Barista Life Blog · 1 min read

McDonald's brewed coffee vs Dunkin iced coffee (medium): which has more caffeine?

Dunkin iced coffee (medium) has more caffeine than McDonald's brewed coffee on both counts: 297mg per 24 oz medium against 145mg per 16 oz medium, and about 12mg per fluid ounce against 9. The serving sizes differ, so the table below shows both ways of counting.

McDonald's brewed coffee vs Dunkin iced coffee (medium): the numbers

McDonald's brewed coffee Dunkin iced coffee (medium)
Caffeine per serving 145mg per 16 oz medium 297mg per 24 oz medium
Caffeine per fl oz 9.1mg 12.4mg
Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) 2.8 1.3

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

Which one should you pick?

Pick McDonald's brewed coffee when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and Dunkin iced coffee (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 McDonald's brewed coffee or Dunkin iced coffee (medium) have more caffeine? Dunkin iced coffee (medium): 297mg per 24 oz medium versus 145mg per 16 oz medium for McDonald's brewed coffee.

Which is stronger per ounce? Dunkin iced coffee (medium), at about 12.4mg per fluid ounce versus 9.1mg for McDonald's brewed coffee.

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