Starbucks
How much caffeine is in Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew?
Data checked against the source on 2026-10-03 by Oleksii Y.
One Grande, 16 fl oz of Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew has 280 mg of caffeine, according to Starbucks Coffee Company.
How Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew compares
- Strength: 59 mg per 100 ml.
- One Grande, 16 fl oz has as much caffeine as about 3 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 Nitro Cold Brew
Left at 11:00 PM (8 h later), average metabolism
≈ 92 mg
Range 44–140 mg (fast to slow metabolism)
To be at 50 mg or less by bedtime, have 280 mg by 9:49 AM (average) or 2:22 AM (slow metabolism).
What sleep studies found near this dose
- Gardiner et al. 2023 (meta-analysis): To avoid losing sleep time, the authors suggest a coffee (107 mg per 250 ml) at least 8.8 hours before bed.
- Gardiner et al. 2023 (meta-analysis): For a pre-workout serving (217.5 mg), the authors suggest at least 13.2 hours before bed.
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 | 280 mg |
| Tall, 12 fl oz | 215 mg |
How long does Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew 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 Nitro Cold Brew (280 mg), about 140 mg is still in your body 5 hours later and about 70 mg after 10 hours. If you clear caffeine slowly (an 8-hour half-life), about 118 mg is left after 10 hours.
Estimated caffeine left at 11:00 PM from one Grande, 16 fl oz (280 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) | ≈ 35 mg | 9–76 mg |
| 12:00 PM (11 h before bed) | ≈ 61 mg | 22–108 mg |
| 3:00 PM (8 h before bed) | ≈ 92 mg | 44–140 mg |
| 6:00 PM (5 h before bed) | ≈ 140 mg | 88–182 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
A Grande Nitro Cold Brew lists 75 mg more caffeine than a Grande regular Starbucks Cold Brew (205 mg).
Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew vs other Starbucks cold coffee drinks
- Starbucks Cold Brew: Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew has more caffeine than Starbucks Cold Brew per Grande, 16 fl oz: 280 mg vs 205 mg.
- Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew Black Unsweet (can): Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew has more caffeine than Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew Black Unsweet (can) per 100 ml (59 vs 55 mg). Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew: 280 mg per Grande, 16 fl oz; Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew Black Unsweet (can): 155 mg per 9.6 fl oz can (284 ml).
- Starbucks Iced Coffee: Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew has more caffeine than Starbucks Iced Coffee per Grande, 16 fl oz: 280 mg vs 185 mg.
Common questions
How much caffeine is in Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew?
Starbucks Coffee Company gives 280 mg of caffeine per Grande, 16 fl oz. Other sizes are in the table on this page.
How many Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew 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 280 mg per Grande, 16 fl oz, that is about 1 serving if Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew is your only source. In pregnancy the reference is 200 mg a day.
How late can I drink Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew?
With an 11:00 PM bedtime, our model suggests having one serving by about 9:49 AM for average metabolism, or 2:22 AM if you clear caffeine slowly. This is an estimate, not a rule.
Does Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew have more caffeine than Starbucks Cold Brew?
Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew has more caffeine than Starbucks Cold Brew per Grande, 16 fl oz: 280 mg vs 205 mg.
How long does Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew stay in your system?
Of the 280 mg in one Grande, 16 fl oz, roughly 140 mg remains after 5 hours and 70 mg after 10 hours with our average 5-hour half-life. From fast to slow metabolism, 10 hours later it is between 28 and 118 mg.
Where the number comes from
- Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew. Starbucks Coffee Company. Nutrition "Caffeine" field for each size (Tall 215, Grande 280 mg); page data from /apiproxy/v1/ordering/2121912/iced. Accessed 2026-10-02. Source ↗
- Starbucks Cold Brew. Starbucks Coffee Company. Nutrition "Caffeine" field for each size (Tall 155, Grande 205, Venti 310, Trenta 360 mg); page data from /apiproxy/v1/ordering/2121255/iced. 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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