Caffeine is truly the unsung hero in most people’s day, especially when it’s presented in coffee form. It is, after all, quite difficult to resist a great-tasting, freshly brewed cup of coffee first thing in the morning. Hence, why coffee has surpassed water, tea, and soft drinks as the most popular beverage in America, according to a 2023 National Coffee Association trend report. Caffeine is such an essential part of the day that the American Medical Association found that approximately 85% of adults consume about 135 milligrams of it a day. That’s equivalent to about 12 ounces of coffee.
Yet, you drink double that amount when you order a grande of one of Starbucks’ most caffeinated drinks. And that caffeine content increases even more when you order your drink hot, since hot coffee actually has more caffeine than iced coffee (due to less ice dilution). But what if you don’t want that much caffeine? Luckily, Starbucks has a hot coffee roast that’s perfect for coffee aficionados who still want to drink warm coffee, but want to drastically cut their caffeine intake. A grande Starbucks Decaf Pike Place Roast only contains around 25 milligrams of caffeine.
This amount is approximate because Starbucks notes that the caffeine content listed in its nutrition information is subject to change. And because all coffee naturally contains caffeine and it must be removed through an imperfect process, most decaf coffee contains trace amounts of caffeine. Still, if you order the decaf coffee on its own, with no additional customizations, you’ll consume a relatively low amount of caffeine. That means you can enjoy a few cups of it and won’t have to worry about consuming too much in a day. And the great thing about Decaf Pike Place is you don’t have to sacrifice flavor for less caffeine.
How to enjoy Starbucks’ Decaf Pike Place
This Starbucks coffee roast was named after the chain’s first location that opened in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market. The company had its master roasters and blenders create this signature blend in 2008, using a mix of various Latin American coffees. Both the caffeinated and decaf Pike Place roasts feature subtle, yet rich flavors of chocolate and toasted nuts. Between its sweet and balanced flavor and notes of caramelized sugar and cocoa, the heavily caffeinated version took the number two spot in our ranking of eight Starbucks whole bean coffees.
And this ranking extends to the decaf version, as well. It features all the flavorful notes of the caffeinated version, and is actually quite pleasant to drink if you enjoy little to no additives in your coffee. But, if you want to add more unique flavors to this decaf coffee, you can easily elevate your coffee with different spices or give it a Scandinavian twist. You can also utilize a few simple Starbucks hacks to create the perfect drink for you. So, have fun and experiment with different flavors, toppings, cold foams, Starbucks coffee creamers, and sweeteners. Decaf Pike Place is available hot in stores, and is also sold as whole beans, K-Cups, and more. You can even order a 1-pound bag of it on Amazon.
If you want an extra boost of caffeine and more robustness, you can add chai or decaf espresso to the mix. Just know that one shot of decaf espresso has about 10 milligrams of caffeine, while regular espresso has 75 milligrams. And chai has roughly 40 milligrams of caffeine per 4 ounces. That’s still considerably less caffeine than a grande cup of the medium roast Pike Place coffee, which contains 315 to 390 milligrams of caffeine, and keeps you well below the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recommendation of consuming 400 milligrams of caffeine or less per day.
