Decaf instant coffee vs Starbucks decaf brewed coffee (grande): which has more caffeine?

Starbucks decaf brewed coffee (grande) has 25mg of caffeine per 16 oz grande and decaf instant coffee has 2.4mg per 8 oz cup, so the gap is about 10x. You would need roughly 10 servings of decaf instant coffee to match one 16 oz grande of Starbucks decaf brewed coffee (grande).

Decaf instant coffee vs Starbucks decaf brewed coffee (grande): the numbers

Both figures were checked against their source before this page went up: decaf instant coffee against Caffeine Informer (source) and Starbucks decaf brewed coffee (grande) against Caffeine Informer / Starbucks published figures (source). Brewed drinks and cocoa foods vary by batch, so published figures are averages rather than guarantees.

Why neither one is zero

Decaffeination pulls caffeine out of green beans or leaves before roasting, and no commercial process takes out all of it. A 2006 University of Florida study measured 8.6 to 13.9mg of caffeine in a 16 oz serving of decaf drip coffee, and chain decaf varies widely: Starbucks 15 to 30mg for a medium, Dunkin 7 to 18mg, decaf K-cups 2 to 4mg, per Caffeine Informer. That is why decaf instant coffee and Starbucks decaf brewed coffee (grande) both land in single or low double digits instead of reading zero. If you need genuinely zero caffeine, the answer is a herbal infusion such as rooibos or chamomile, not decaf.

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If you are chasing the low end on purpose, the bean and the process matter more than the brewer: browse decaf coffee beans on Amazon and check whether the bag says Swiss Water or CO2.

For context, the FDA cites 400mg of caffeine a day as an amount generally not associated with negative effects in healthy adults. Tolerance and health vary, so treat these numbers as information, not advice.

Related reading

• Decaf instant coffee: the full caffeine breakdown
• Starbucks decaf brewed coffee (grande): the full caffeine breakdown
• Does decaf have caffeine? Every decaf drink ranked
• Hidden caffeine: the foods and drinks people forget to count
• The verified caffeine database
• Compare any two drinks side by side

FAQ

Does decaf instant coffee or Starbucks decaf brewed coffee (grande) have more caffeine? Starbucks decaf brewed coffee (grande), at 25mg per 16 oz grande against 2.4mg per 8 oz cup for decaf instant coffee.

How much caffeine is in decaf instant coffee? 2.4mg per 8 oz cup, which works out to about 0.3mg per fl oz. The figure comes from Caffeine Informer.

Is decaf instant coffee caffeine free? No. Decaf instant coffee carries 2.4mg per 8 oz cup. It is a small amount, but small is not the same as none.