Barista Life Blog · 1 min read

Dunkin Refresher (medium) vs Pure Leaf black iced tea: which has more caffeine?

Dunkin Refresher (medium) has more caffeine than Pure Leaf black iced tea on both counts: 99mg per 24 oz medium against 54mg per 18.5 oz bottle, and about 4mg 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.

Dunkin Refresher (medium) vs Pure Leaf black iced tea: the numbers

Dunkin Refresher (medium) Pure Leaf black iced tea
Caffeine per serving 99mg per 24 oz medium 54mg per 18.5 oz bottle
Caffeine per fl oz 4.1mg 2.9mg
Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) 4.0 7.4

Sources: Dunkin Refresher (medium)'s figure is verified in our Dunkin Refresher (medium) caffeine guide against Tasting Table / Dunkin figures (source); Pure Leaf black iced tea's figure is verified in our Pure Leaf black iced tea guide against PepsiCo label data (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick Pure Leaf black iced tea when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and Dunkin Refresher (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 Refresher (medium) or Pure Leaf black iced tea have more caffeine? Dunkin Refresher (medium): 99mg per 24 oz medium versus 54mg per 18.5 oz bottle for Pure Leaf black iced tea.

Which is stronger per ounce? Dunkin Refresher (medium), at about 4.1mg per fluid ounce versus 2.9mg for Pure Leaf black iced tea.

Barista Life runs on coffee people. Browse the Barista Life shop to support the site.

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

Get the PDF