The Most Caffeinated Drink At Starbucks Might Surprise You
So, you binge-watched your favorite show until 2 a.m. again, which normally wouldn't be a problem except you have to wake up in four hours. Sound familiar? If so, you probably know what comes next: begrudgingly pulling yourself out of bed the next morning, contemplating whether or not you really need to do whatever you have to do that day, and searching for the closest source of caffeine you can find. For many of us, that source of caffeine is Starbucks.
After you finally manage to grab your phone and open the Starbucks app to pre-order your energy for the day, you're faced with a lot of caffeinated and non-caffeinated options — an overwhelming number of options, in fact. Fortunately, Starbucks' website lists all of its drinks' caffeine content, which we went through to find the most-, second-most, and least-caffeinated beverages to make your life a little easier (Side note: exact caffeine content varies drink-to-drink).
What to order if you really need a serious boost of energy
So, let's get right to it. Who has time to waste when it comes to coffee? The most caffeinated Starbucks drink (without it being modified) is a Venti (20-ounce) cup of True North Blend Blonde Roast Brewed Coffee. It boasts all but five calories while still providing 475 milligrams of caffeine. Starbucks describes this lightly-roasted cup o' joe as "soft, mellow, and flavorful. Easy-drinking on its own and delicious with milk, sugar, or flavored with vanilla, caramel, or hazelnut."
But, uh, can we talk about that caffeine content for a second? A Venti-sized cup of this blonde roast exceeds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s suggestion that healthy adults limit their caffeine consumption to 400 mg per day. Of course, that suggestion varies from person-to-person, but that's some serious caffeination. With that being said, this will definitely give you the boost of energy you're looking for, but be sure to consume your caffeine responsibly (and while we're here, here's what happens when you drink too much).
And the runner-up is...
Maybe you don't like blonde roasts but you still want that extra buzz to make up for how late you stayed up last night. We totally get it, which is why we think the runner-up for the most-caffeinated Starbucks beverage is important to include, too. The second most-caffeinated drink is a Venti cup of Clover Dark Roast Brewed Coffee. With just 10 calories and 470 mg of caffeine, this java only falls 5 mg short of being tied with Starbucks' blonde roast as far as caffeine content.
What's super interesting about Starbucks' dark roast coffee is that normally, dark roasts tend to have less caffeine than medium or light roasts. According to Taste of Home, the longer the beans are roasted, the more caffeine burns off. Alas, that's not the case here. A Venti cup of Clover Medium Roast Brewed Coffee has 445 mg of caffeine, while a Venti cup of Clover Light Roast Brewed Coffee has 425 mg.
If you want the least caffeine possible while still getting caffeine
Okay, so you made it through your morning while running on four hours of sleep, but now you've hit that oh-so-dreaded afternoon slump. The dilemma: You really need to get through the last few hours of the day, but you know that if you have a cup of coffee now, you'll be awake until 2 a.m. again. The solution: A little more caffeine to push you through, but not enough to keep you up pondering life's mysteries later that night.
Enter Starbucks' least-caffeinated drink: a Tall (12-ounce) Double Chocolaty Chip Creme Frappuccino, which Starbucks describes as, "Rich mocha-flavored sauce meets up with chocolaty chips, milk, and ice for a blender bash." This dessert-like beverage contains just 10 mg of caffeine, although its calorie count is fairly higher than the other brewed coffees, at 290 calories. While we totally support treating yourself every now and then, drinking a frappuccino every day can have some pretty gnarly effects on your health. So, if you want to opt for some "regular" coffee, a Short (to clarify: not Tall) cup of Starbucks' Decaf Pike Place Roast only has 15 mg of caffeine. Before you question why the decaf can still give you a boost: Yes, decaf coffee still has caffeine. According to Healthline, decaf brews average 7 mg of caffeine per an 8-ounce cup.