Barista Life Blog · 2 min read

rooibos (red bush) tea vs Dunkin iced coffee (medium): which has more caffeine?

Dunkin iced coffee (medium) has more caffeine than rooibos (red bush) tea on both counts: 297mg per 24 oz medium against 0mg per 8 oz cup, and about 12mg per fluid ounce against 0. 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.

rooibos (red bush) tea vs Dunkin iced coffee (medium): the numbers

rooibos (red bush) tea Dunkin iced coffee (medium)
Caffeine per serving 0mg per 8 oz cup 297mg per 24 oz medium
Caffeine per fl oz 0.0mg 12.4mg
Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) n/a (caffeine-free) 1.3

Sources: rooibos (red bush) tea's figure is verified in our rooibos (red bush) tea caffeine guide against USDA / naturally caffeine-free herbal (source); Dunkin iced coffee (medium)'s figure is verified in our Dunkin iced coffee (medium) guide against Caffeine Informer Dunkin guide (source).

The concentration gap is the striking part: Dunkin iced coffee (medium) packs roughly 1238 times the caffeine per ounce. Sipping speed matters at that density; a 24 oz medium finished in minutes hits differently than the same milligrams spread over a slow cup.

Which one should you pick?

Pick rooibos (red bush) tea 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 rooibos (red bush) tea or Dunkin iced coffee (medium) have more caffeine? Dunkin iced coffee (medium): 297mg per 24 oz medium versus 0mg per 8 oz cup for rooibos (red bush) tea.

Which is stronger per ounce? Dunkin iced coffee (medium), at about 12.4mg per fluid ounce versus 0.0mg for rooibos (red bush) tea.

Comparing caffeine? The caffeine comparison tool puts hundreds of drinks side by side, and the caffeine curfew calculator can check your cutoff time for tonight.

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