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

McDonald's brewed coffee carries more total caffeine per serving (145mg per 16 oz medium vs 85mg per 8 oz cup), but ounce for ounce yerba mate is actually the stronger drink at about 11mg per fluid ounce against 9. Which one "has more caffeine" depends on whether you measure the container or the concentration.

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.

McDonald's brewed coffee vs yerba mate: the numbers

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

Which one should you pick?

Pick yerba mate 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

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

FAQ

Does McDonald's brewed coffee or yerba mate have more caffeine? McDonald's brewed coffee: 145mg per 16 oz medium versus 85mg per 8 oz cup for yerba mate.

Which is stronger per ounce? yerba mate, at about 10.6mg per fluid ounce versus 9.1mg for McDonald's brewed coffee.