Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew vs brewed black tea: which has more caffeine?

Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew has more caffeine than brewed black tea on both counts: 280mg per 16 oz grande against 47mg per 8 oz cup, and about 18mg per fluid ounce against 6. 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.

Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew vs brewed black tea: the numbers

Sources: Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew's figure is verified in our Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew caffeine guide against Starbucks nutrition listing (source); brewed black tea's figure is verified in our brewed black tea guide against USDA FoodData Central (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick brewed black tea when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew 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 Nitro Cold Brew: the full caffeine guide
• brewed black tea: the full caffeine guide
• The verified caffeine database
• Every drink compared: the comparisons index
• Compare any two of 120+ drinks

FAQ

Does Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew or brewed black tea have more caffeine? Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew: 280mg per 16 oz grande versus 47mg per 8 oz cup for brewed black tea.

Which is stronger per ounce? Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew, at about 17.5mg per fluid ounce versus 5.9mg for brewed black tea.