Starbucks vs Dunkin – Which drinks have the most caffeine?

When it comes to Dunkin or Starbucks, two of the most popular coffee chains in the world, all coffee drinkers have an opinion.

I’m not here to sway you into thinking one is necessarily better. Although, it’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Dunkin.

But I do think it’s worth exploring the differences in caffeine between the two drinks. Between energy drinks, pre-workout supplements, and coffee, it can be very easy to consume a ton of caffeine if you are not careful.

So let’s explore Starbucks vs Dunkin and see exactly how the caffeine content stacks up!

 

Starbucks coffee with the most caffeine

The Starbucks coffee that contains the most caffeine is the Blonde Roast. Here’s how much caffeine a blonde roast contains:

Short (8oz): 180mg

Tall (12oz): 270mg

Grande (16oz): 360mg

Venti (20oz): 475mg

That’s right, a Venti Blonde Roast contains nearly 500mg of caffeine! For many people, that’s more caffeine than they can comfortably handle in a single day.

Caffeine tolerances vary, but the FDA recommends a 400mg caffeine consumption limit as a general guideline.

I know what you may be thinking: “Isn’t that a light roast? Shouldn’t it be lighter in caffeine than a dark roast?”

This is what I originally thought, but it turns out light roasts are actually more caffeinated than dark roasts! The more ya know.

 

Dunkin coffee with the most caffeine

Believe it or not, iced coffee is the most highly caffeinated Dunkin’ drink. Typically speaking, cold brew contains more caffeine than iced coffee, but that is not the case with Dunkin’ brand. Here is how much caffeine a Dunkin’ iced coffee contains:

Small (10oz): 198mg

Medium (14oz): 297mg 

Large (20oz): 396mg

While not quite as much caffeine as the blonde roast from Starbucks, the Dunkin donuts iced coffee still weighs in at nearly 400mg, which is more than most people will require in a single day!

 

Starbucks vs Dunkin’ Caffeine Content

Before we dive into each individual drink, I have a few notes to kick us off.

1. Caffeine counts aren’t exact. There are lots of variables involved when calculating caffeine content, and each batch of coffee can end up being slightly different, so consider these close estimates. These are pulled directly from the official sources, but they can never tell you exactly how much caffeine is in each drink.
2. . The cup sizes between Dunkin and Starbucks are slightly different. For example, a Starbucks Tall is 12oz and a Grande is 16oz, and a Dunkin small is 10z with a medium being 14oz. Additionally, if you order a venti at Starbucks, hot drinks will be 20oz and cold drinks will be 24oz.
3. The Starbucks caffeine levels for some drinks (like a cappuccino) seem to be the same for Grande & Venti, whereas Dunkin caffeine increases as the sizes increase. That leads me to believe that with Starbucks, you’re getting more of the other stuff in those drinks (mostly milk), and not necessarily more espresso.
4. There are different roasts available at both Starbucks and Dunkin, and caffeine content for each may vary slightly.
5. Seasonal drinks are very popular: pumpkin lattes, peppermint mocha, caramel macchiato, you name it. Generally speaking, they will contain roughly the same amount of caffeine as the basic lattes or macchiatos.

 

Hot Coffee Caffeine Content

Starbucks Pike Place

Tall (12oz): 235mg

Grande (16oz): 310mg

Venti (20oz): 410mg

Dunkin Original Blend

Small (10oz): 150mg

Medium (14oz): 210mg

Large (20oz): 300mg

 

Decaf Hot Coffee Caffeine Content

Starbucks Decaf

Tall (12oz): 20mg

Grande (16oz): 25mg

Venti (20oz): 30mg

Dunkin Decaf

Small (10oz): 7mg

Medium (14oz): 10mg

Large (20oz): 15mg

 

Iced Coffee Caffeine Content

Starbucks Iced Coffee

Tall (12oz): 120mg

Grande (16oz): 165mg

Venti (24oz): 235mg

Dunkin Iced Coffee

Small (10oz): 198mg

Medium (14oz): 297mg

Large (20oz): 396mg

 

Cold Brew Coffee Caffeine Content

Starbucks Cold Brew

Tall (12oz): 155mg

Grande (16oz): 205mg

Venti (24oz): 310mg

Dunkin Cold Brew

Small (10oz): 174mg

Medium (14oz): 260mg

Large (20oz): 347mg

 

Nitro Cold Brew Caffeine Content

Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew

Tall (12oz): 215mg

Grande (16oz): 280mg

Dunkin Nitro Cold Brew

Small (10oz): 174mg

Medium (14oz): 260mg

 

Venti and Large are not available for Nitro Cold Brew. Nitro is served without ice, so when you order a Grande or a Medium, you’ll actually be getting much more coffee than you normally would when there is ice!

 

Espresso Shot Caffeine Content

 

 

Starbucks: 75mg

Dunkin: 118mg

 

Doubleshot/Tripleshot Caffeine Content

Starbucks

Double Shot: 225mg

Triple Shot: 375mg

Dunkin

Double Shot: 237mg

Triple Shot: 354mg

 

Americano Caffeine Content

Starbucks Americano

Tall (12oz): 150mg

Grande (16oz): 225mg

Venti (20oz): 300mg

Dunkin Americano

Small (10oz): 237mg

Medium (14oz): 284mg

Large (20oz): 371mg

 

Macchiato Caffeine Content

Starbucks Macchiato

Tall (12oz): 75mg

Grande (16oz): 150mg

Venti (20oz): 150mg

Dunkin Macchiato

Small (10oz): 237mg

Medium (14oz): 284mg

Large (20oz): 371mg

 

Latte Caffeine Content

Starbucks Latte

Tall (12oz): 75mg

Grande (16oz): 150mg

Venti (20oz): 150mg

Dunkin Latte

Small (10oz): 118mg

Medium (14oz): 166mg

Large (20oz): 252mg

 

Cappuccino Caffeine Content

Starbucks Cappuccino

Tall (12oz): 75mg

Grande (16oz): 150mg

Venti (20oz): 150mg

Dunkin Cappuccino

Small (10oz): 118mg

Medium (14oz): 166mg

Large (20oz): 252mg

 

Iced Macchiato Caffeine Content

Starbucks Iced Macchiato

Tall (12oz): 75mg

Grande (16oz): 150mg

Venti (24oz): 225mg

Dunkin Iced Macchiato

Small (10oz): 237mg

Medium (14oz): 284mg

Large (20oz): 371mg

 

Iced Latte Caffeine Content

Starbucks Iced Latte

Tall (12oz): 75mg

Grande (16oz): 150mg

Venti (24oz): 225mg

Dunkin Iced Latte

Small (10oz): 118mg

Medium (14oz): 166mg

Large (20oz): 252mg

 

Frozen Drinks Caffeine Content

Starbucks Frappuccino

Tall (12oz): 70mg

Grande (16oz): 100mg

Venti (24oz): 130mg

Dunkin Frozen Coffee

Small (10oz): 196mg

Medium (14oz): 295mg

Large (20oz): 393mg

 

Chai Tea Latte Caffeine Content

Starbucks Chai Tea

Tall (12oz): 70mg

Grande (16oz): 95mg

Venti (20oz): 145mg

Dunkin Chai Tea

Small (10oz): 54mg

Medium (14oz): 80mg

Large (20oz): 107mg

 

Iced Tea Caffeine Content

Starbucks Iced Tea

Tall (12oz): 30mg

Grande (16oz): 40mg

Venti (24oz): 70mg

Dunkin Iced Tea

Small (10oz): 45mg

Medium (14oz): 67mg

Large (20oz): 90mg

 

How do Dunkin and Starbucks compare?

As you can see, the caffeine content of Starbucks vs Dunkin can vary quite a bit! If you look at something like a frozen coffee vs Frappuccino, you’re looking at almost 300mg difference!

No matter where you go and what coffee you order, the caffeine content is going to vary quite a bit.

If you’re worried about your caffeine consumption, stick with the smaller sizes. Even the most highly caffeinated beverage here, the iced coffee at Dunkin, has under 200mg of caffeine when you order a small. So, when in doubt, stick with a small!

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