Caribou Coffee Caffeine Calculator
Caribou doesn't publish a dedicated caffeine chart the way a few chains do, so the figures below are compiled from independent testing and product labeling rather than one official source. Two things stand out clearly across that data: Caribou's espresso shot runs meaningfully bigger than the industry standard, and its iced tea carries more caffeine than most people expect from a "tea" drink — enough to beat a small cup of Caribou's own coffee.
How much caffeine is in Caribou Coffee? A 16 oz cup of Caribou's Coffee of the Day (medium size) runs about 305 mg — among the strongest brewed coffee at any major U.S. chain. A single espresso shot is commonly cited at 75–125 mg, noticeably above the roughly 63 mg industry-standard single shot used elsewhere on this site. A large Classic Black Iced Tea reaches about 290 mg — nearly as strong as their own coffee.
Caribou's espresso shot is genuinely oversized
A typical specialty café single shot runs close to 63 mg. Caribou's own single-shot figure, compiled across independent testing, sits around 100 mg at the midpoint — roughly 1.6× the standard. It's not a myth or an exaggeration; Caribou simply pulls a bigger shot than most chains, which quietly makes every espresso-based drink on their menu stronger than the size alone would suggest.
Calculate your drink
Compiled from independent testingestimated caffeine in a small Coffee of the Day
Figures are compiled estimates from independent product testing and labeling, not an official Caribou-published chart. Caribou's own site doesn't publish a per-drink caffeine breakdown at the time of writing, so treat every number here as a well-sourced estimate rather than a lab measurement.
Caribou's shot vs. the industry standard
Most espresso shot figures compiled across specialty cafés converge near 63 mg for a standard single. Caribou's compiled figure sits well above that.
single shot
shot (midpoint)
What this means for your drink
Because most of Caribou's espresso-based menu — lattes, mochas, the Highrise flavors — is built on this larger shot, a Caribou latte at a given size can carry noticeably more caffeine than the "same" drink at a chain using a standard-sized shot. It's worth knowing if you're comparing Caribou to another chain purely by drink name and size.
Complete Caribou caffeine chart
Coffee of the Day, Depth Charge, Decaf
| Drink | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee of the Day (Dark or Light Roast) | 230 mg | 305 mg | 385 mg |
| Depth Charge (Coffee of the Day + espresso shot) | 330 mg | 405 mg | 485 mg |
| Decaf Coffee of the Day | ~10 mg | ~12 mg | ~15 mg |
Caribou's brewed coffee scales almost perfectly linearly with size, at roughly 19 mg per fluid ounce regardless of cup size. The Depth Charge adds one full espresso shot on top of the equivalent Coffee of the Day size.
Espresso and Americano
| Drink | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Espresso, single shot | 75–125 mg |
| Espresso, double shot | 150–250 mg |
| Americano, small | 95–165 mg |
| Americano, medium | 140–235 mg |
| Americano, large | 185–310 mg |
An Americano is just espresso and water, so its caffeine tracks the oversized shot directly — a large Americano can approach a large brewed coffee in strength.
Lattes, mochas and flavored espresso drinks
| Drink | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caffe Latte | 75–125 mg | 95–165 mg | 120–205 mg |
| Caffe Mocha | 75–125 mg | 95–165 mg | 120–205 mg |
| Caramel Highrise | 75–125 mg | 95–165 mg | 120–205 mg |
| French Vanilla Highrise | 75–125 mg | 95–165 mg | 120–205 mg |
| White Chocolate Mocha | 75–125 mg | 95–165 mg | 120–205 mg |
| Pomegranate Vanilla Iced Latte, large | ~255 mg | ||
Nearly all of Caribou's flavored espresso drinks share the same underlying shot profile — flavor changes the syrup, not the caffeine. The Pomegranate Vanilla Iced Latte is a documented exception on the higher end, likely from extra shots in its standard recipe.
Iced tea, cold brew and chai
| Drink | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Classic Black Iced Tea, large | ~290 mg |
| Canned Cold Brew (Black), 11.5 oz | 177 mg |
| Chai Tea Latte, small | 20–35 mg |
| Chai Tea Latte, medium | 30–50 mg |
| Chai Tea Latte, large | 40–65 mg |
Classic Black Iced Tea is the real surprise on this menu — at roughly 290 mg for a large, it's stronger than a small Coffee of the Day (230 mg) and close to Caribou's own medium brewed coffee. Anyone assuming "it's just tea" is safer than coffee should check this one specifically.
Hot cocoa and caffeine-free options
| Drink | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Hot Cocoa, small | 20–35 mg |
| Hot Cocoa, medium | 30–50 mg |
| Hot Cocoa, large | 40–65 mg |
| Fruit-based Coolers (non-coffee) | 0 mg |
| Steamers | 0 mg |
Caribou's Hot Cocoa isn't fully caffeine-free — like Black Rock Coffee Bar's hot chocolate, it carries a modest but real amount, likely from the cocoa itself rather than any added coffee.
What surprises people about Caribou's caffeine
- Caribou's espresso shot is about 1.6× the typical specialty café single shot — roughly 100 mg against a standard 63 mg.
- A large Classic Black Iced Tea, at about 290 mg, out-caffeinates a small Coffee of the Day (230 mg).
- Coffee of the Day scales almost perfectly linearly with size — about 19 mg per fluid ounce no matter which cup you order.
- The Depth Charge adds a full shot, not a "little extra" — it's a genuinely separate, stronger drink from plain Coffee of the Day at every size.
- Hot Cocoa carries measurable caffeine, a detail easy to miss if you assume "cocoa" automatically means caffeine-free.
Caribou vs other chains
| Drink | Caffeine |
|---|---|
| Caribou large Coffee of the Day | 385 mg |
| Caribou Depth Charge, medium | 405 mg |
| Caribou large Classic Black Iced Tea | ~290 mg |
| Starbucks Grande Pike Place, brewed | 310 mg |
| Caribou medium Coffee of the Day | 305 mg |
| Peet's Major Dickason's Blend, 16oz (high end) | 330 mg |
| Caribou Canned Cold Brew, 11.5 oz | 177 mg |
| Starbucks Caffè Latte (Grande) | 150 mg |
| Caribou medium Caffe Latte | 95–165 mg |
| Dutch Bros latte (medium) | 95 mg |
Caribou's brewed coffee is genuinely near the top of the entire specialty coffee category — its medium size alone is competitive with Starbucks' strongest brewed option, and its large size and Depth Charge both exceed it.
How many Caribou drinks a day is safe?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects in healthy adults.
| Drink | Share of 400 mg guideline |
|---|---|
| Small Coffee of the Day (230 mg) | 58% |
| Medium Coffee of the Day (305 mg) | 76% |
| Large Coffee of the Day (385 mg) | 96% |
| Medium Depth Charge (405 mg) | 101% |
| Large Classic Black Iced Tea (290 mg) | 73% |
A single medium Depth Charge already reaches the daily guideline on its own — there's no room for anything else caffeinated that day if you want to stay under it, and even a plain large Coffee of the Day comes close. Lower ceilings are commonly cited for some groups: around 200 mg a day in pregnancy, which even a small Coffee of the Day exceeds, and roughly 100 mg for adolescents. Sensitivity varies a great deal between individuals. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist if you're pregnant, have a heart condition or anxiety disorder, or take medication that interacts with stimulants.
Caribou Coffee caffeine: frequently asked questions
How much caffeine is in Caribou Coffee?
A medium (16 oz) Coffee of the Day runs about 305 mg, among the strongest brewed coffee at any major U.S. chain. Espresso-based drinks vary more, generally 75–250 mg depending on shot count and size.
Why is Caribou's espresso shot so much stronger than other chains?
Caribou pulls a larger single shot than the industry standard — compiled estimates put it around 100 mg against a typical specialty café's roughly 63 mg, about 1.6 times as much.
Does Caribou's iced tea have caffeine?
Yes, and more than most people expect. A large Classic Black Iced Tea carries about 290 mg — close to Caribou's own medium brewed coffee and more than their small Coffee of the Day.
What is a Depth Charge?
Caribou's name for Coffee of the Day with an added shot of espresso. It's a genuinely stronger drink than plain brewed coffee at every size, not a minor variation.
How much caffeine is in Caribou's canned cold brew?
The Black variety of Caribou's canned Cold Brew carries about 177 mg per 11.5 oz can.
Is Caribou Coffee stronger than Starbucks?
At the high end, yes. A large Caribou Coffee of the Day (385 mg) and the Depth Charge (up to 485 mg) both exceed a Starbucks Grande Pike Place brewed coffee at 310 mg.
Does Caribou hot cocoa have caffeine?
Yes, a modest amount — roughly 20–65 mg depending on size, which surprises people who assume "cocoa" is automatically caffeine-free.
Does Caribou publish official caffeine figures?
Not as a dedicated per-drink chart at the time of writing. The figures on this page are compiled from independent product testing and labeling rather than a single official Caribou source.
Sources and method
Caribou Coffee does not publish a dedicated per-drink caffeine chart at the time of writing, so figures here are compiled from independent product testing, labeling data and cross-checked estimates rather than a single official company source. Coffee of the Day figures are consistently reported across multiple independent testing sources at approximately 19 mg per fluid ounce. Espresso, latte and Americano ranges reflect compiled estimates that account for Caribou's larger-than-standard shot size. Iced tea and canned cold brew figures come from product-specific testing and labeling.
- Caffeine Informer — compiled Caribou Coffee caffeine content by drink
- Independent product testing and labeling data for Caribou Coffee of the Day, espresso, and canned Cold Brew
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration — Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — guidance on moderate caffeine consumption in pregnancy
This page is an independent reference and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Caribou Coffee. Caribou Coffee, Depth Charge and drink names are trademarks of their respective owner. Because Caribou does not publish an official per-drink caffeine chart, treat every figure here as a compiled estimate rather than a precise measurement. Nothing here is medical advice.