Surge vs brewed coffee: which has more caffeine?

brewed coffee has more caffeine than Surge on both counts: 95mg per 8 oz cup against 69mg per 16 oz can, and about 12mg per fluid ounce against 4. 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.

Surge vs brewed coffee: the numbers

Sources: Surge's figure is verified in our Surge caffeine guide against Caffeine Informer (source); brewed coffee's figure is verified in our brewed coffee guide against USDA FoodData Central (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick Surge when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and 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

• Surge: the full caffeine guide
• brewed coffee: the full caffeine guide
• The verified caffeine database
• Every drink compared: the comparisons index
• Compare any two of 120+ drinks

FAQ

Does Surge or brewed coffee have more caffeine? brewed coffee: 95mg per 8 oz cup versus 69mg per 16 oz can for Surge.

Which is stronger per ounce? brewed coffee, at about 11.9mg per fluid ounce versus 4.3mg for Surge.