Tim Hortons Coffee Caffeine: Size and Drink Breakdown

A medium Tim Hortons Original Blend (295 ml) contains 140 mg of caffeine.

• 140 mg — caffeine in a medium Tim Hortons Original Blend (295 ml).
• 68–200 mg — typical Tim Hortons espresso-based and cold-brew ranges: latte 240 ml = 68 mg; cold brew 240 ml = 200 mg.
• 3 mg — a 240 ml decaf at Tim Hortons, per dataset, contains only 3 mg.
• ~68 mg — after about 6 hours roughly half of 140 mg (~68 mg) remains in the average person (half-life ≈ 5.7 h).

Tim Hortons caffeine at a glance

The dataset lists Tim Hortons Original Blend (Medium, 295 ml) and Tim Hortons Double-Double (Medium, 295 ml) at 140 mg caffeine each. Other café-style drinks commonly sold at Tim Hortons or comparable chain locations are listed below; these exact numbers come from the supplied dataset.

How Tim Hortons compares to other chains

Comparisons use exact dataset values: medium Tim Hortons brewed coffee (295 ml = 140 mg) fits in the mid-range when compared to other chains. Below shows standard servings from the dataset.

Decay over time: how much remains after drinking a medium (140 mg)

Use a population-average half-life of 5.7 hours (caffeine elimination approximated as first-order). Fraction remaining = (1/2)^(t/5.7). For a 140 mg dose these are the expected averages:

Why the numbers vary: brewing, shots and serving size

Caffeine per cup is a function of concentration (mg/100 ml in the dataset), shot count, and serving volume. Examples from the dataset show wide spread: pour over 240 ml = 145 mg (60.4 mg/100 ml) versus drip 240 ml = 96 mg (40 mg/100 ml) and cold brew 240 ml = 200 mg (83.3 mg/100 ml). Espresso-based drinks vary by shot: a single espresso (30 ml) is 63 mg while a double is 126 mg.

Common variables

• Bean origin and roast — lighter roasts often measure higher caffeine by volume than darker roasts, though bean density matters.
• Brew method — cold-brew and pour-over in the dataset are substantially higher than drip or instant per the same 240 ml standard.
• Shot count and drink size — lattes with one shot (240 ml = 68 mg) versus two-shot large lattes (350 ml = 126 mg).

Decaf, iced drinks and the Iced Capp question

The dataset lists decaf coffee at 240 ml = 3 mg; that’s residual caffeine, not zero. Many iced specialty drinks (Iced Capp is not in the dataset) combine coffee, milk, cream and sugar; caffeine will vary with whether they use instant coffee, espresso shots, or a brewed concentrate. If you need a quick estimate for an Iced Capp, treat it like a 1–2 shot blended drink: expect roughly 60–130 mg depending on shot count — mark that as an estimate unless the chain supplies a specific value.

Health context and timing vs sleep

Authoritative guidance: the FDA notes 400 mg/day as a typical safe upper limit for healthy adults; many organizations advise lower limits in pregnancy (~200 mg/day) and the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages caffeine for adolescents. If you drink a 140 mg medium Tim Hortons in the afternoon, expect roughly 68 mg to remain at 6 hours — which can still affect sleep for sensitive individuals. For personalized tracking and to avoid exceeding daily limits, log drinks in an app such as CoffeeLog to sum milligrams across beverages and snacks.

Bottom line: practical advice

A medium Tim Hortons coffee is 140 mg of caffeine—enough for most adults to feel alert and for some to notice jitteriness. Choose decaf (3 mg per 240 ml in the dataset) or smaller sizes if you need to limit intake; consider brew-method differences if you want higher or lower caffeine. Track totals against FDA and specialty guidance and consult a clinician for pregnancy, pediatric, or medical concerns.

What happens if I add a single espresso shot to a medium Tim Hortons coffee?

Adding a single espresso shot (63 mg) to a medium Tim Hortons brewed coffee (140 mg) gives a total of 203 mg of caffeine immediately after preparation (140 mg + 63 mg = 203 mg). Using TrackCaffeine's population-average half-life of 5.7 hours (342 minutes) the combined dose will fall to about 98 mg after 6 hours (203 × 0.5^(6/5.7) ≈ 203 × 0.482 ≈ 98 mg).

Total dose is the sum of the caffeine amounts in each component.

The espresso value (63 mg per single shot) and the Tim Hortons medium value (140 mg per 295 ml) come from the dataset; see the single-espresso entry and the Tim Hortons Original Blend (Medium) entry in the dataset. Because EFSA's 2015 opinion sets a 200 mg single-dose benchmark, the 203 mg combined amount slightly exceeds EFSA's 200 mg single-dose guidance in 2015 (EFSA 2015).

If you want to log this combination automatically, use our caffeine half-life calculator at the caffeine half-life calculator to see remaining mg in real time.

If I drink a medium Tim Hortons and a 240 ml cold brew in the same session, how much caffeine am I taking and how much will remain after six hours?

Drinking a Tim Hortons medium (140 mg) plus a 240 ml cold brew (200 mg) in the same session yields an immediate total of 340 mg (140 mg + 200 mg = 340 mg). Using TrackCaffeine's population-average half-life of 5.7 hours (342 minutes), roughly 48.2% remains at 6 hours, so about 164 mg will remain (340 × 0.482 ≈ 164 mg).

First-order elimination is a model where the fraction removed per unit time is constant, so repeated-time calculations use the factor 0.5^(t/5.7).

The dataset lists cold brew at 240 ml = 200 mg and Tim Hortons medium at 295 ml = 140 mg; add those values directly to get 340 mg. For context, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration places a typical safe upper limit for healthy adults at 400 mg/day (FDA), so the 340 mg single-session total approaches that limit for the day and would be above EFSA's 200 mg single-dose benchmark from 2015 (EFSA 2015).

For a size-by-size comparison of these drinks, see our side-by-side tool at caffeine comparison and the cold-brew deep dive at Cold Brew Coffee: Complete Caffeine Content Guide.

How much caffeine accumulates if I sip a medium Tim Hortons every hour for three hours?

Sipping a medium Tim Hortons (140 mg) at 0, 1, and 2 hours results in roughly 375.5 mg present immediately after the third sip (not yet accounting for later elimination). Calculate each dose's remaining contribution at time = 2 hours: first dose 140 × 0.5^(2/5.7) ≈ 140 × 0.792 ≈ 110.9 mg; second dose 140 × 0.5^(1/5.7) ≈ 140 × 0.890 ≈ 124.6 mg; third dose just added = 140 mg; sum = 110.9 + 124.6 + 140 = 375.5 mg.

Accumulation is the build-up of active drug or stimulant when elimination between doses is incomplete.

That 375.5 mg total is already close to, but below, the FDA's 400 mg/day guideline for healthy adults (FDA). Using the same half-life, the three-dose total will continue to fall after the third sip by the same factor 0.5^(t/5.7); plug the 375.5 mg into our caffeine half-life calculator to see remaining mg at later times.

Can a medium Tim Hortons plus a 250 ml Red Bull put someone over pregnancy guidance?

Yes. A medium Tim Hortons coffee (140 mg) plus a 250 ml Red Bull (80 mg) totals 220 mg (140 mg + 80 mg = 220 mg), which exceeds the 200 mg/day pregnancy guidance stated by EFSA in 2015 and echoed by NHS and ACOG guidance referenced in pregnancy resources (EFSA 2015). For pregnant people, keeping daily caffeine under 200 mg is the commonly cited guideline in 2015 and in national advisories.

Pregnancy guidance is a public-health recommendation for limiting maternal caffeine exposure to reduce risk signals shown in population studies.

If you are pregnant or trying to conceive, consult our pregnancy-focused pages such as Caffeine and Pregnancy: A Comprehensive Guide and Caffeine During Pregnancy: How Much Is Safe? for more context and talk to your clinician about individual factors.

How quickly will I notice the caffeine after drinking a medium Tim Hortons?

Most people begin to feel the stimulant effects of a 140 mg cup within about 15 minutes and typically reach near-peak bloodstream concentrations at roughly 30–60 minutes, according to clinical summaries of caffeine pharmacology (Mayo Clinic). Effects then decline according to first-order elimination with a population-average half-life of 5.7 hours used by TrackCaffeine.

Onset time is the interval from ingestion to a noticeable physiological or cognitive effect.

Sensitivity varies: novices, light consumers, and some people with slower metabolism notice effects faster and stronger from a 140 mg dose than habitual high consumers. For strategies to limit evening exposure without losing a morning boost, try smaller sizes or cold alternatives listed in our comparisons, or track cumulative mg with our safe daily limit by body weight tool.

Bottom line

A medium Tim Hortons Original Blend (295 ml) contains 140 mg of caffeine; that single figure is the key starting point. TrackCaffeine uses a population-average half-life of 5.7 hours (342 minutes) to model elimination, so a 140 mg medium will decline to roughly 68 mg after 6 hours (140 × 0.5^(6/5.7) ≈ 140 × 0.482 ≈ 68 mg). The dataset's values for other common items you might mix—single espresso 63 mg, cold brew 200 mg, and a 250 ml Red Bull 80 mg—let you add directly to get totals.

For everyday safety context, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2024 states about 400 mg/day as a typical upper limit for healthy adults (FDA), and EFSA's 2015 opinion gives a 200 mg single-dose benchmark and 200 mg/day caution for pregnancy (EFSA 2015). Use simple arithmetic with the dataset values (for example, medium Tim Hortons 140 mg + single espresso 63 mg = 203 mg) and the first-order elimination factor 0.5^(hours/5.7) to predict remaining mg; for repeated or mixed drinks, use our caffeine half-life calculator and the comparison tool to avoid unintended accumulation.