If you’re looking for an iced coffee with a stated caffeine content, start with a figure for the whole bottle: Auchan’s listing for Emmi Espresso Caffé Latté 20 cl gives 105 mg. That figure alone won’t tell you how it tastes. For a quick lunch, also compare the sugars per bottle, the ingredients and the storage instructions. Don’t assume a cappuccino or frappuccino has more caffeine just because it tastes intense.
For a quick lunch break, you’d rather have a stated caffeine amount than rely on a vague description such as ‘intense’. Auchan’s listings for the three Emmi Espresso, Macchiato and Cappuccino varieties each give a figure per bottle.
You might prefer a cold coffee drink, perhaps with cocoa or added flavourings. In that case, the ingredients and sugar content per serving matter just as much as the taste description. A creamy recipe doesn’t tell you how much caffeine it contains.
Choose a format that suits your journey and make sure you can follow the storage instructions. Also check the ingredients and nutritional information on the bottle you plan to drink.
When choosing an iced coffee to take with you, first decide whether you’re looking for a verifiable caffeine amount or mainly a particular flavour. Then check the whole bottle and how it needs to be stored during your journey. You can’t tell either from the recipe name alone.
| What to check | Look for | Who is this useful for? |
|---|---|---|
| Stated caffeine content | Look for the caffeine in mg per bottle, and take any other caffeinated drinks you have that day into account. Auchan gives 105 mg for a 20 cl bottle of Emmi Espresso Caffé Latté. | I want to see how this bottle fits in with my other sources of caffeine, rather than relying on the word ‘bold’. Around 33% of consumers would put this need to measure first. |
| Sugars per serving | Check the sugars per 100 ml, then work out the amount in the volume you’ll drink. Compare bottles of the same size before judging their recipes. | If I’m having the drink with lunch, I want to know the sugar content of the whole bottle, not just the amount per 100 ml. This would be the main consideration for around 27% of consumers. |
| Transport and storage | Check the instructions for storing the drink before and after opening, as well as the volume. Auchan’s listing for Caffè latte 25 cl says to store it between 0 °C and +6 °C before opening. | Between buying the drink and having lunch, I need to know I can store it as instructed. Around 20% of consumers would put this practical consideration first. |
| Recipe and ingredients | Read the ingredients and any allergens listed on the bottle, and distinguish black coffee from coffee-and-milk recipes. | I’m looking for a coffee-and-milk flavour, but I want to know what’s in the recipe before I choose. Around 20% of consumers would put ingredients and flavour profile first. |
‘Espresso’ or ‘intense’ may describe the taste without giving you a comparable caffeine amount. Auchan gives 105 mg of caffeine per bottle for Emmi Espresso Caffé Latté 20 cl. That figure applies to this variety, not to all iced coffees.
If caffeine is your priority, look for an amount in mg for the serving you’ll drink, and take any other caffeinated drinks into account.
A figure per 100 ml doesn’t necessarily represent the whole bottle: the sizes mentioned here range from 20 to 25 cl, for example.
Use the stated volume to compare the sugars in the amount you’ll actually drink, then check the caffeine separately if it’s given.
Coffee-and-milk recipes aren’t interchangeable with black coffee. Auchan’s listing for Carte Noire Cappuccino 250 ml mentions semi-skimmed milk, cane sugar, instant Arabica coffee and cocoa.
If you avoid a particular ingredient or allergen, read the list on the bottle you’re choosing rather than assuming what’s in it from the words ‘iced coffee’.
A ready-to-drink bottle isn’t necessarily suitable for carrying without refrigeration. For example, Auchan Caffè latte 25 cl must be stored between 0 °C and +6 °C before opening.
Choose a product you’ll be able to keep at the right temperature until lunch. If you keep a bottle after opening it, follow the instructions for storing it afterwards too.
These products show how recipes and label information can vary. Compare the exact varieties rather than assuming that the details of one bottle apply to the whole brand.
Auchan lists three 20 cl Caffé Latté varieties: Espresso, Macchiato and Cappuccino.
Auchan’s listing for the 250 ml ready-to-drink organic Cappuccino describes a recipe made with semi-skimmed milk, instant Arabica coffee and cocoa.
Auchan lists Frappuccino Café 250 ml and Cappuccino 220 ml as two different ready-to-drink beverages.
Caffè latte 25 cl is a chilled own-brand drink.
These single-serve options are for an iced coffee break on the go. Several are Americanos or black coffees, while the Caramel Macchiato offers a different recipe. A product name or flavour description alone won’t tell you how much caffeine it contains, so check the label if that’s your deciding factor.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for a single-serve bottle of iced Americano to enjoy at lunch.
Size stated in the name: 350 ml. If you’re choosing based on caffeine or sugars, check the figures on the bottle before buying.
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Worth considering if you prefer the compact format of black coffee to a coffee-and-milk recipe.
Size stated in the name: 190 ml. Check the packaging for nutritional information, particularly salt, as well as the caffeine content if it’s important to your choice.
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Worth considering if you’d like a small serving of iced Americano in the Sweet variety.
Size stated in the name: 190 ml. The name doesn’t give the sugar or caffeine content, so check the can for figures covering the whole serving.
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Worth considering if you’d like a bottled iced Americano in the Sweet variety.
Size stated in the name: 350 ml. Compare the sugars in this bottle, and look for a caffeine figure in mg if the flavour description alone isn’t enough to help you choose.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for an iced Caramel Macchiato rather than an Americano.
Size stated in the name: 230 ml. Before taking it with you, check the can for the ingredients, sugars per serving, caffeine content and storage instructions.
No: ‘intense’ describes the taste, not the caffeine content. To compare caffeine, look for the amount in mg per serving. Auchan gives 105 mg per bottle for Emmi Espresso Caffé Latté 20 cl, a figure specific to this variety.
Follow the storage instructions on your chosen bottle throughout your journey. Auchan’s listing for Caffè latte 25 cl says to keep it between 0 °C and +6 °C before opening. For Carte Noire Cappuccino 75 cl, it specifies that the drink should be refrigerated and consumed within three days of opening.
Start with the ingredients, allergens, volume and nutritional information, then read the storage instructions. The DGCCRF notes that pre-packed food labels include, among other things, an ingredients list and a nutrition declaration. To compare these drinks, use the sugars listed per 100 ml to work out the amount in the serving you’ll drink.
No: it’s a drink to consider alongside the rest of your meal, not a description of your whole lunch. If you choose a coffee-and-milk recipe, check the ingredients, volume and nutritional information on the bottle you’ll actually be drinking.