Tim Hortons’ coffee gets super-sized — what about the caffeine?
Tim Hortons’ coffee cups are getting bigger. As a not-too-subtle attempt to keep up with the massive java portions at Starbucks and Second Cup, everyone’s favourite Canadian coffee shop is upping its cup sizes.
Starting next Monday, the 8-ounce cup you knew as “small,” will be “extra small.” The once 20-ounce “extra large” will simply be “large.”
Want extra large? Get ready for 24 ounces of joe.
(In the States, the 8-ounce cup isn’t even an option anymore. Go big or go home.)
What’s the big deal? Well, if you’re watching your caffeine — and/or your calories, assuming you don’t drink your coffee black — these super-sized coffees make it hard to track your consumption, dietitians worry. One extra-large coffee is the equivalent of three 8-ounce cups, often the measurement used when nutritionists talk about “a cup of coffee.”
[See also: How to make the perfect cup of tea]
The American Dietetic Association recommends no more than 300 mg of caffeine a day, typically the amount in two or three 8-ounce cups. Health Canada recommends you cap your intake at 400 mg. Here’s where it gets tricky: not all 8-ounce cups are created equal.
Let’s compare, shall we?
The 20-ounce cup at Tim Hortons’ — the extra-large-turned-simply-large one — contains about 200 mg of caffeine. (Some experts claim it’s closer to 270 mg.)
The same size at Starbucks? You’ll find between 370 and 400 mg of caffeine. (In fact, you’ll consume over 200 mg of caffeine in a Starbucks “tall,” which is only 12 ounces.) At Second Cup, expect the same buzz, with about 400 mg of caffeine in 20 ounces of coffee — reaching your caffeine quota for the day.
Decaf, anyone?
We’re certainly not taking an anti-coffee stance — we love touting its benefits — but we are recommending that you drink with awareness.
Will you buy the new extra-large coffee at Tim Hortons?
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