How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee?
An 8 oz cup of brewed coffee has about 95 mg of caffeine, but it varies a lot by size and brew. See the amounts by cup size and type.
An 8 oz cup of brewed coffee has about 95 mg of caffeine on average, but it varies widely with bean, roast, and how it's brewed. Bigger cups and cold brew run much higher.
| Coffee | Size | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Brewed coffee | 8 oz | 95 mg |
| Brewed coffee | 12 oz | ~140 mg |
| Brewed coffee | 16 oz | ~190 mg |
| Cold brew | 8 oz | 100 to 120 mg |
| Instant coffee | 8 oz | 62 mg |
| Decaf coffee | 8 oz | 2 to 5 mg |
Most people underestimate their coffee intake because they count "cups," not ounces: a 16 oz travel mug is really two cups. See your real daily total in the Caffeine Calculator, or check how much is in a shot of espresso. Drinking it cold? See how much caffeine is in cold brew. Switching to decaf? See how much caffeine is in decaf. Drinking Starbucks? Their brewed coffee runs much higher; see the Starbucks caffeine chart or the Dunkin' caffeine chart.
Caffeine in store-bought coffee brands (brewed at home)
Grocery coffee brands almost never print caffeine on the bag, because the amount depends mostly on two things: the beans (robusta has about twice the caffeine of arabica) and how strong you brew (more grounds per cup means more caffeine). The figures below are typical estimates for a normal-strength 8 oz cup. A heaping scoop or a robusta blend pushes them higher.
| Coffee (home-brewed) | Caffeine |
|---|---|
| Most standard arabica blends | ~95 mg |
| Folgers Classic Roast | ~85 mg |
| Eight O'Clock | ~90 to 100 mg |
| Maxwell House | ~100 to 110 mg |
| Starbucks (ground, home-brewed) | ~120 to 150 mg |
| Peet's (ground, home-brewed) | ~130 to 160 mg |
| Cafe Bustelo (robusta blend) | ~110 to 150 mg |
| Black Rifle CAF Roast | ~200 mg |
| Death Wish (robusta, high-caffeine) | ~300+ mg (tests vary widely) |
| Novelty "strongest" brands (Devil Mountain, Black Insomnia) | 500+ mg |
Caffeine at major coffee chains
If you buy your coffee rather than brew it, the chain and the size matter more than the brand of beans. Here's the quick picture for a medium or grande brewed coffee. See each chain's full chart for every drink and size.
| Chain | Size | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Starbucks (Blonde Roast) | Grande 16 oz | ~360 mg |
| Starbucks (Pike Place) | Grande 16 oz | ~310 mg |
| Peet's | Medium 16 oz | ~267 mg |
| Dunkin' | Medium 14 oz | ~210 mg |
| Tim Hortons | Medium 14 oz | ~205 mg |
| McDonald's | Medium 16 oz | ~145 mg |
For the full breakdown by chain and size, see our coffee chain caffeine comparison, and the individual charts for Starbucks, Dunkin, McDonald's, Tim Hortons, Peet's and more.
Want your real daily total across everything you drink? Add it up in the free Caffeine Calculator.
Written by Mike Zagare · Published
Mike Zagare is the founder of Knuckle. He tapered off a 500 to 600mg-a-day habit and built Knuckle from that protocol.
Common questions
Does dark roast have more caffeine than light roast?
Surprisingly, light roast has slightly more by weight, because roasting burns off a little caffeine. The difference is small.
Is cold brew stronger than regular coffee?
Usually yes. Cold brew is more concentrated, often 100 to 120 mg per 8 oz or more.
How much coffee is too much?
Most healthy adults are advised to stay under ~400 mg a day, roughly four 8 oz cups.
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