Barista Life Blog · 1 min read

Peet's brewed coffee vs Red Bull: which has more caffeine?

Peet's brewed coffee has more caffeine than Red Bull on both counts: 150mg per 8 oz cup against 80mg per 8.4 oz can, and about 19mg per fluid ounce against 10. 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.

Peet's brewed coffee vs Red Bull: the numbers

Peet's brewed coffee Red Bull
Caffeine per serving 150mg per 8 oz cup 80mg per 8.4 oz can
Caffeine per fl oz 18.8mg 9.5mg
Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) 2.7 5.0

Sources: Peet's brewed coffee's figure is verified in our Peet's brewed coffee caffeine guide against Caffeine Informer (source); Red Bull's figure is verified in our Red Bull guide against Red Bull label / Caffeine Informer (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick Red Bull when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and Peet'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

FAQ

Does Peet's brewed coffee or Red Bull have more caffeine? Peet's brewed coffee: 150mg per 8 oz cup versus 80mg per 8.4 oz can for Red Bull.

Which is stronger per ounce? Peet's brewed coffee, at about 18.8mg per fluid ounce versus 9.5mg for Red Bull.

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