(NewsNation) — A debate is brewing online, and it centers on a simple request: “no ice.”
The discussion flared up last week after a Facebook post claimed to show a new Dunkin’ policy stating certain drinks won’t be filled to the top of the cup when customers request no ice — or even just less of it.
“Just paid $6+ for a large cookie butter cloud latte, with less ice, to not get filled to the top because their new fill policy says they will not do it, on purpose,” an anonymous user wrote in the Dunkin’ World Facebook group, which has nearly 570,000 members.
The image shared in the group shows several beverages under a “short fill” category when ordered with reduced ice — including iced macchiatos and iced matcha. Other drinks, like Dunkin’ Refreshers, aren’t supposed to be made without ice at all because the “ingredient ratios will be wrong and the beverage will not taste right,” according to the graphic.
Standard Dunkin’ items like cold brew and iced coffee are still filled to the top, even when “no ice” is requested, the image suggests.
The post drew hundreds of responses, but they were far from unanimous.
Some commenters were irritated at the idea of getting a partially filled cup after requesting less ice, accusing Dunkin’ of “getting stingy.”
“They are really trying to pinch those pennies,” one user wrote.
However, many backed Dunkin’, arguing that “less ice” doesn’t automatically mean “more drink” and pointed out that specific drink recipes determine ice ratios.
“It’s to ensure your drink tastes correctly,” one commenter wrote.
Other users said the Dunkin’ policy isn’t new and is a longstanding quality-control measure. The same graphic showing the different fill levels was posted four months ago on the Dunkin’ Donuts subreddit.
Dunkin’ did not respond to a request for comment, but its app warns that “drinks with less ice will not fill the cup.”
The question has surfaced at Starbucks as well. A TikTok video that went viral earlier this year featured a barista who suggested that no-ice orders shouldn’t be full pours. A separate post on the Starbucks subreddit showed a partially filled cup, purportedly the result of asking for no ice.
Starbucks did not respond to a request for comment.
Together, Starbucks and Dunkin’ control about 85% of the U.S. coffee market measured by sales, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing Morgan Stanley data — meaning much of the country’s daily caffeine comes from chains caught up in the “no ice” debate.
The scrutiny comes as coffee prices sit at record highs, pushed up in part by poor weather and President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Trump recently moved to reduce import taxes on coffee in an effort to bring those prices down.