Coffee is the best, but it isn’t always quick. In fact, it can be inconvenient to wait for it to brew, and if you're in a rush, then made-to-order coffee probably isn’t an option. You might think that means you can’t get your morning caffeine hit, but that’s not the case because there are actually a lot of great bottled coffee drinks on the market.
In this guide, we'll introduce the best options for you to grab and go in the morning.
15 Bottled Coffee Drinks (Grab & Go Coffee Drinks)
1. Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino Coffee
Starbucks is probably the most famous coffee maker globally, so it's no surprise that they're the first on our list. The Starbucks bottled mocha Frappuccino is rich, smooth, and chocolatey, and it's basically a caffeinated chocolate milkshake. This sweet and smooth drink tends to be popular with younger Starbucks drinkers, but it's a popular morning drink to grab if you're in a rush.
It's made with brewed Starbucks coffee, reduced-fat milk, cocoa, and sweeteners. There are 180 calories, 31 grams of sugar, and 50mg of caffeine in a 9.5 fl oz serving, so it's not particularly healthy, but it's not as bad as a regular Starbucks Frappuccino. So if you like sugary coffees but don't have much time, this is a good replacement.
2. Starbucks Bottled Vanilla Frappuccino
The Starbucks vanilla Frappuccino is another very popular bottled coffee, and you'll find it in most major supermarkets. It has the same light but sweet taste as their made-to-order version but with slightly fewer calories and less caffeine. It's another popular option with students and younger Starbucks drinkers, and it's one of the best value bottled coffees because you can buy them in bulk. It even comes in a compact bottle, so it's easy to take with you for lunch or on your daily commute.
This Starbucks bottled coffee is made with brewed Starbucks coffee, low-fat milk, vanilla syrup, and sweeteners, with 200 calories, 31 grams of sugar, and 50mg of caffeine in a 9.5 fl oz serving. This is an excellent bottled option for those who enjoy sweet Starbucks drinks.
3. Chameleon Cold Brew Black Coffee
Chameleon coffee is based in Austin, Texas, and specializes in organic coffees. Their cold-brew black coffee is very strong but very smooth, and you can tell they've put a lot of thought into getting the right beans. It’s one for coffee purists, and despite being bottled, it tastes more authentic than a lot of freshly made cold brews.
This bottled coffee is not for the faint of heart, and there's over 200mg of caffeine in a 300ml (10.5 fl oz) serving. They don't add any sugar or sweeteners to the cold brew, and it's only 15 calories, so it's perfect for those on a diet. This cold brew bottled coffee isn’t for those who like sugary lattes, but it’s a great option to grab on the go if you need a big energy boost.
4. Chameleon Cold-Brew Vanilla Coffee
The vanilla version of the Chameleon cold brew is a good alternative for those who prefer it a bit sweeter. It's just as smooth and just as strong, but with a bit of organic sugar to take out some of the bitterness. Even though it's just as strong as the Chameleon cold brew black coffee, we find it a lot easier to drink, and it’s a better bottled coffee drink for people who usually order sweet lattes or Frappuccinos.
There’s around 200mg of caffeine and 70 calories in a 32 fl oz bottle. This makes it slightly more calorific than the black coffee blend, but still very light compared to other coffees. Everything about this bottled coffee is organic, and it's a great grab-and-go alternative to perk you up at lunchtime when your energy levels start to drop.
5. Blue Bottle Coffee New Orleans Iced Coffee
Blue Bottle Coffee is a company of brewing specialists who aim to provide all the flavors of store-bought coffees to those who are on the move. They offer a range of bottled coffee options but also sell coffee subscriptions, travel mugs, brewing kits, and accessories so you can get the perfect coffee at any time of day.
The New Orleans iced coffee is very rich and creamy. It’s made with whole milk, chicory, and cane sugar for a bit of sweetness. It’s all served in a carton, and we recommend that you pour it over ice to get maximum refreshment. There’s around 100mg of caffeine and 160 calories in a 315ml (10 fl oz) serving, so we find this is the perfect afternoon iced coffee drink. Sweet, creamy, and very easy to drink, the Blue Bottle Coffee New Orleans iced coffee makes an excellent alternative for latte and cappuccino lovers.
6. Picnik Bottled Butter Coffees
Picnik is a fairly new brand offering something entirely different from traditional coffee. Their focus is on health and introducing a new wave of coffees that help to boost your immune system and improve your mental and physical wellbeing. The Picnik bottled butter coffee range is made with butter instead of milk or cream. The idea is that there's less sugar but still just as much creaminess, and it's suitable for increasingly popular keto diets.
I know it sounds weird, but the butter actually really works. It gives a lot of creaminess, and the fat helps to remove the need for so much sugar. This helps those on restrictive diets from having a sugar crash later in the day. There are three different flavors: mocha latte, cappuccino, and dirty chai. They range from 1 to 21 grams of sugar, which is low for this type of drink, and there's roughly 150mg of caffeine in each 10 fl oz pack. We’re not 100% sure if this is a healthy bottled coffee drink, but if you're on a keto diet, then you should definitely try it.
7. Secret Squirrel's Bottled Cold Brew Coffee
Secret Squirrel offers a range of bottled coffees that combine some classic flavors to enhance the coffee drinking experience. They have caramel lattes, maple brown sugar, and lightly sweetened black coffees, so there's something for everyone, though we wouldn't say this is the healthiest bottled coffee drink.
There are 140 calories, 10 grams of sugar, and 200mg of caffeine in an 8 fl oz serving. This is actually quite a good calorie to caffeine ratio and will give you a more significant energy boost than most made-to-order lattes. It tastes pretty smooth and is very easy to drink, making it a great grab-and-go option for caffeine lovers. Secret Squirrel also offers a range of concentrated cold brew coffees, so you can add milk yourself at home or in the office. These are less useful on the go but give you great value for money and allow you to customize the strength of the drink yourself.
8. Blue Island Coffee Blend
Blue Island has also introduced a range of healthier bottled coffee options designed to provide antioxidants and probiotics into the body - kind of like the green tea of the cold brew coffee world. They've done this by combining Kombucha with cold brew coffee to create their unique Coffeebucha.
Kombucha is an herbal green tea (very different to black tea) which is known to boost your immune system, and by combining this with cold brew, they're giving you the best of both worlds. They offer a few different flavors, including vanilla, hazelnut, chai, and maca espresso.
Combining coffee and green or black tea isn't something everyone will enjoy, and we have to admit that it is pretty different. The drink is lighter in color and taste and actually a bit more refreshing than a regular cold brew. There is about 200mg of caffeine in an 11 fl oz serving, but only 10-50 calories, depending on the flavor. It's one of the healthiest bottled coffees and often enjoyed by green tea or black tea drinkers, but the unique flavor can take you by surprise.
9. McDonald's McCafé Frappes
When you're talking about fast food and grab and go, you can't get much faster than McDonalds. In 2018 they launched their own brand of bottled ice coffees with three flavors: mocha, vanilla, and caramel. These are now available in their stores or supermarkets and are one of the cheapest bottled alternatives to a store-bought Frappuccino.
The McDonald’s McCafé Frappes aren't the healthiest option, with 270 calories and 45 grams of sugar in a single 16 fl oz serving. These drinks do have a little caffeine boost of 105mg, but they are closer to a milkshake than a coffee. Nevertheless, if you love really sweet, sugary lattes and cappuccinos, then these are going to be right up your street.
10. Coffee So Good Cashew Mocha Coffee Cold Brew
Coffee So Good is an offshoot of the popular Juice So Good brand and has the same mission: to create natural drinks for everyone to enjoy. Their range of bottled coffees with alternative kinds of milk makes them suitable for everyone and an excellent option for those looking to go dairy-free.
The cashew mocha cold brew is made with cold press coffee, cacao, salt, and cashews. The nutty, chocolate flavor is delicious, and despite the sweetness, it packs a big caffeine kick. There are 160 calories, 9 grams of sugar, and 150mg of caffeine in a 9 fl oz bottle. This is a great grab and go coffee drink for those who are lactose intolerant.
11. Dunkin' Donuts Bottled Iced Coffee Beverages
Dunkin' Donuts is known for their donuts and their coffee, but they now have a range of pre-made bottled coffees so you can get your fix on the go. They offer espresso, mocha, French vanilla, and original flavor, and they are all made with arabica coffee, milk, and sugar. These aren’t a low-calorie option, but they do taste good.
Each Dunkin Donut bottled iced coffee has 260 calories and 40 grams of sugar. There’s around 150mg of caffeine in a 14 fl oz serving, so the mixture of sugar and coffee should give you a noticeable energy boost. Dunkin' Donuts bottled iced coffees aren't as fancy as some other bottled coffees, but they’re affordable, smooth to drink, and taste good, so they work well as a quick alternative when you’re in a hurry.
12. Coffee Love Blends A Double Shot Espresso
Coffee Love offers another dairy-free bottled coffee option that combines the strength of an arabica coffee bean espresso with the smoothness of coconut milk. This gives you a strong pick-me-up and a great tasting bottled coffee that is suitable for those avoiding dairy.
Coffee Love offers three flavors: vanilla latte, mochaccino, and caramel. There is a double espresso shot in each, which packs a punch, and in a single 9.5 fl oz serving, there’s 180mg of caffeine but only 50 calories. We really like the creamy coconut milk in this beverage, and the simple recipe makes it a great low-calorie bottled coffee drink.
13. Nugget's Raw Espresso Kombucha
Nugget's raw espresso Kombucha is simple but effective. There are only two ingredients: Kombucha and espresso, so you get a big energy boost and some health benefits. The Kombucha provides healthy antioxidants (like black tea does) and probiotic cultures, and the double espresso provides over 150mg of caffeine in a single serving.
The mix of Kombucha and espresso is increasingly popular because it makes the coffee easier to drink without the addition of milk, cream, or sugar. It has a lighter taste than some other bottled cold brews, but you can definitely still taste the bitterness of the coffee. The Kombucha also provides a slight natural effervescence, so it tastes as though it's lightly carbonated. There are under 50 calories in a single 12 fl oz serving, so this is a great bottled coffee for those on a diet. Just be warned, the taste is slightly out there, so it might not be for everyone.
14. CLR CFF Clear Beverage
CLR CFF has created something revolutionary with the first-ever clear coffee. It looks exactly like water and has no added sugar, sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners. It’s been designed to try and eliminate the coffee ingredients which stain your teeth and make it healthier for your body.
Despite being completely clear, there's still 100mg of caffeine in a 200ml (7.5 fl oz) bottle. There are also only 4 calories, so this is a strong but low-calorie bottled coffee. The taste isn’t as smooth as some of the other iced coffees on the list, and it’s definitely less sweet, but it’s something completely unique. Clear coffee may well be the future, and CLR CFF are the first ones on the scene, so you definitely need to try it.
15. Illy's Bottled Blends
Illy specializes in making authentic Italian coffee. It's popular with coffee purists who enjoy the strong espresso flavor, and their grab and go coffee cans offer a new way to enjoy that Italian taste.
There are three flavors: cold brew, cappuccino, and macchiato. The cold brew is the strongest with 190mg and only 4 calories in an 11.5 fl oz bottle, and the macchiato is the weakest with only 80mg of caffeine. They are all made with the signature Illy coffee blend, which gives them a rich and refined flavor that you don’t get with most bottled coffees. Despite the richness, they’re fairly low calorie and perfect for coffee purists who made to order quality on the move.
Benefits Of Ready-To-Drink Bottled Coffee
Ready to drink bottled or canned coffee is the fastest growing variety of coffee on the market, with over 31% growth in demand in the last 2 years. This is largely due to the popularity of the products, and people are starting to see the benefits of ready to drink bottled coffees:
Convenience
Everyone loves freshly brewed coffee, but on a busy morning, it can be impractical. Ready to drink coffee offers a quicker alternative so you can get all the same flavor and energy boost without waiting in line. Some brands, like High Brew Coffee, even have a self heating can so you can enjoy a hot coffee instantly.
Health Benefits
Ready to drink coffees are increasingly made with ingredients that are beneficial to your body. This includes antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and probiotics - these are all the good things you'll get from green tea. Studies have even shown some bottled coffees can enhance brain functions, so it’s a better option for your health.
Low Calorie
Bottled or canned coffee drinks tend to have fewer calories than made-to-order alternatives. This is generally because there's less sugar, and they’re made using more straightforward recipes. Ready-to-drink bottled coffees also make good alternatives to regular cold drinks and can be noticeably healthier than sugary carbonated options.
High Quality
Ready to drink bottled coffee isn’t a particularly new concept, but for years they never really took off. However, in the last few years, the brewing process has improved, and the quality is much higher, helping you get a great coffee drink even though it’s not been freshly made in front of you.
Energy Boost
There's a wide variety of cold brew bottled coffees to choose from, but you can get some really high caffeine options with a massive amount of energy per fl oz. Some cold brews will have over 200mg of caffeine in a serving, perfect for giving you a quick boost of energy on a busy day.
Frequently Asked Bottled Coffee Drinks Questions
Does bottled coffee always have caffeine?
The majority of bottled coffees have caffeine and some, like High Brew Coffee, have massive caffeine hits in each fl oz. However, there are some decaffeinated options that are suitable for those trying to avoid caffeine.
Is Starbucks bottled iced coffee as good as in a cup?
Starbucks bottled iced coffee can often be slightly stronger than their made-to-order iced coffee, but we think it tastes just as good.
Can you heat up bottled iced coffee?
Most bottled iced coffees are designed to be consumed cold, but they can usually be warmed up. High Brew Coffee make a self heating can, but be careful because most other brands aren't and the majority of bottles aren’t microwave safe.
Does Dunkin Donuts bottled iced coffee need to be refrigerated?
No, Dunkin Donuts bottled or canned coffee drinks can be kept and consumed safely at room temperature, so you don’t need to put them in the fridge.
Conclusion
Some people are skeptical of bottled or canned coffee drinks, but if you pick the right one, it can be just as good, if not better, than a made-to-order coffee. There's a lot to choose from and it really comes down to your own preference, but hopefully, this guide has introduced some bottled coffees that you’re excited to go out and try.
