Are Working Brits Consuming Too Much Caffeine?
- 41% of British working professionals drink 3 or more cups of coffee (or other caffeinated drinks) per day.
- Home brewed coffee contains between 80-100 mg of caffeine per 240ml cup while commercial coffee can contain up to 325 mg in a medium cup.
- Drinking more than two cups of chain coffee could put you over the recommended caffeine dosage.
According to a recent survey conducted by Expert Reviews, 41% of British working professionals drink 3 or more cups of coffee (or other caffeinated drinks) per day, with 14% of Brits refraining from caffeine altogether.
Health experts recommend limiting caffeine to 400 mg per day for most adults – 200mg for pregnant individuals. New analysis has discovered significantly higher caffeine levels in chain coffee shops, compared to home brewed coffee; Costa coffee has three times as much caffeine as homemade coffee. If you’re buying more than 2 cups of commercial coffee per day, you will likely be exceeding the recommended caffeine limit. For reference the daily coffee consumption in the UK has reached 98 million cups.
Costa’s americano caffeine content is the highest in the chain coffee industry, with a staggering 325 mg – 165% more than the coffee from Greggs. A medium cappuccino from Greggs contains 197 mg of caffeine, the second highest caffeinated coffee. Pret a Manger has less of a caffeine kick and stands in third place with 182 mg for a regular americano.
| Beverages | Caffeine content |
| Brewed coffee (240ml cup) | 80-100 mg |
| Espresso (shot) | ~65 mg |
| Cold brew (240 ml) | ~100 mg |
| Instant coffee (240ml cup) | 60-80 mg |
| Decaffeinated coffee (240ml cup) | ~2 mg |
| Energy Drink (average 240ml can) | ~80mg |
| Tea (240ml cup) | ~45mg |
| Costa (medium Americano) | 325 mg |
| Greggs (medium Cappuccino) | 197 mg |
| Pret a Manger (medium Americano) | 182 mg |
| Caffé Nero (regular Americano) | 160 mg |
| McDonald’s (regular Americano) | 142 mg |
| Starbucks (tall Americano) | 66.2 mg |
While coffee can be part of a healthy diet, it pays to watch your caffeine intake, especially from handcrafted coffeehouse and restaurant brews. Making coffee at home gives you more control over just how much of a caffeine kick you’re getting.
