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Let’s take a little trip down the memory lane.
Remember your first coffee run? Which café did you go to?
What was your first order? Café americano? Latte? Macchiato? Espresso?
How many cups do you think you’ve had between your first and now?
(Don’t forget to put them in the comments section below.)
Where's your first coffee shop?
It’s highly likely that most of us have been to different coffee franchises and had different brands. After all, Americans love their coffee. The National Coffee Association will tell you that 64% of Americans ages 18 years old and above “had a cup of coffee the previous day” in 2018. [1]
Well if you’ve ever wondered how much caffeine is in the most popular coffee brands in America, then this is the article for you.
The numbers have been crunched and verdict released.
Based on the caffeine-tracking website Caffeine Informer and stats from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, here are the amounts of caffeine found in most people’s go-to caffeine fix:
Death Wish coffee – 651 mg per 12 fluid ounce
Living up to its brand name, Death Wish is tagged as the world’s strongest cup of coffee that you can find in retail. The New York-based company will give you your money back if you tell them it isn’t the strongest you’ve had.
Dunkin’ Donuts Large Coffee + Turbo Shot – 395 mg per 20 fluid ounce
It may be cheap but it has a strong kick. Adding a shot of turbo (medium-roasted ground coffee with a little more caffeine) to your usual cup of Dunkin Donuts joe can do the trick and get you more than a second wind throughout the day.
Peet's Brewed Coffee – 267 mg per 16 fluid ounce
Peet's may be known for its deep-roast process but just the medium roast contains even more caffeine. That’s probably why the medium blend is the go-to for most Peet’s patrons.
Starbucks Venti Coffee – 415 mg per 20 fluid ounce
The 7-Eleven version of coffee house chains, Starbucks seems to be found in almost every nook of the city. And why not – its brewed coffee can really give you the caffeine you need for the day.
Biggby Red Eye (brewed coffee with espresso) – 274 mg per 16 fluid ounce
This growing Midwest franchise combines espresso with normal drip, making sure that a pump of espresso will keep you pumping (pun intended) all day.
McCafe – 145 mg per 14 fluid ounce
Okay I take it back. This is the 7-Eleven version of coffee house chains. Housed in McDonald’s, McCafé will only give you a lower amount of caffeine in a medium brewed coffee. Only a little over 100 mg of a kick for being a scrooge with your coffee!
Tim Horton’s – 205 mg per 14 fluid ounce
This Canadian chain can give you just the right punch with their medium coffee (about 14 oz) at 205 mg of caffeine. Their cups are not bigger than other American chains though so not sure if you’re getting the bang for your cup here.
Shock Coffee Triple Latte – 231 mg per 8 fluid ounce
Another one that lives up to its brand, Shock’s pre-packaged coffee drink contains three shots of espresso. Don’t know about you but hearing that alone gives a shock to my system.
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – 333 mg per 14 fluid ounce
Don’t be fooled by its chill café vibe and awesome playlist. There's nothing "chill" about its coffee. Caffeine Informer revealed that their regular-sized brewed coffee contains around 333 mg of caffeine. That’s definitely one of the highest in this list!
Starbucks is probably the most popular brand in the lot. Just walking around the city you'll find the whole rush hour labeled Starbucks - that green logo is in the hands of almost everyone heading to the workplace.
But which drink is the best to ask for from the barista?
Here are some tips:
If you want a full summary of the brands we've covered, here's an infographic for you:
Some people go to extraordinary lengths to eliminate caffeine, including doing vigorous exercise and taking cleansing or detoxification measures. These measures are not likely to reduce caffeine’s presence in your body at all. Be patient, the last traces of caffeine should be gone completely about a day after ingestion.
How bad is caffeine withdrawal? People who have a caffeine habit may empathize with a scene of the 1931 production of Frankenstein, in which the mad scientist exults over the animation of his monster, exclaiming “It’s alive! It’s a alive, it’s alive!” I know I get animated in the morning after drinking my first cup of the ichor we call coffee.
Caffeinated products are wildly popular worldwide, used by as much as 90 percent of the adult population. An estimated 80 percent of American adults take caffeine in one product or another, and it’s estimated half of those people are prone to headaches for one reason or another. If you are among the caffeine users who get caffeine withdrawal headaches from coffee, tea or energy drinks, there are a few things you can do to minimize the pain.
Studies of caffeine show that it does not increase the risk of death, but it causes a habit or possibly a dependence that the American Psychiatric Association now lists in its diagnosis manual as a disorder that warrants more study.
Scientists study caffeine and its use by humans a lot, some say more than any other psychoactive substance in the world. Caffeine is the most widely used drug, and more scientists are saying now there should be yet more studies into dependence and other aspects of caffeine consumption.
