Barista Life Blog · 1 min read

Dr Pepper vs English breakfast tea: which has more caffeine?

English breakfast tea has more caffeine than Dr Pepper on both counts: 47mg per 8 oz cup against 41mg per 12 oz can, and about 6mg per fluid ounce against 3. The serving sizes differ, so the table below shows both ways of counting.

These are different categories of drink, which changes how the caffeine arrives. Energy drinks and sodas list an exact number because caffeine is a measured additive; brewed drinks vary with the beans and the brew, so their figures are compiled averages. The numbers here are the standard published values for each.

Dr Pepper vs English breakfast tea: the numbers

Dr Pepper English breakfast tea
Caffeine per serving 41mg per 12 oz can 47mg per 8 oz cup
Caffeine per fl oz 3.4mg 5.9mg
Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) 9.8 8.5

Sources: Dr Pepper's figure is verified in our Dr Pepper caffeine guide against KDP product facts / Caffeine Informer (source); English breakfast tea's figure is verified in our English breakfast tea guide against Twinings published figure (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick Dr Pepper when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and English breakfast tea when you actually need the bigger hit and know your tolerance. If you are stacking either with other caffeinated drinks through the day, run the math against the 400mg reference rather than guessing.

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

FAQ

Does Dr Pepper or English breakfast tea have more caffeine? English breakfast tea: 47mg per 8 oz cup versus 41mg per 12 oz can for Dr Pepper.

Which is stronger per ounce? English breakfast tea, at about 5.9mg per fluid ounce versus 3.4mg for Dr Pepper.

Comparing caffeine? The caffeine comparison tool puts hundreds of drinks side by side, and the caffeine curfew calculator can check your cutoff time for tonight.

Free download: the espresso dial-in cheat sheet baristas tape to the machine.

Get the PDF