Deep Dive: Starbucks Pike Place Coffee – Caffeine, Taste & Style

by Rob | Last Updated: March 2, 2023

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In This Post

• Caffeine in each size
• Taste Review
• Nutrition Information
• Making it at home

What kind of coffee is Starbucks Pike Place?

Starbucks Pike Place Roast is a storied, signature blend of medium roast coffee developed by Andrew Linnemann in 2007. This blend is credited with helping Starbucks reinvent their business in 2007/2008. Over the last 15 years this roast has become one of the most popular coffees in the world. In fact, it’s SO popular that it’s one of the few roasts that Starbucks makes in a Decaf version.

Is Starbucks Pike Place coffee strong?

While not as strong at the Blonde Roast, the Pike Place roast is a close second in terms of caffeine strength. The caffeine content in Pike Place varies depending on the size you get, but it generally contains more caffeine than most other Starbucks coffees. A grande cup of Pike Place contains 330 mg of caffeine, while a venti cup contains 415 mg. If you’re looking for an extra kick of energy, Starbucks Pike Place is definitely the way to go!

Caffeine in each size

What does Pike Place Taste like?

It’s a medium-roasted coffee with notes of cocoa and toasted nut that give it an earthy, but robust flavor. So what does that mean? Well, we love putting our taste buds to the test based on the description from the roaster. We don’t exactly taste the cocoa, but we can definitely get that slight sweetness that we imagine is the “rich praline”. The slight sweetness that makes it perfect for adding your preferred type of cream and sugar. At the end of the day, it’s perfect for those who want a pretty smooth yet bold cup of coffee.

Sugar, Calories and Other Ingredients

This medium roast is made with simple ingredients, without added sugar or calories. The base Pike Place Roast coffee contains no sugar or calories. That said, when you add cream or syrups, the calorie and sugar content can quickly increase. If you’re looking for a healthy option, this is a great choice as it contains only natural ingredients like 100% Arabica beans. As we recently learned, the only other nutrition information is that there is a small amount of sodium (10 mg or less) and protein (1 g or less) depending on the size you get.

Making Pike Place at Home

Since this roast is so popular it comes in almost every from imaginable. We typically get this brew at Starbucks or use the Via Instant option for a quick cup on the go. We also found it to be available in Keurig K-Cups, ground beans, whole bean, Nespresso Vertuo and Nespresso Original. From their first store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market to coffeehouses around the world, people enjoy this freshly brewed coffee throughout the day. In their own words “This is truly a blend so consistent and harmonious that no single characteristic dominates—or disappears.” We agree.

Through our research we found that the Pike Place Via Instant was the #1 ranked instant coffee on Amazon, so we had to try it. The result is incredible. It’s much better than we anticipated and maintains almost all the flavor notes as if you’re buying a freshly brewed cup at the store. We’d highly recommend you check it out if you’re looking for a top notch instant brew!

You ever meet someone who's really into coffee? Well, meet Rob, the one who can turn a casual conversation about a cup of joe into a dissertation on the intricacies of bean roasting and brewing methods.