How much caffeine is in Dunkin' Original Blend (Medium)?

One medium Dunkin' Original Blend (414 ml) contains 210 mg of caffeine. This figure is the value in the TrackCaffeine dataset for this drink (TrackCaffeine dataset).

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that raises alertness and reduces perceived fatigue; this is a definition of caffeine given as background to the numbers that follow.

At 414 ml and 210 mg, the drink contains about 50.7 mg of caffeine per 100 ml (calculated from 210 mg ÷ 414 ml × 100 ml; the 210 mg value is from the TrackCaffeine dataset, /dataset/). By the standard used on this site (drip coffee = 96 mg per 240 ml), this single medium Dunkin' is about 2.2 times a 240 ml cup of drip coffee (96 mg per 240 ml) as recorded in our reference dataset (TrackCaffeine dataset). The immediate subjective effects for most adults—milder alertness, slightly faster heart rate—typically start within 15–45 minutes after ingestion and peak around 30–120 minutes, with timing and intensity varying by sensitivity and recent caffeine use (serving size and mg from the TrackCaffeine dataset, /dataset/).

How long Dunkin' Original Blend (Medium) stays in your system

TrackCaffeine models caffeine decay as first-order elimination with a population-average half-life of 5.7 hours; that is the half-life used for our remaining-caffeine math (TrackCaffeine model: half-life 5.7 hours). The elimination formula is: remaining = dose × 0.5^(hours / 5.7). For this drink the arithmetic uses dose = 210 mg (210 mg value from the TrackCaffeine dataset, /dataset/).

Using the formula: remaining after 3 h = 210 × 0.5^(3 / 5.7) = 210 × 0.5^0.526 ≈ 210 × 0.697 ≈ 146 mg (210 mg from TrackCaffeine dataset; half-life 5.7 h from TrackCaffeine model, caffeine half-life calculator). Remaining after 6 h = 210 × 0.5^(6 / 5.7) = 210 × 0.5^1.053 ≈ 210 × 0.482 ≈ 101 mg. Remaining after 9 h ≈ 210 × 0.5^(9 / 5.7) ≈ 210 × 0.333 ≈ 70 mg. Remaining after 12 h ≈ 210 × 0.5^(12 / 5.7) ≈ 210 × 0.234 ≈ 49 mg. Each number above uses the 210 mg dose listed in the TrackCaffeine dataset (/dataset/) and the 5.7-hour half-life built into our elimination model (/tools/caffeine-calculator/).

Example clock times: if the cup is consumed at 15:00, expect about 146 mg remaining at 18:00, 101 mg at 21:00, 70 mg at 00:00, and 49 mg at 03:00 (numbers calculated with the TrackCaffeine half-life 5.7 h and the 210 mg dose recorded in our dataset, /dataset/).

One medium Dunkin' Original Blend provides 210 mg, which is 53% of a 400 mg daily guidance used for healthy adults; the 400 mg figure is the level used by the European Food Safety Authority in its 2015 Scientific Opinion (400 mg/day; EFSA Scientific Opinion on the Safety of Caffeine, 2015, EFSA 2015).

Two full medium servings would deliver 420 mg total (2 × 210 mg = 420 mg), exceeding 400 mg; the 210 mg per-serving number is from the TrackCaffeine dataset and the 400 mg benchmark is EFSA 2015 (values and guidance: TrackCaffeine dataset, /dataset/; EFSA 2015, EFSA 2015).

On sleep timing: Drake et al. (2013) found that a 400 mg dose given 6 hours before bedtime still caused measurable sleep loss (Drake et al., 2013, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, Drake et al. 2013), so for a 210 mg dose expect a meaningful residual effect if consumed within several hours of bedtime. For an example bedtime of 23:00, a cup at 17:00 (6 h earlier) would leave about 101 mg remaining at 23:00 by the TrackCaffeine decay model (calculation: 210 × 0.5^(6/5.7) ≈ 101 mg; dose from TrackCaffeine dataset and half-life per our model, /dataset/); consult the site tool for personal timing estimates at /tools/last-cup-before-bed/.

Groups who should be especially cautious: pregnant people are recommended to limit intake to 200 mg/day according to EFSA 2015 (EFSA Scientific Opinion, 2015, 200 mg/day during pregnancy, EFSA 2015), so one medium Dunkin' at 210 mg exceeds that pregnancy recommendation by 10 mg; adolescents and people with documented caffeine sensitivity will also want smaller amounts or to consult a clinician, and TrackCaffeine provides personalized guidance via /tools/safe-daily-limit/.

Within the coffee-shop category in our dataset, this Dunkin' Original Blend at 210 mg sits below Starbucks Pike Place Brewed (Grande) at 310 mg and above several milk-based Starbucks drinks: it contains more caffeine than Starbucks Caffè Latte (Grande) at 150 mg and less than Starbucks Caffè Americano (Grande) at 225 mg (all numbers from the TrackCaffeine dataset; see the individual pages for each: Starbucks Pike Place Brewed (Grande), 310 mg, Starbucks Caffè Latte (Grande), 150 mg, Starbucks Caffè Americano (Grande), 225 mg, and TrackCaffeine dataset, /dataset/).

Compared with a standard 240 ml cup of drip coffee at 96 mg (our reference), the Dunkin' medium at 210 mg is about 2.2 times as caffeinated per serving (210 mg and 96 mg values from the TrackCaffeine dataset, /dataset/). Compared to ready-to-drink energy beverages in our reference points (for example, Monster Energy 473 ml = 160 mg in the reference list), the Dunkin' brewed medium supplies more total caffeine than a 473 ml Monster Energy (TrackCaffeine reference list, /dataset/).

What changes the number for Dunkin' Original Blend (Medium)

The posted 210 mg is an estimate for Dunkin' Original Blend served as a 414 ml medium; the value is from the TrackCaffeine dataset and represents a typical measurement for this size and blend (TrackCaffeine dataset).

What actually moves the number for a coffee-shop brewed drink are measurable factors: brew ratio (grams of coffee per ml of water), extraction time and temperature, grind size, roast level, and cup volume; each factor changes the mg delivered per serving and causes the single figure to be an approximation rather than an absolute. Published brew studies and public lab measurements show single-cup ranges can vary by ±20–40% depending on these variables (serving mg in our dataset; source: TrackCaffeine dataset, /dataset/).

Within this category you can find large differences even at the same store: a milk-forward beverage such as the Dunkin' Latte (medium) contains 119 mg in our dataset, while brewed offerings can be higher or lower depending on extraction (Dunkin' Latte (Medium), 119 mg and our brewed value 210 mg from the TrackCaffeine dataset, /dataset/).

• Size: a larger cup scales the total mg roughly linearly when brew concentration is unchanged; 414 ml at 210 mg scales differently than a 473 ml serving (values come from our dataset, /dataset/).
• Variant: espresso-pull-based drinks (lattes, cappuccinos) use far less brewed volume and therefore often show lower total mg despite similar perceived strength; see the Dunkin' Latte (medium) at 119 mg in our dataset (Dunkin' Latte (Medium), 119 mg).
• Batch and barista: a stronger batch or a longer extraction raises the mg; inconsistent pulls and machine settings produce the most variation (data basis: TrackCaffeine dataset, /dataset/).

Decaffeinated variants exist that deliberately remove most caffeine; we do not invent a decaf mg here because decaf levels vary by process and brand, but qualitatively decaf versions carry a small fraction of the 210 mg listed above (210 mg reference from TrackCaffeine dataset, /dataset/).

Where this figure comes from

The 210 mg value on this page comes from the TrackCaffeine open dataset collection method described on our /dataset/ page; the entry reflects manufacturer-supplied numbers and public lab measurements where available (value: 210 mg, TrackCaffeine dataset, /dataset/).

Published values disagree for three reasons: different measured serving volumes, analytical method differences in mg quantification, and batch-to-batch brew variation; we will update the 210 mg figure if manufacturers publish an official laboratory result or if public food-composition databases report a different value for the same 414 ml medium in the future (current basis: TrackCaffeine dataset, /dataset/).

Bottom line

Bottom line: a Dunkin' Original Blend medium (414 ml) contains 210 mg of caffeine (TrackCaffeine dataset, /dataset/), about 50.7 mg per 100 ml, and uses 53% of a 400 mg daily guidance (EFSA Scientific Opinion, 2015, 400 mg/day, EFSA 2015). Two of these medium cups (2 × 210 mg = 420 mg) would exceed 400 mg.

Using the TrackCaffeine half-life of 5.7 hours, remaining caffeine after drinking at 15:00 would be ≈146 mg at 18:00, ≈101 mg at 21:00, ≈70 mg at 00:00, and ≈49 mg at 03:00 (calculations use 210 mg dose and the TrackCaffeine decay model; /dataset/).