Though high-street coffee chains offer various amounts of caffeine, most consumers have yet to learn how much they consume. Some coffee chains have as much as four times more caffeine than others, a study conducted.
For example, a medium cappuccino at Costa contains a “massive” 325mg of caffeine which is around the amount contained in four cups of tea. It is almost five times the strength of a cappuccino from Starbucks, which includes the least at 66mg.
Greggs and Pret a Manger cappuccinos also contain less caffeine than Costa, around 197mg and 180mg per medium cup.
Here is the list of the coffee chains with the highest and lowest levels of caffeine.
Starbucks
Starbucks serves the least caffeinated coffee among the five largest coffee chains included in the study.
An espresso contains 33mg of caffeine, while a cappuccino has 66mg. Filter coffee has 102mg.
This chain might have the mildest coffee, but there are world famous for their festive-themed coffees, frappuccinos, and even coffee for dogs, named appropriately, puppuccino.
Caffè Nero
Caffè Nero gives customers a slightly more caffeinated coffee than Starbucks. The cappuccino has 110 to 115mg, but the espresso has only 45 mg of caffeine.
Greggs
In the middle of the list is a trendy coffee and donuts chain. Greggs espresso of 75mg has double the amount of caffeine than Starbucks.
Pret
Posh Pret has 180 mg of caffeine in its single espresso as well as in a cup of cappuccino.
Costa
Costa’s espresso is a bit milder than Pret’s, but cappuccino has 325mg of caffeine, and it is the ultimate winner of the study.
Costa spokesperson said that the amount of caffeine varies “depending on both the coffee and size of drink ordered by a customer.”
They added all Costa coffees can be decaf, adding they “offer a wide range of non-caffeinated drinks including the FuzeTea Superfuzions range.”
How much caffeine is too much?
Which? nutritionist Shefalee Loth shared that for most, it is safe to take “300-400mg a day,” However, “having more than 600mg a day has been linked to insomnia, nervousness, irritability, increased blood pressure, and upset stomachs.”
British NHS states, “It’s fine to drink tea and coffee as part of a balanced diet.” However, there are specific rules, such as “Pregnant women should have no more than 200mg of caffeine a day.”
The high amounts of caffeine may result in low birth weight and “increase the risk of health problems in later life.”
It should be known that a mug of instant coffee contains 100mg, and a cup of filter coffee contains 140mg.
Which? study conclusion
Starting your day with a cup of joe is a way of life for millions. That’s why Loth added: “Many of us rely on coffee to get us through the dark winter mornings, but our research shows you may be consuming significantly more, or less, caffeine than you bargained for.”
Which? analysis proved there are significant variations in caffeine content, so if you are an avid coffee drinker, this list might help you decide when to go for your next cup.
It also pointed out there is more to coffee than caffeine levels. Primarily, there are two dominating coffee bean blends– Arabica and Robusta.
Arabica beans contain around half the caffeine of Robusta beans, and the two vary in taste.
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