Barista Life Blog · 1 min read

Dunkin' Extra Charged (medium) vs Starbucks cold brew (grande): which has more caffeine?

Dunkin' Extra Charged (medium) has more caffeine than Starbucks cold brew (grande) on both counts: 252mg per 14 oz medium against 205mg per 16 oz grande, and about 18mg per fluid ounce against 13. The serving sizes differ, so the table below shows both ways of counting.

Dunkin' Extra Charged (medium) vs Starbucks cold brew (grande): the numbers

Dunkin' Extra Charged (medium) Starbucks cold brew (grande)
Caffeine per serving 252mg per 14 oz medium 205mg per 16 oz grande
Caffeine per fl oz 18.0mg 12.8mg
Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) 1.6 2.0

Sources: Dunkin' Extra Charged (medium)'s figure is verified in our Dunkin' Extra Charged (medium) caffeine guide against Caffeine Informer (source); Starbucks cold brew (grande)'s figure is verified in our Starbucks cold brew (grande) guide against Starbucks menu data (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick Starbucks cold brew (grande) when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and Dunkin' Extra Charged (medium) 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 Dunkin' Extra Charged (medium) or Starbucks cold brew (grande) have more caffeine? Dunkin' Extra Charged (medium): 252mg per 14 oz medium versus 205mg per 16 oz grande for Starbucks cold brew (grande).

Which is stronger per ounce? Dunkin' Extra Charged (medium), at about 18.0mg per fluid ounce versus 12.8mg for Starbucks cold brew (grande).

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