and securely into one's hand. Those that take two hands are absurd. No one needs that much liquid all at once. It isn't healthy even if it is just water. Yikes. No wonder people are huge and unhealthy now. Anything that large is best for swimming in, or washing clothing.

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

I think you are right! No-one has assessed the drowning risk associated with the largest McDonald's cup, I'll bet. So much for the "Contents may be hot" warning on their coffee cups!

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ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12074)

• United States

9 May 16

@pgntwo The big hot ones remind me of jacuzzis.

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@Lucky15 (37374)

• Philippines

8 May 16

Here looks smaller

even the cup is quality controlled

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

And no free refills either, right?

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@Lucky15 (37374)

• Philippines

8 May 16

just...sigh

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@rusty2rusty (6763)

• Defiance, Ohio

8 May 16

I normally drink when visiting McDonald's. I think their large and many other places are to large. Their current large use to be considered extra large or mega. Where they ran promotions with different collectible plastic cups if you ordered an extra large drink.

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

The Large in Starbucks is definitely far too large for a coffee! I tend to take the regular-size coffee in McDonald's when I visit, or a medium software drink if it is a hot, sunny day.

@irishidid (8687)

• United States

8 May 16

Where I am the large costs the same as the medium so I always get the large.

1 person likes this

@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

That happens occasionally, never figured out why some places do that. Does not happen much here, unless you've collected a voucher somewhere.

Arthur Chappell

@arthurchappell (44998)

• Preston, England

8 May 16

i just don't use Macdonalds at all any more

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

Probably for the best, truth be told!

1 person likes this

@marlina (154130)

• Canada

8 May 16

I don't go to McDonalds anymore, so I wouldn't know about the different sizes of drinks.

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@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 May 16

We do occasionally stop by McDonald's on the way home from the supermarket on a Saturday, if the youngest has been particularly helpful on the trip. And no free refills here...