Starbucks Iced Coffee vs yerba mate: which has more caffeine?

Starbucks Iced Coffee carries more total caffeine per serving (165mg per 16 oz grande vs 85mg per 8 oz cup), but ounce for ounce yerba mate is actually the stronger drink at about 11mg per fluid ounce against 10. 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.

Starbucks Iced Coffee vs yerba mate: the numbers

Sources: Starbucks Iced Coffee's figure is verified in our Starbucks Iced Coffee caffeine guide against Starbucks nutrition listing (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 Starbucks Iced 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

• Starbucks Iced 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 Starbucks Iced Coffee or yerba mate have more caffeine? Starbucks Iced Coffee: 165mg per 16 oz grande versus 85mg per 8 oz cup for yerba mate.

Which is stronger per ounce? yerba mate, at about 10.6mg per fluid ounce versus 10.3mg for Starbucks Iced Coffee.