I spent a whole day researching the caffeine content of popular brands of coffee. I will share my findings in this article.
Although it’s impossible to say exactly how much caffeine is in any one given cup of coffee, as every coffee bean is different, the information here should help give you a good idea of the amount of caffeine you can reasonably expect from all of the coffees listed.
I have not listed all the coffees available, only the ones that I could find reliable information for. I will explain how I sourced all my information at the end of the article.
How Much Caffeine Is In Different Types Of Coffee
The numbers below reflect the average amount of caffeine in each of the coffees that I researched based on the type of brewing method that they use (filter coffee, ground espresso, pod espresso, instant coffee, and cold brew).
- Filter coffee contains 146 mg of caffeine per 8 fl oz (240 ml) serving.
- Ground espresso contains 77 mg of caffeine per 1 fl oz (30 ml) shot.
- Pod espresso contains 89 mg of caffeine per capsule.
- Instant coffee contains 96 mg of caffeine per 8 fl oz (240 ml) serving.
- Cold brew coffee contains 250 mg of caffeine per 8 fl oz (240 ml) serving.
How Much Caffeine Is In Filter Coffee
This table contains caffeine quantities for all the different brands of filter coffee that I could find this information for.
All caffeine levels are for 8 fl oz of coffee, unless otherwise specified. For coffee shop coffee (Starbucks, McDonalds etc) I have included the amount of caffeine in each of their servings, as well as for an 8 fl oz serving.
For more information on how to make filter coffee at home, please see my reviews of drip coffee makers, including my comparison of Technivorm vs Bonavita, my roundup of the best pour over coffee makers and my Breville Precision Brewer review.
| Brand | Amount of Caffeine in 8 fl oz |
|---|---|
| Folgers Ground Coffee Coffee* | 78-104 mg |
| Folgers Half Caf* | 40-52 mg |
| Folgers 1850 range* | 90 mg |
| Cafe Bustelo Ground coffee** | 60-90mg |
| Dunkin Donuts Filter Coffee** (8 fl oz) | 144mg |
| Mcdonalds filter coffee*** (8 fl oz) | 72 mg |
| Maxwell House Original Roast Ground coffee** | 110 mg |
| Peet's Coffee Dark Roast* | 145 mg |
| Peet's Coffee Medium Roast* | 160 mg |
| Peet's Coffee Light Roast* | 170 mg |
| Nespresso Vertuo Coffee** | 170mg |
| Lavazza Gran Selezione** | 190 mg |
| Illy Ground Drip Classico Coffee** | 210 mg |
| Death Wish Dark Roast Coffee** | 240 mg |
| Caribou Coffee Coffee of the Day** | 153 mg |
| Starbucks Veranda Blend Short (8 fl oz)** | 180 mg |
| Starbucks Dark Roast Short (8 fl oz)** | 130 mg |
| Starbucks Pike Place Roast Short (8 fl oz)** | 155 mg |
How Much Caffeine Is In Ground Espresso
All caffeine quantities are for one shot (1 fl oz/30ml) of espresso. Most espresso based drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos use one shot of espresso.
For more information on espresso making please see my espresso machine reviews and my roundup of the best espresso machine for beginners.
| Brand | Caffeine Per Single Shot of Espresso |
|---|---|
| Cafe Bustelo espresso style coffee* | 60-90mg |
| Peets Coffee Ground Espresso** | 70 mg |
| Starbucks Single espresso** | 75 mg |
| Dunkin Donuts single espresso** | 118 mg |
| McDonalds single espresso*** | 71 mg |
| Lavazza Espresso Italiano** | 47-75 mg |
| Lavazza Qualitia Rossa** | 47-75 mg |
| Lavazza Qualitia Oro** | 47-75 mg |
| Lavazza Super Crema** | 47-75 mg |
| Illy Ground Espresso Classico Medium Roast** | 60 mg |
| Caribou Coffee Espresso | 90 mg |
How Much Caffeine Is In Pod Espresso
The caffeine amount listed in this table is per pod. In almost all cases one pod makes one shot of espresso.
To find out more about pod brewing please see my Nespresso machine reviews, my comparison of Nespresso Vertuo vs Original and Nespresso Vertuo Next vs Vertuo Plus.
| Brand | Amount of caffeine per pod |
|---|---|
| Cafe Bustelo Espresso pods* | 71 mg |
| Nespresso Espresso** | 50-100 mg |
| Nespresso Espresso Diavolitto** | 150 mg |
| Nespresso Professional Ristoretto Intenso** | 120 mg |
| Nescafe Dolce Gusto Espresso Intenso** | 115 mg |
| Nescafe Dolce Gusto Americano** | 127 mg |
| Peet's Ristoretto Espresso Capsules** | 60-90 mg |
| Peet's Crema Scura Espresso Capsules** | 60-90 mg |
| Peet's Nerissimo Espresso Capsules** | 60-90 mg |
| Peet's Ricchezza Espresso Capsules** | 60-90 mg |
| Lavazza Armonico Espresso Pod* | 50-70 mg |
| Lavazza Espresso Decio Pod* | 50-70 mg |
| Lavazza Espresso Ristoretto Pod* | 50-70 mg |
| Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast Pod** | 64 mg |
| Starbucks Espresso Roast Pod** | 62 mg |
| Illy iperEspresso (All varieties excluding decaf)** | 60 mg |
How Much Caffeine Is In Instant Coffee
Again, the amount of caffeine listed in this table is true for an 8 fl oz serving of instant coffee.
To find out more about convenient brewing methods, please see my Keurig machine reviews, including my comparison of the Keurig Supreme Plus vs Elite, Keurig Express vs Mini and Keurig Mini Plus review.
| Brand | Amount of caffeine |
|---|---|
| Cafe Bustelo Cafe con Leche Instant Coffee* | 91 mg |
| Maxwell House Original Roast Instant Coffee** | 60 mg |
| Starbucks VIA Ready Brew** | 130 mg |
| Nescafe Clasico Dark Roast** | 65 mg |
| Waka Coffee Light Roast Indian Coffee* | 80 mg |
| Illy Ground Classico Instant Coffee | 150 mg |
| Starbucks Premium Instant Dark Roast* | 95 mg |
How Much Caffeine Is In Cold Brew Coffee
Caffeine levels based on an 8 fl oz serving of cold brew coffee.
| Brand | Amount in 8 fl oz of Coffee |
|---|---|
| Caribou Cold Press Coffee** | 190 mg |
| Caribou Nitro Cold Press** | 320 mg |
| Starbucks Cold Brew** | 155 mg |
| Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew** | 180 mg |
| Starbucks Reserve Nitro Cold Brew** | 280 mg |
| STOK Cold Brew Coffee** | 170 mg |
| Super Coffee Cold Brew** | 300 mg |
| Stumptown Cold Brew Coffee** | 432 mg |
How The Research Was Done
Where possible, I called up the producers of the coffee in question to get caffeine content quoted directly from their employees. Coffee brands where this applies are denoted with a single asterix (*) to the right of them.
If this was not possible, I got the information from the official website of the coffee brand. Brands where this applies are denoted with a double asterix (**) in the table.
If neither of the first methods worked then I got the information from a reliable third party website. Brands where this applies are denoted with a triple asterix (***) in the table.
If you want more information on the amount of caffeine in Starbucks then please visit our guide on How Much Caffeine is in Starbucks Coffee.
