McDonald’s workers have lifted the lid on a number of secrets about the fast food chain – and little-known facts that may come as a shock to some.
Former and current employees reveal how to save money on your favorite meal, why you should avoid ordering apple muffins and breakfast burritos, and how to make sure your meal is made “fresh.”
McDonald’s is the most famous fast food restaurant in the world and serves more than 68 million people around the world every day.
But only those behind the counter know exactly what is going on, how the food is made and what the perks are.
For example, they claim that employees are required to wash their hands at least once an hour because gloves are believed to contain much more bacteria than fingers.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted McDonald’s for comment.
Former and current employees on Reddit reveal how to save money on your favorite meal, why you should avoid ordering apple muffins and breakfast burritos, and how to make sure your meal is made “fresh” (stock photo)
Ask for a “special” order for a fresh meal
If you want to ensure your meal is prepared fresh and hot off the grill, the workers recommend asking for specific requests when ordering.
One Reddit worker said that if you ask for no “barbecue salt” on the meat, the staff will have to “freshly cook the meat.”
“Also if you ask not to add salt to your fries, they will have to cook them fresh,” the worker wrote.
“French fries cannot sit longer than fifteen minutes but this is not strictly enforced.”
You can pay less for your favorite meal
Instead of ordering directly from the menu, the workers shared clever ways to save a few bucks on your meal.
Redditors in the US claim that ordering a Sausage McMuffin with a side of round eggs is $1 cheaper than if you were to order a Sausage Egg McMuffin.
“This applies to basically all breakfast sandwiches,” the person wrote.
Sydney-based financial expert Queenie Tan, also formerly of McDonald’s, notes that McNuggets Happy Meal for kids and mini McNuggets for adults have the same menu items.
But the Happy Meal for kids is $2 cheaper at $8.30, while the adult version costs $10.30.
“I used to work at Macca’s and something I learned is that you can buy nuggets or a Happy Cheeseburger meal, and it’s the same thing but a couple of dollars cheaper!” Queenie, 26, wrote on Instagram.
Customers get small fries, Big Mac’s special sauce, and a small drink with both options, but the Happy Meal is slightly cheaper and comes with a game or book.
Sydney financial expert Queenie Tan (pictured) revealed that you can save $2 by ordering McNuggets Happy Meal for kids instead of mini McNuggets for adults.
There is no official “secret list”.
A resurfacing Reddit thread from last year titled “What’s Really on the Secret List?” Also dive into the less common menu items.
There was no secret menu but you can pretty much order any combination of things and we’ll make it for you at Maccas. One of the workers claimed that the “pestle” was common.
“In all my years at McDonald’s, there has never been a ‘secret menu.’” Another said, “I honestly don’t know where that idea came from.
If you order an item off the list, we may not know how to make it. Just tell us exactly what you want; A third said, “We’ll make almost anything we have the ingredients for.”
One customer also added, “It’s not a secret menu item but if you add lettuce, tomato, and McChicken sauce to a Quarter Pounder, you make yourself a McFeast.”
Avoid breakfast burritos and apple pies
It may come as a shock to some, but the staff advises avoiding adding apple muffins and breakfast burritos to your order.
Obviously, these two menu items aren’t as popular as you might think, which means the food could be sitting on the shelves for a long time.
The workers do not wear gloves
Apparently staff are not required to wear gloves, but they do wash and sanitize their hands every hour.
Gloves can carry more germs than fingers if used improperly.
“Until recently, employees were not required to wear hair nets, nor did they wear gloves when handling raw food while working in the kitchen,” wrote a former McDonald’s employee.
But others claim they chose to wear gloves when handing out raw food.
