Choosing where to get your coffee fix has just gotten a little more complicated. It turns out there are huge disparities in the levels of caffeine at popular UK coffee chains.

A new study by consumer watchdog Which? found that a cappuccino from Costa Coffee contains over three-and-a-half times as much caffeine as one from Starbucks. And it doesn't stop there. Costa’s cappuccino has two-and-a-half times more caffeine than Caffè Nero’s and two times more than Pret a Manger’s.

Apparently, one medium Costa cappuccino contains as much caffeine as four cans of Red Bull.

At 325mg of caffeine, it is also just 75mg away from what the British Heart Foundation considers to be the safe caffeine limit for most adults each day (400mg). In fact, the BHF compares 400mg to the equivalent of around four to five cups of tea or coffee – a stark difference to just the one cup you would be able to drink if ordering a cappuccino from Costa.

At Starbucks, on the other hand, a cappuccino contains 89mg of caffeine. It’s a pretty big difference to the average consumer, who would assume a drink with the same name, same size and at a similar price point would offer comparable caffeine levels. Some may find they have been unknowingly overconsuming on caffeine, while others might feel shortchanged for receiving less caffeine in their coffee than at competitors. 

But even Starbucks’ lower caffeine levels do provide more of a boost than you would typically get at home. A standard teaspoon of instant coffee can contain anywhere between 30mg to 90mg of caffeine, with 60mg being the typical level.

What’s behind the caffeine contrast?

There are numerous reasons as to why different coffee chains may offer varying levels of caffeine for an identically named product.

One of the biggest is down to how much coffee a drink actually contains. At Costa, a medium cappuccino contains three shots of espresso, versus two at Starbucks.

The type of beans used can also have a large impact. Starbucks uses 100% arabica beans for the “flavour” and “quality”, it says. Arabica beans at Starbucks contain approximately 1% caffeine by weight, in comparison to robusta beans, which contain around double that and are generally cheaper. Part of the extra caffeine kick at Costa may be in part down to the fact it uses a combination of the two.

Other influences also come into play, including the roast, the grind and serving size, the brewing method, water temperature and length of extraction.

The caffeine limit 

While varying caffeine levels doesn’t mean that one drink is strictly better than the other, the watchdog’s research does show that consumers may want to think twice before choosing which beverage they want and where to order it from.

According to the British Heart Foundation, consuming too much caffeine at once or over the day can cause anxiety, sleeping problems and a rapid heart rate. 

For pregnant women, the NHS recommends limiting caffeine intake to 200mg a day or less. This means that, of the coffee chains surveyed (Costa, Pret, Starbucks, Greggs and Caffè Nero), only Starbucks and Pret would come within this range when ordering a medium cappuccino, with both offering under 200mg of caffeine.

If choosing a flat white, Costa is the only café chain to exceed 200mg of caffeine, while both Costa and Greggs sit at or exceed 200mg when ordering a latte or an americano.

But while the health risks are higher for some, there are also positives to a caffeine boost. It has the ability to provide mental alertness, an improved mood and can act as a natural performance booster for exercise.

“Coffee has also been associated with greater longevity, reduced inflammation and improved liver health,” says Which? principal researcher and nutritionist Shefalee Loth.

Ultimately, while consumers might be feeling duped by their go-to coffee chain, the customisable nature of coffee menus means that customers can adapt the vast majority of drinks, whether that be to add or take out espresso shots to suit their needs and preferences.

Costa says its caffeine and nutritional information is available across its menu and online as it looks to be “committed to helping customers make informed choices”.

But while this information is easily available from some brands, Which? says that for the most part, online allergen and nutritional information is still “far from consistent”. Perhaps these findings will be the push some coffee chains further to ensure customers are able to make fully-informed purchasing decisions on where to get their morning cuppa. 

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