Caffeine has been used for ages as an energy booster. It’s highly likely that you’ve already had some today. So what makes caffeine so special? Trimethylxanthine, as it’s known to Science, is a relatively harmless xanthine alkaloid that works by preventing adenosine in the brain from slowing down your nerve impulses, and by increasing the neurotransmitter dopamine. Combined, this prevents tiredness and elevates mood.

Cup of Tea
Dopamine also regulates energy and motivation, so sipping a bit of caffeine before a task really does help motivate and focus you.
There are studies showing that caffeine is excellent to take before a workout, because it can give you an extra bump of energy to push through that extra repetition, or to hold your speed through that last quarter-mile of running.
Caffeine even has long-term benefits for brain and heart health, including reduction of cardiovascular stress and prevention of Parkinson’s disease.*
So, now that you’re ready for your daily dose, take a moment to take a look at these caffeine sources and their cost-per-miligram. The list goes from cheapest to most expensive. (Note that many of the more expensive caffeine sources are worth avoiding anyway, if only for their sugar content.)
Let us know your favorite sources in the comments. (Mine is lightly sweetened black tea.)
- No Doz (0.0008 cents per mg)
- Tetley’s Black Tea (0.0011 cents per mg
- Excedrin Extra Strength (0.0015 cents per mg)
- Starbucks Grande Coffee (0.0056 cents per mg)
- Starbucks Grande Iced Coffee (w/o Ice) 0.0059 cents per mg)
- Mountain Dew (0.0090 cents per mg)
- Starbucks Grande Iced Coffee (w/ Ice) (0.0097 cents per mg)
- Diet Coke/Tab (Tie) (0.0104 cents per mg)
- Dr. Pepper (0.0111 cents per mg
- Midol Maximum Strength (0.0113 cents per mg)
- Sunkist Orange Soda (0.0116 cents per mg)
- Pepsi (0.0129 cents per mg)
- Starbucks Double Espresso (0.013 cents per mg)
- Coke (0.0140 cents per mg)
- Monster Energy Drink (0.0149 cents per mg)
- Full Throttle Energy Drink (0.0159 cents per mg)
- A & W Cream Soda (0.0169 cents per mg)
- Starbucks Grande Latte/Single Espresso (Tie) (0.0200 cents per mg)
- Barq’s Rootbeer (0.0213 cents per mg)
- Starbucks Grande Tazo Chai Tea Latte (0.0355 cents per mg)
- Rockstar Energy Drink (0.0374 cents per mg)
- Snapple Iced Tea (0.07 cents per mg)
List Source: WiseBread
*You can read more about the health benefits of caffeine at Men’s Health.