Why Krispy Kreme Donuts Might Taste Different Every Time You Buy Them

Krispy Kreme is currently the most popular donut chain in the country, topping even Dunkin' Donuts and Tim Hortons. It's easy to see why: The donut shop is constantly evolving, having released a pumpkin spice lineup in the past, as well as a Girl Scout Cookie-themed collection, plus seasonal sweets each year. But no matter how many new flavors Krispy Kreme releases, it seems nothing can compare to the OG glazed (which were originally made with mashed potatoes, of all ingredients). And if you've tried a few (dozen) over time, you might have noticed they don't always taste the same. It's a peculiarity that might be explained by your timing when hitting the drive-thru.

If you've ever tried a Krispy Kreme donut when it's fresh out of the fryer, compared to when it's, well, not, there is a world of difference in the flavor. And depending on when you make it into the store — whether that Hot Light is on or not — you can have vastly different tasting experiences, as even slightly older donuts lose the magical warmth that makes them pillowy soft and melt-in-your-mouth tender.

For the best overall flavor and texture, you'll want to head to the store when the Hot Light is on, and eat them pretty much ASAP. We know that the company itself recommends eating the Krispy Kremes within the same day of purchase, but we'll take that a step further and suggest, for the very best tasting donut, consume it within 10 minutes if at all possible!

We've established that the best Krispy Kremes are the freshest Krispy Kremes, but other than camping out outside your local store, how can you know when your location is making them? If you haven't been on the app yet, you might be surprised to learn that it can actually send you push notifications whenever the hot donut process starts up, so you can quickly make your way over to the store and get in line.

If you find that you just can't make it to your Krispy Kreme location when the donuts are at their freshest, it's not the end of the world. To store fresh donuts and slow down staling, transfer them to an airtight container, and then all they require is a solid reheat; most people do that in the microwave, but some enterprising and ingenious home cooks have started doing in their skillet. Essentially, pan-frying the Krispy Kreme creates some serious Maillard reaction, and gives the donuts a satisfying caramelly crunch.

Did you know you can also freeze your Krispy Kremes? To fully stop the staling process in its tracks, store the donuts in your freezer, and you can have one whenever the mood strikes you. Just let it come up to room temperature, or pop it in the microwave for up to 15 seconds.