instant coffee vs McDonald's brewed coffee: which has more caffeine?

McDonald's brewed coffee has more caffeine than instant coffee on both counts: 145mg per 16 oz medium against 57mg per 8 oz cup, and about 9mg per fluid ounce against 7. The serving sizes differ, so the table below shows both ways of counting.

instant coffee vs McDonald's brewed coffee: the numbers

Sources: instant coffee's figure is verified in our instant coffee caffeine guide against Caffeine Informer (source); McDonald's brewed coffee's figure is verified in our McDonald's brewed coffee guide against Caffeine Informer (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick instant coffee when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and McDonald's brewed coffee 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

• instant coffee: the full caffeine guide
• McDonald's brewed coffee: the full caffeine guide
• The verified caffeine database
• Every drink compared: the comparisons index
• Compare any two of 120+ drinks

FAQ

Does instant coffee or McDonald's brewed coffee have more caffeine? McDonald's brewed coffee: 145mg per 16 oz medium versus 57mg per 8 oz cup for instant coffee.

Which is stronger per ounce? McDonald's brewed coffee, at about 9.1mg per fluid ounce versus 7.1mg for instant coffee.