This is one of those things that a lot of people know and a lot people get wrong.

Most coffee has 60-100 milligrams of caffeine per cup. Here’s a list of the most popular coffees and their caffeine content:

As you can see, Starbucks coffee is the strongest with 330 mg of caffeine in a 16oz serving. It is followed by Starbucks Caffè Americano, which has three shots of espresso in it and more than 100 mg less caffeine in the same size serving. Most of the other brands have about 110-160 mg in a 16oz serving..

So, how does that compare to tea? Let’s have a look:

As we can see, Tea generally has much less caffeine than coffee.

Of course, there are always exceptions. There are some coffees that have less caffeine than most teas, particularly decaf coffee. That might be an unfair comparison since decaf is a man-made product. Although, it might not be that way forever. Caffeine free coffee beans have been discovered, although they’re too bitter for most people’s taste buds.

There are also some black teas that have up to 140 mg of caffeine per 16 oz, which is more than the same size coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts (or Dunkin’ Coffee as they call it in Spain).

Dunkin Donuts - Barcelona, Spain

There are many other caffeinated beverages that are popular, how do those stack up?

Caffeine is found in many other foods, such as chocolate. It is also found in guarana beans, which are very similar to coffee beans according to Brett’s Energy Drinks. So, be careful of those guarana filled energy drinks, caffeine is a hell of a drug.

Thanks to Kristen for suggesting this one and Ian for adding front lines insight.

Broken Secrets

Subscribe on: Facebook | Twitter | Kindle

Sources: Mayo Clinic, Brett’s Energy Drinks, Energy Fiend,

I got hooked on it when a local chain started serving high fructose cappuccinos. They’re mostly sugar, but they’re also a gateway to the serious stuff: coffea arabica, the most common species of coffee bean.

As I got older, I started to notice the effects of all the caffeine. I would get headaches if I didn’t drink enough of the stuff, but I couldn’t stop drinking it entirely… I loved the taste and it was a habitual part of my day, so I switched to decaffeinated coffee. I’m not alone, decaf coffee is growing in popularity, making up 10% of the global coffee market.

The first thing that should be noted, “decaffeinated” coffee still contains a small amount of caffeine and various countries have different standards for how much caffeine is permitted in “decaf” coffee.

There are six different ways to remove caffeine from coffee. It’s very challenging because coffee naturally contains over 400 chemicals that makeup its taste and aroma. Retaining all of those chemicals and only removing caffeine is an expert task that few are good at.

The first method for decaffeinating coffee involved using the toxic chemical benzene. Although the coffee beans were washed after treatment (to wash away the caffeine) this method is no longer used for obvious health risks. There are a couple other methods that involve chemicals: “the direct method” and “the indirect method”. The indirect method is sometimes called “water-processed” since it does involve water, but that is done to assimilate the process with another method called “the Swiss water process”, which is chemical free. The other process that is chemical free is “the CO2 Process.”  Both “the Swiss water process” and “the CO2 Process” are generally used on higher quality coffees.

One of the greatest coffee discoveries might be a naturally occurring coffee that is nearly void of all caffeine. It was found in Ethiopia, one of the earliest countries to have coffee plantations. A researcher discovered this coffee species and reported her findings in the the journal of Nature. Coffee generally has 12 milligrams of caffeine per gram, while this species has only 0.76 milligrams. It’s not a commercially viable species yet, but they’re working on it and I’ll let you know as soon as we can buy it!

Broken Secrets

Written By: Chad Upton

Become a Fan on Facebook

Sources: Coffee, Decaffeination, Journal of Nature

It’s pretty obvious these boxes are used to record your drink order. Sometimes I look at the writing in these boxes and try to match the secret codes with the options I requested. Most are pretty self explanatory, but some of the codes are not.

In fact, I didn’t even know what the entire “custom” box was for.

Today I found out. You see, I got a special delivery today. It started last week during my regular search for secrets, I had an idea. I wanted to know how easily I could get a Starbucks employee training manual. About ten minutes later I had purchased one from the used book section of Amazon. There was only one copy available.

I got it, and I’m going to share its secrets with you.

Just from flipping through it today, I think I could do a whole year worth of secrets from this book alone. For now, I’m just going to break down what all the drink id codes mean. Even if you don’t care what the codes mean, you’ll probably discover some options you didn’t know you had.

If it’s empty, then your drink is probably caffeinated (unless it’s naturally decaffeinated like some of the Tea options).

A Starbucks grande coffee has 330mg of caffeine. If you want to spike it, each additional shot of espresso adds 75mg of caffeine. Yes, espresso has less caffeine than coffee beans.

If it’s empty then you don’t get any shots (or you get the default shot for you drink).

If it’s empty, you get 2% milk. The only exception is a Frappucino, in which case you get whole milk by default.

Empty box means no custom selection.

If this is empty then they probably didn’t bother filling out any of the boxes.

If this is empty then they probably didn’t bother filling out any of the boxes.

If this is empty then they probably didn’t bother filling out any of the boxes.

If you have any to add, let me know. If you don’t know what some of these terms mean, then you should checkout my other entry, How to Order at Starbucks.

Thanks to all the commenters for updates and additions.

Broken Secrets | Chad Upton
Subscribe on: Facebook | Twitter | Kindle

Source: Starbucks Employee Training Manual

I don’t love it the way some people do, but I can see why they make daily trips or spend their afternoons there. The big smiles and attention to detail make you feel special, like you’re the only one who orders a drink that way. It’s like being part of an exclusive club that has its own language and club houses all over the world.

Actually, I’m sitting in a Starbucks while I write this. This is the first time I have written from Starbucks, or any cafe for that matter. I thought it was important for accuracy and inspiration — wait, my London Fog is ready.

OK, I’m back.

Jamie, the barista, says “hi” (barista is Italian for “bartender”).

A London Fog is basically a latte, with an earl grey tea bag and a shot of vanilla syrup. Not every Starbucks makes this drink well, but they’re really good about taking drinks back if you don’t like them, so don’t be afraid to try something new or let them know they made a mistake.

If you’re looking for “London Fog” on the menu, it has been renamed to reduce confusion. You’ll find it labeled as “Earl Grey” under “Tea Lattes.

A moment ago, I overheard a customer at the counter. I couldn’t help but listen to the conversation — It’s very quiet in here; since the guy with dreadlocks and the distinguished lady both left about ten minutes ago, I’m the only other person in the store. The customer said he’s here because his sick daughter told him: the only thing that will make her feel better is lemon loaf from Starbucks.

While the barista bagged the lemon loaf, the customer looked around casually and said, “So this is Starbucks.”

The barista smiled and said, “yes.”

“This is my first time in here” and as if he needed to defend himself he continued, “I’m not a coffee drinker.”

He paused and then said, “Do you have hot chocolate, or anything like that?”

In less than a minute the barista educated him on the variety of ways they could make his hot chocolate: with vanilla, steamed milk, espresso, whipped cream or all of the above.

He says, “I just want a hot chocolate, and I’m not into real hot stuff.” The barista told him that it can be made to any temperature, which resulted in a confused look on the customers face. The barista continued, “We make kids drinks at 140 degrees.”

The man thought about it for a few seconds. He said, “make it one thirty” and I was impressed. Two minutes ago, this man had never been in Starbucks, now he’s ordering drinks by temperature.

Starbucks is an intimidating place, until you’re comfortable with the language and the local customs.

There is no manual for ordering at Starbucks. When you’re new,  you listen to other people order ahead of you. Sometimes, it sounds the way a secret handshake looks — you don’t know what it means and you can’t repeat it. Why did they say they want their drink wet, isn’t that the idea?

It’s not supposed to be a secret, it’s supposed to be a way to communicate exactly how you want your order. On the other hand, some people like show off their expertise with the language.

So, what does it all mean? Here is a breakdown of some terms a Starbucks beginner probably won’t know:

• Non-fat/skim – skim milk (if your drink contains milk)
• Low-fat/percentage – 1% or 2% milk
• Breve – Made with half and half instead of milk. Makes it thicker, and contains many more calories than the above choices
• Skinny – Non-fat milk, sugar free syrup
• No Foam – Lattes and Macchiatos have foamed milk on top, you can ask for no foam or wet/dry
• Wet – Less Foam (and more liquid)
• Dry – More Foam (and less liquid)

You’ll also need to know the sizes. Unlike McDonald’s cups, they don’t have small, medium and large. Starbucks sizes, from smallest to largest, are the following:

1. Short – 8 oz. Basically kids size
2. Tall – 12 oz. You’ll get this size if you ask for small
3. Grande – 16 oz. This is medium, but it’s confusing because it means “large” in Italian
4. Venti – Translated from Italian, it means “Twenty,” which is how many ounces this size is

In the future, I’ll go over the contents of all the most popular drinks. In the meantime, try a Hot Chocolate with a shot of vanilla syrup — it’s a secret recipe for great hot chocolate.

Broken Secrets

Written By: Chad Upton

[available on Kindle]

Sources: Barista, Starbucks, Babelfish

I started drinking it in college, like most people, for the caffeine boost. Over time, I got really attached to the flavor. I went through a coffee obsession phase, trying coffee from different parts of the world with different tastes and different roasting techniques.

I’m not a coffee connoisseur, but there really are coffee connoisseurs out there. Premium coffee retailers and distributors have tasting rooms where they constantly inspect and taste coffee.

They sip it, swirl it around in their mouth and then spit it out. It must meet their strict approval to make it to the stores. If you think I’m exaggerating, click here to get a taste on the Starbucks blog. They even talk about coffee that is aged 3 to 5 years before being roasted.

Aging coffee probably reminds you of something else, wine. It turns out the coffee industry is a lot like the wine industry. Experts taste coffee the way connoisseurs taste and rate wine. They also share a similar vocabulary for describing flavor notes, hints of: caramel, chocolate, nuts…etc. Wine is classified by it’s region and grape (species). Coffee is also classified by region and species.

Historians believe that coffee plants were first cultivated in Ethiopia, around the year 850. In the next 50 years, coffee seeds were taken to the Arab world. The Arabians saw a future in coffee trade and guarded the seeds closely, but a few seeds were smuggled to the Dutch. Early in the 17th century, seeds made their way to Indonesia, being planted in Sumatra, Bali and the island of Java.

Java is one of the earliest coffee plantations and still an exporter of coffee today. Calling coffee, “java” is similar to referring to wine by it’s region, such as “I’ll have a glass of Champagne.”

On a related note, check out another coffee related secret: How to Properly Pour a Cup of Coffee.

Written By: Chad Upton

BrokenSecrets.com [Available on Kindle]

Sources: Coffee, Java Coffee, Indonesian Coffee, Coffee Bean, Champagne