Barista Life Blog · 2 min read

How much caffeine is in Starbucks Pike Place (grande)?

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Starbucks Pike Place (grande) has 310mg of caffeine per 16 oz grande, per Starbucks menu data. That works out to about 19.4mg per fluid ounce, which is denser than brewed coffee at 11.9mg per ounce. Against the two standards everyone actually knows, one 16 oz grande equals about 3.3 cups of brewed coffee or 4.9 shots of espresso.

Starbucks Pike Place (grande) vs coffee and espresso

Drink Serving Caffeine Per fl oz Servings to reach 400mg
Starbucks Pike Place (grande) 16 oz grande 310mg 19.4mg 1.3
Brewed coffee 8 oz cup 95mg 11.9mg 4.2
Espresso 1 oz shot 63mg 63.0mg 6.3

How the number behaves

Brewed coffee numbers vary with the beans, roast, and brew method, which is why the published figure matters: Starbucks Pike Place (grande) is listed at 310mg for the 16 oz grande, far above the generic 95mg average for a plain 8 oz cup, mostly because the serving is bigger and the brew is strong.

The mistake people make is counting it as "a coffee." At 310mg, one 16 oz grande is 78 percent of the 400mg FDA reference, so a second cup puts the day near the line before any other caffeine is counted.

Where to find it

Check Starbucks Pike Place (grande) prices on Amazon

Compare it

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.

FAQ

How much caffeine is in Starbucks Pike Place (grande)? 310mg per 16 oz grande, per Starbucks menu data. That is about 19.4mg per fluid ounce.

Is Starbucks Pike Place (grande) stronger than coffee? Ounce for ounce yes: Starbucks Pike Place (grande) carries about 19.4mg per fluid ounce versus 11.9mg for brewed coffee, and a full 16 oz grande delivers 310mg versus 95mg in an 8 oz cup.

How many servings of Starbucks Pike Place (grande) reach 400mg of caffeine? About 1.3 of the 16 oz grande servings reach the 400mg daily amount the FDA cites for healthy adults.

Sources: the Starbucks Pike Place (grande) figure (310mg per 16 oz grande) is Starbucks menu data (source). Brewed coffee (95mg per 8 oz) and espresso (63mg per 1 oz) reference values are from USDA FoodData Central (source).

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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