If avoiding sugar in the drink is your priority, choose a black cold brew whose nutrition panel lists 0g sugars: Coffee Friend UK lists Sandows Cold Brew Coffee at 0g sugars and 40.5mg caffeine per 100ml. For a dairy-free latte-style drink, M&S Oat Latte Cold Brew Coffee lists 1.5g sugars per 100g, but its label says it is unsuitable for people with coeliac disease or a wheat allergy. A no-added-sugar iced coffee is another option if cold-brew preparation matters less, although that claim does not mean the drink contains no sugars.
If you want coffee with a Chinese takeaway without choosing a sweet drink, start with the sugars figure rather than the words ‘cold brew’. Sandows black cold brew is listed at 0g sugars per 100ml; latte-style cold brews can contain sugars.
An oat cold brew may provide the latte-style format you want without milk. Check the specific product’s allergen statement as well: M&S says its Oat Latte Cold Brew Coffee is unsuitable for people with coeliac disease or a wheat allergy.
Sugar content does not tell you how much caffeine a drink contains. Coffee Friend UK lists Sandows at 40.5mg per 100ml, while Waitrose & Partners lists Emmi Caffè Latte Skinny at 80mg per cup. Check the amount for the portion you intend to drink, particularly if coffee will accompany an evening meal.
Choose the format you want, then compare sugars, ingredients and caffeine using each product’s stated units and serving size.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Read ‘of which sugars’ and the ingredients list. Coffee Friend UK lists Sandows black cold brew at 0g sugars per 100ml; M&S lists 1.5g per 100g for its Oat Latte Cold Brew and 3.8g per 100g for its Classic Latte Cold Brew. Check serving sizes and do not treat per-100ml and per-100g figures as identical measures. | I want to know how much sugar the coffee contributes, rather than assuming every cold brew is sugar-free. |
| Milk and allergens | Check milk ingredients and the current allergen statement. M&S Classic Latte contains semi-skimmed milk; M&S says its Oat Latte Cold Brew is unsuitable for people with coeliac disease or a wheat allergy. | A milk-free coffee matters to me, or I need to check suitability for a specific allergen before choosing an oat drink. |
| Caffeine | Look for caffeine per serving or per 100ml, and account for the amount you will drink. Coffee Friend UK lists Sandows at 40.5mg per 100ml; M&S lists 34.6mg per 100ml for its Plant Kitchen Chilled Cold Brew Oat Latte and displays a high-caffeine warning. | If coffee is part of an evening takeaway, I want to check its caffeine content as well as its sugar content. |
| Coffee format | Check whether the product is labelled cold brew, an iced coffee or an instant coffee that mixes with cold water. A ‘no added sugar’ claim also calls for a look at the sugars figure and ingredients: Waitrose & Partners says Emmi Caffè Latte Skinny contains naturally occurring sugars and sweeteners. | I may accept a chilled coffee substitute, but only if its preparation method and ingredients fit what I intended to buy. |
| Takeaway order | Consider the drink separately from the food. GOV.UK and Food Standards Agency catering guidance for Chinese takeaways discusses smaller portions and steamed, boiled or grilled dishes as options. | I want the coffee choice to fit my meal without assuming it changes what is in the takeaway itself. |
Cold brew describes a coffee preparation method, not a sugars value. M&S lists 1.5g sugars per 100g for its Oat Latte Cold Brew and 3.8g per 100g for its Classic Latte Cold Brew.
Read ‘of which sugars’ on the pack, note whether the figure is per 100g or per 100ml, and check how much is in the portion.
Waitrose & Partners describes Emmi Caffè Latte Skinny as having no added sugar, while also stating that it contains naturally occurring sugars. Its ingredients include sweeteners.
If 0g sugars is your requirement, check the nutrition panel rather than relying on the front-of-pack phrase.
Coffee Friend UK lists 40.5mg caffeine per 100ml for Sandows, and M&S displays a high-caffeine warning on its Plant Kitchen Chilled Cold Brew Oat Latte. Neither a sugar-free claim nor an oat-based format establishes caffeine content.
Check the amount for the serving you will drink. M&S says its Plant Kitchen product is not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women.
Choosing a coffee with less sugar changes the drink, not the takeaway order. GOV.UK and Food Standards Agency guidance for Chinese takeaways separately addresses portion sizes and cooking methods.
Decide on the drink and food independently; smaller portions and steamed, boiled or grilled dishes may be options where offered.
These examples illustrate different labels and formats; the figures apply to the named products, not every coffee from each brand.
Coffee Friend UK lists a ready-to-drink Sandows black cold brew.
M&S lists oat and dairy latte-style cold brews, as well as a Plant Kitchen oat product.
Emmi Caffè Latte Skinny is an iced-coffee alternative, rather than a cold-brew example.
These options include cold-brew-labelled coffee, coffee that mixes with cold water, and a canned black coffee. Cold-water preparation alone does not establish that a coffee was cold-brewed; compare the format and current pack details before choosing one for your takeaway.
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This black cold-brew liquid comes in individual pouches for mixing with cold water. Its listing describes 0g sugars per 100ml, but check the pack for the prepared serving’s sugar and caffeine information; the stated energy figures use different serving bases.
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A canned black coffee to consider if a chilled drink matters more than a confirmed cold-brew format. The listing describes approximately 0g sugars per 100ml. Check caffeine per can on the pack, and check its milk and soy cross-contact information if that matters to you.
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This flavoured, freeze-dried coffee is described as cold-brewed and prepared with cold water. Its stated 5.1g sugars per 100g applies to the powder, not a prepared drink, so do not treat it as a zero-sugar option. Check the current pack for serving and caffeine details.
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These capsules are described as mixing with cold water, but that does not establish cold-brew extraction. The listing’s flavour descriptions and ingredient information differ, so check the exact variant on the pack. Also check sugars and caffeine for the prepared serving if those figures determine your choice.
No. Cold brew describes how the coffee is prepared, not the finished drink’s sugars content. M&S lists 1.5g sugars per 100g for its Oat Latte Cold Brew and 3.8g per 100g for its Classic Latte Cold Brew; Coffee Friend UK lists Sandows black cold brew at 0g per 100ml.
Look for a black cold brew whose nutrition panel states 0g sugars for the product and check the portion you will drink. Coffee Friend UK lists Sandows at 0g per 100ml, alongside 40.5mg caffeine per 100ml. The drink choice does not change the ingredients or portion size of your takeaway.
No. Waitrose & Partners labels Emmi Caffè Latte Skinny ‘No Added Sugar’ but says it contains naturally occurring sugars; it also contains sweeteners. Read the nutrition panel if total sugars, rather than added sugar alone, determines your choice.
Check caffeine for the amount you will drink and take account of other caffeine consumed that day. NHS guidance sets a limit of 200mg a day during pregnancy and recommends no more than 200mg a day while breastfeeding. M&S also labels its Plant Kitchen Chilled Cold Brew Oat Latte as not recommended for pregnant or breast-feeding women.