Starbucks
How much caffeine is in Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast)?
Data checked against the source on 2026-10-03 by Oleksii Y.
One Grande, 16 fl oz of Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast) has 315–390 mg of caffeine, according to Starbucks Coffee Company.
How Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast) compares
- Strength: 75 mg per 100 ml (middle of the range).
- One Grande, 16 fl oz has as much caffeine as about 3.5 cups of brewed coffee, which has 94.8 mg per 8 fl oz cup.
How much will be left at bedtime?
1 × Grande, 16 fl oz of Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast) (middle of the range)
Left at 11:00 PM (8 h later), average metabolism
≈ 116 mg
Range 56–177 mg (fast to slow metabolism)
To be at 50 mg or less by bedtime, have 353 mg by 8:09 AM (average) or 11:42 PM (slow metabolism).
What sleep studies found near this dose
- Gardiner et al. 2023 (meta-analysis): For a pre-workout serving (217.5 mg), the authors suggest at least 13.2 hours before bed.
- Gardiner et al. 2025 (randomized trial): 400 mg reduced deep sleep even when taken 12 hours before bed; the authors advise avoiding it within 12 hours of bedtime.
Estimate from a simple model: half-life of 3, 5 or 8 hours, 50 mg bedtime target. How we calculate
Caffeine by size
| Serving | Caffeine |
|---|---|
| Grande, 16 fl oz | 315–390 mg |
| Short, 8 fl oz | 155–195 mg |
| Tall, 12 fl oz | 235–290 mg |
| Venti, 20 fl oz | 390–490 mg |
How long does Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast) stay in your system?
Our model halves caffeine every 5 hours for average metabolism, and every 3 or 8 hours for fast or slow metabolism. From one Grande, 16 fl oz of Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast) (353 mg), about 177 mg is still in your body 5 hours later and about 88 mg after 10 hours. If you clear caffeine slowly (an 8-hour half-life), about 148 mg is left after 10 hours.
Estimated caffeine left at 11:00 PM from one Grande, 16 fl oz (353 mg), using a half-life of 5 hours for average metabolism and 3 to 8 hours for the range. How we calculate
| Had at | Left at bedtime (average) | Range |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM (15 h before bed) | ≈ 44 mg | 11–96 mg |
| 12:00 PM (11 h before bed) | ≈ 77 mg | 28–136 mg |
| 3:00 PM (8 h before bed) | ≈ 116 mg | 56–177 mg |
| 6:00 PM (5 h before bed) | ≈ 177 mg | 111–229 mg |
How many fit in a day?
Reference amounts are for caffeine from all sources combined. Counted at the upper end of the stated amount, one serving at a time:
- Up to 400 mg a day for most healthy adults (FDA, EFSA): about 1 serving.
- Up to 200 mg at one time for healthy adults (EFSA): about 0 servings in one go.
- Up to 200 mg a day in pregnancy (EFSA, NHS): about 0 servings.
These are reference amounts for groups of people, not a personal limit. Some people feel jittery or sleep worse on much less. See the cutoff calculator for timing.
Good to know
Starbucks lists the same caffeine values for its featured dark roast, Starbucks 1971 Roast, as for Pike Place Roast.
Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast) vs other Starbucks brewed coffee drinks
- Starbucks Pike Place Roast: Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast) has the same amount of caffeine as Starbucks Pike Place Roast per Grande, 16 fl oz: 315–390 mg vs 315–390 mg.
- Starbucks Blonde Roast (Sunsera): Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast) has the same amount of caffeine as Starbucks Blonde Roast (Sunsera) per Grande, 16 fl oz: 315–390 mg vs 315–390 mg.
- Starbucks Decaf Pike Place Roast: Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast) has more caffeine than Starbucks Decaf Pike Place Roast per Grande, 16 fl oz: 315–390 mg vs 25 mg.
Common questions
How much caffeine is in Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast)?
Starbucks Coffee Company gives 315–390 mg of caffeine per Grande, 16 fl oz. Other sizes are in the table on this page.
How many Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast) servings can I have in a day?
The FDA and EFSA cite up to 400 mg of caffeine a day, from all sources combined, for most healthy adults. At 315–390 mg per Grande, 16 fl oz, that is about 1 serving if Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast) is your only source. In pregnancy the reference is 200 mg a day.
How late can I drink Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast)?
With an 11:00 PM bedtime, our model suggests having one serving by about 8:09 AM for average metabolism, or 11:42 PM if you clear caffeine slowly. This is an estimate, not a rule.
Does Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast) have more caffeine than Starbucks Pike Place Roast?
Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast) has the same amount of caffeine as Starbucks Pike Place Roast per Grande, 16 fl oz: 315–390 mg vs 315–390 mg.
How long does Starbucks Dark Roast (1971 Roast) stay in your system?
Of the 353 mg in one Grande, 16 fl oz, roughly 177 mg remains after 5 hours and 88 mg after 10 hours with our average 5-hour half-life. From fast to slow metabolism, 10 hours later it is between 35 and 148 mg.
Where the number comes from
- Featured Dark Roast - Starbucks 1971 Roast™. Starbucks Coffee Company. Nutrition "Caffeine" field for each size (Short 155, Tall 235, Grande 315, Venti 390 mg; "Caffeine Range" maximum 195, 290, 390, 490 mg); page data from /apiproxy/v1/ordering/479/hot. Accessed 2026-10-02. Source ↗
- Pike Place Roast (brewed coffee). Starbucks Coffee Company. Nutrition "Caffeine" field for each size (Short 155, Tall 235, Grande 315, Venti 390 mg; "Caffeine Range" maximum 195, 290, 390, 490 mg; footnote "** Caffeine is an approximate value."); page data from /apiproxy/v1/ordering/480/hot. Accessed 2026-10-02. Source ↗
Recipes and labels change. If a number here no longer matches the label, the label wins.
General information, not medical advice
If you feel unwell after caffeine — for example chest pain, a fast or irregular heartbeat that does not settle, fainting, confusion or trouble breathing — get urgent medical help. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, take medication, or have a heart, liver or anxiety condition, high blood pressure or a sleep disorder, ask a doctor or pharmacist what amount is right for you.
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2024). Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much? FDA Consumer Updates. fda.gov ↗
- European Food Safety Authority. Caffeine | EFSA. EFSA topic page (summary of the 2015 Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine). efsa.europa.eu ↗
- NHS. Foods to avoid in pregnancy. NHS. nhs.uk ↗
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