Hands holding a McDonald’s Big Mac on a table, next to fries and a drink – Eliz A/Shutterstock
Since the launch of Mc Donald’s Big Mac, in 1967, the iconic composition of the burger – two all-beef patties cooked to perfection, slathering of special sauce, with lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions, all stacked between two sesame seed buns, with another one in the middle – has been embedded in the large part of the American psyche, thank you. But, it is gradually becoming more and more expensive as the years go by. Consider that, when the powerful handheld first hit the market, it cost just 45 cents.
The actual price varies by location, but nowadays, a Big Mac typically costs anywhere between $4.67 and $7.06. The cost has therefore increased by 141.4% since 2020 alone. Fortunately, there are a few clever hacks to get your fast food fix for less, and the smartest is courtesy of a former McDonald’s chef. “Don’t order a Big Mac,” Mike Haracz argued in a viral TikTok video. “[Order] a McDouble like a Mac [instead].”
According to the former employee, with this smart replacement, you save about $2. You’ll sacrifice the middle bun, however, which makes for a more meaty ratio, and you’ll have to ask for lettuce and Big Mac Sauce instead of ketchup and mustard. At least both sandwiches have two beef patties and one slice of cheese, so it stays the same. If you always find yourself craving more milk when enjoying a Big Mac, use the Double Cheeseburger as the base instead of a McDouble, since it comes with two slices of cheese.
Read more: Wendy’s Secrets You Don’t Want to Know
Why did the Big Mac get so high?
A close-up of McDonald’s Big Mac – Lauren Decicca/Getty Images
Inflation is a major reason why the Big Mac has risen significantly in price in the decades since its introduction. For example, the cost of beef increased by 9.6% in 2022 alone, while the USDA anticipates that beef prices will rise further by 9.4% in 2026. Frustrated customers across the country also took notice. “The lines are still crazy no matter how bad the prices, services, or quality of the food,” one Redditor decried. No wonder former chef Mike Haracz’s tip blew up online. The scandal was so significant, with people claiming that the cost of a Big Mac had gone up by 100%, that Joe Erlinger, the president of McDonald’s USA, wrote an open letter to reassure the public that they were not being scammed. He cited inflation, the COVID-19 pandemic, rising wages, and supply chain issues for what Erlinger claimed was only a 21% increase in the average cost of a Big Mac over five years.
It should be noted that the rising prices did not discourage diners. In fact, McDonald’s is the most profitable restaurant chain in the world at the time of writing, with its brand value rising to a staggering $42.6 billion after years of steady post-COVID decline. “The problem with McD’s is that I never see them as a premium meal. I buy if the price is right, but if they push too much, I go somewhere else,” noted one Reddit user, offering some insight into why the cost hasn’t kept fans away. Haracz’s clever trick is one way to make the price more reasonable, but the cheapest Big Mac is still homemade. Our copycat Big Mac recipe is an uncanny substitute, down to the third bun nestled in the center.
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Read the original article on Mashed.