instant coffee vs Starbucks cold brew (grande): which has more caffeine?

Starbucks cold brew (grande) has more caffeine than instant coffee on both counts: 205mg per 16 oz grande against 57mg per 8 oz cup, and about 13mg per fluid ounce against 7. The serving sizes differ, so the table below shows both ways of counting.

instant coffee vs Starbucks cold brew (grande): the numbers

Sources: instant coffee's figure is verified in our instant coffee 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 instant coffee when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and Starbucks cold brew (grande) 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
• Starbucks cold brew (grande): 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 Starbucks cold brew (grande) have more caffeine? Starbucks cold brew (grande): 205mg per 16 oz grande versus 57mg per 8 oz cup for instant coffee.

Which is stronger per ounce? Starbucks cold brew (grande), at about 12.8mg per fluid ounce versus 7.1mg for instant coffee.