Caffeine Content In Starbucks Vs Dunkin

Whether you’re searching for the biggest caffeine boost for your busy day, or you’re watching your caffeine and need to find an option with very little caffeine, we’ll find an option for you.

In this post, we’re breaking down the drink menus for Dunkin’ and Starbucks to identify which drinks have the most (and least) caffeine.

Many of us consume tons of caffeine throughout the day without realizing it. Between coffee, tea, energy drinks, or preworkout supplements, we tend to lose track of how much we are actually consuming.

I’m not a medical expert, so I won’t warn you about the dangers of over-consuming caffeine. Frankly, I’m guilty of drinking quite a bit of caffeine myself.

But it never hurts to be informed, and seeing how much caffeine is in your favorite drinks is extremely helpful in making informed decisions going forward.

For this guide, we’re going to look at the menus for Dunkin’ and Starbucks and see how the caffeine content compares.

Starbucks Coffee With the Most Caffeine

For comparison purposes in this post, I compared Starbucks’ Pike Place coffee, which is their medium roast, to Dunkin’s hot coffee. But it turns out that their Blonde Roast is the drink that contains the most caffeine overall.

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?”

Light vs dark roast coffee does not refer to the caffeine content, although that is a common misconception. Light roasts will always contain more caffeine than dark roasts, so keep that in mind if you are watching your caffeine intake.

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’ iced coffee still weighs in at nearly 400mg, which is more than most people will require in a single day.

Cold brew coffee generally contains more caffeine than iced coffee, but that is not the case with Dunkin.

Starbucks vs Dunkin’ Caffeine Comparison

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. Many of these numbers are slightly rounded as well, so use them as estimates.
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. There are different roasts available at both Starbucks and Dunkin, and caffeine content for each will vary slightly.
4. 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.

Caffeine Content for Small Drinks

Looking at this comparison, we can see some interesting differences:

Regular Hot Coffee: Starbucks’ Pike Place Roast contains 235mg of caffeine, while Dunkin’s regular brew has 180mg. This is a significant difference, with Starbucks offering about 30% more caffeine in their standard coffee.

Iced Coffee: Interestingly, the trend reverses for iced coffee. Dunkin’ provides 200mg of caffeine in their iced coffee, while Starbucks only offers 120mg. If you’re an iced coffee drinker looking for a caffeine boost, Dunkin’ might be the better choice.

Espresso-Based Drinks: Across lattes, cappuccinos, and macchiatos, Dunkin’ consistently offers more caffeine (120mg) compared to Starbucks (75mg). This is worth noting if you regularly order these types of drinks.

Cold Brew: The caffeine content is fairly similar here, with Dunkin’ at 175mg and Starbucks at 155mg.

Specialty Drinks: A frozen coffee and frappuccino are vastly different in the caffeine department, which Dunkin’s frozen coffee containing nearly 3 times the caffeine. Aside from this, most other specialty drinks are quite similar.

A few other observations:

1. Decaf coffee still contains some caffeine, with Starbucks’ decaf (20mg) containing notably more than Dunkin’s (7mg).
2. Dunkin’s Americano has significantly more caffeine (235mg) than Starbucks’ version (150mg).
3. For tea drinkers, both chains offer similar caffeine content in their chai lattes, but Starbucks’ iced tea contains half the caffeine of Dunkin’s.

Remember, these numbers are for small/tall sizes. For many of us, a small drink just will not cut it, so we need to take it up a notch…

Caffeine Content for Medium Drinks

As we move up to medium (Dunkin’) and grande (Starbucks) sizes, we see some interesting changes in the caffeine content:

Regular Hot Coffee: The gap widens here, with Starbucks’ Pike Place Roast containing 310mg of caffeine compared to Dunkin’s 210mg. Starbucks now contains nearly 50% more caffeine in their standard coffee at this size.

Iced Coffee: Dunkin’ iced coffee still reigns supreme, with an impressive 295mg of caffeine versus Starbucks’ 165mg. The difference is even more noticeable in the medium size, with Dunkin’ offering almost 80% more caffeine.

Espresso-Based Drinks: Dunkin’ continues to edge out Starbucks lattes, cappuccinos, and macchiatos in the caffeine department, but it’s comparable at this size. Dunkin’ contains 165mg of caffeine in these drinks, while Starbucks contains 150mg, which is very close.

Cold Brew: The difference in cold brew becomes more noticeable in larger sizes. Dunkin’s medium cold brew contains 260mg of caffeine, while Starbucks has 205mg.

Nitro Cold Brew: Medium is the standard size for nitro cold brew, and both of these options contain very similar amounts of caffeine.

A few other observations:

1. The caffeine content in Dunkin’s iced macchiato (285mg) is significantly higher than Starbucks’ version (150mg).
2. Frozen coffee/Frappuccinos show a huge difference: Dunkin’s frozen coffee packs 295mg of caffeine, while Starbucks’ Frappuccino only contains 100mg.
3. For tea drinkers, Starbucks’ grande iced tea contains less than half the caffeine of Dunkin’s (25mg vs 65mg).
4. Even at this larger size, decaf coffee still contains minimal caffeine: 10mg at Dunkin’ and 25mg at Starbucks.
5. The Americano at Dunkin’ (285mg) has more caffeine than Starbucks’ version (225mg), but it’s not a significant difference. The espresso used contains slightly more caffeine, which is why the espresso-based drinks also contain more caffeine.

A medium (or grande) tends to be the go-to size for the majority of people, but some mornings call for an even larger caffeine boost. For those busy and/or stressful mornings, a large coffee may be just what the doctor ordered…

Caffeine Content for Large Drinks

For those days when you need an extra boost, here’s how the caffeine content stacks up in large (Dunkin’) and venti (Starbucks) sizes:

Regular Hot Coffee: Starbucks’ Pike Place Roast contains 410mg of caffeine, while Dunkin’s offers 270mg. If you’re after maximum caffeine in your hot coffee, Starbucks is the clear choice here.

Iced Coffee: Dunkin’ takes the lead with 395mg of caffeine in their iced coffee, compared to Starbucks’ 235mg. Iced coffee lovers looking for a serious caffeine kick will probably want to opt for Dunkin’.

Espresso-Based Drinks: Dunkin’s lattes, cappuccinos, and macchiatos contain 250mg of caffeine, slightly more than Starbucks’ 225mg. The difference is minimal, so your choice might come down to taste preference.

Cold Brew: Dunkin’s large cold brew packs 345mg of caffeine, while Starbucks’ venti contains 310mg. Both offer a substantial caffeine boost to get your morning started on a fast note.

Nitro Cold Brew: It’s worth noting that Starbucks typically doesn’t offer Nitro Cold Brew in venti size. Dunkin’s large size contains 260mg of caffeine.

Other interesting observations:

1. Dunkin’s large iced macchiato contains 370mg of caffeine, significantly more than Starbucks’ 225mg.
2. There’s a huge difference in frozen coffee drinks: Dunkin’s frozen coffee has 395mg of caffeine, while Starbucks’ Frappuccino only contains 130mg.
3. Tea drinkers might be interested to know that Dunkin’s large iced tea (85mg) contains more than twice the caffeine of Starbucks’ venti iced tea (40mg).
4. Decaf coffee still contains some caffeine: 15mg at Dunkin’ and 30mg at Starbucks.
5. Dunkin’s large Americano (370mg) offers more caffeine than Starbucks’ venti version (300mg).
6. Starbucks’ venti Shaken Espresso (300mg) contains more caffeine than Dunkin’s large version (235mg).

These large sizes offer the highest caffeine content across both menus, which is not surprising. If you’re looking to maximize your caffeine intake, this is the place to start.

Dunkin vs Starbucks… Who Wins?

After breaking down the caffeine content across small, medium, and large sizes, it’s clear that both Dunkin’ and Starbucks offer a wide variety of options for caffeine seekers (and caffeine avoiders).

Dunkin’ generally comes out on top for caffeine content in:

• Iced coffee
• Frozen coffee drinks
• Espresso-based drinks (lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos)
• Iced tea

Starbucks takes the lead in:

• Hot brewed coffee
• Nitro cold brew
• Shaken espresso drinks

If you’re looking for the absolute highest caffeine boost, Dunkin’s large iced coffee (395mg) and frozen coffee (395mg) are your best bets. For hot coffee lovers, Starbucks’ venti Pike Place Roast (410mg) or Blonde Roast (475mg) offer the biggest caffeine boost.

On the flip side, if you’re watching your caffeine intake, both chains offer low-caffeine options like decaf coffee, herbal teas, and cream-based frozen drinks (Coolattas at Dunkin’ or Crème Frappuccinos at Starbucks).

Ultimately, the “winner” depends on your personal preferences and caffeine needs. Dunkin’ might be the better choice if you prefer cold drinks and want higher caffeine content overall. Starbucks could be your go-to if you’re a hot coffee drinker or enjoy their specialty espresso drinks.

Remember, both chains offer customization options, so you can always ask for an extra shot of espresso or opt for a smaller size to adjust your caffeine intake. If you want to find the exact caffeine of your go-to order, be sure to check out my Starbucks Nutrition Calculator or Dunkin Nutrition Calculator.

Whether you’re Team Dunkin’ or Team Starbucks, you are now armed with the knowledge to make the best choice for your caffeine needs.

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