Caffeine sensitivity is a real thing, whether that means you need an obscene amount of it in order to thrive and feel your best, or one milligram too much could send you into a pit of anxiety. But there are also more serious implications, as evidenced by those who are pregnant or suffer from heart conditions and sleep disorders. That’s why it’s so concerning that 2023 research by Which?, otherwise known as “the U.K.’s consumer champion,” found vast differences in the caffeine content of the same coffee drinks from different cafés in the U.K. While the organization found disparities between all the drinks they measured, those from Starbucks U.K. and Costa Coffee were overwhelmingly different.
According to the study’s findings, a cappuccino from Costa contains more than five times as much caffeine as one from a U.K. Starbucks — delivering a whopping 325 milligrams, which is more than that found in a can of Red Bull or a Celsius energy drink. Compare this to a U.K. Starbucks cappuccino’s measly 66 milligrams. As an important side note, you might notice that this is significantly less than the 150 milligrams in a cappuccino from a U.S. Starbucks. That’s because U.K. Starbucks drinks contain less caffeine than their U.S. equivalents. In either case, Costa wins the caffeine game when it comes to espresso-based beverages.
The wide difference in caffeine content can mostly be handed down to the fact that a large cappuccino from Costa contains 4 shots of espresso, while a comparable Starbucks venti — the name for a large drink from Starbucks — contains just 2 shots. But Starbucks also brews arabica espresso for all of its shots, while Costa Coffee brews a blend of arabica and robusta. Among the many differences between arabica and robusta coffee, robusta contains about double the caffeine.
How to adjust your caffeine intake at coffee shops
Starbucks and Costa aren’t the only coffee shops with caffeine disparities. In fact, all of the drinks from the coffee shops observed in the study had various amounts in them. For example, cappuccinos from Greggs and Pret a Manger were also measured to be significantly lower in caffeine content than one from Costa, at 197 milligrams and 180 milligrams, respectively. Both cafés also serve stronger espresso shots than Starbucks, with 180 milligrams found in the pulls from Pret a Manger specifically.
The same can be said for the drip coffee, with Greggs and Prets’ containing 225 milligrams and 271 milligrams of caffeine, respectively, compared to a U.K. Starbucks’ 102 milligrams (though the equivalent drink at a U.S. Starbucks can contain up to 390 milligrams of caffeine). Having said all of that, it’s safe to say a U.K. Starbucks is the go-to for any caffeine-sensitive coffee lovers out there. However, should you ever find yourself stuck with any of the other options, there are ways to adjust your coffee order to lower the caffeine content. After all, the maximum amount of caffeine you can safely consume each day is 400 milligrams or less.
It’s always a good idea to ask how many espresso shots are actually in the drink you’re ordering. If it’s more than one, you can ask the barista to adjust it — or, you can even ask for a half caff, which includes equal amounts of regular and decaf espresso. The same thing works the other way, too. If you’re a caffeine junkie and your Starbucks just doesn’t cut it, consider asking for an extra shot of espresso. Or, ask for blonde espresso instead, which contains slightly more caffeine.
