For a cold coffee you can open on the way out, look at ready-to-drink options: Waitrose lists Jimmy’s Strong as a 250ml milk-based drink, while M&S offers 250ml Classic and dairy-free Oat Latte cold brews with double espresso. A black concentrate is a different choice if you can prepare it; check its directions before relying on it for a quick breakfast. Neither “strong” nor “double espresso” establishes a comparable caffeine amount, and M&S says its oat drink is unsuitable for coeliacs or people with a wheat allergy.
Waitrose lists Jimmy’s Strong in a 250ml coffee-and-milk format. M&S also offers 250ml cold brew lattes with double espresso. If there is no time to mix a drink, check that the particular pack is ready to open and drink.
M&S describes its 250ml Oat Latte Cold Brew as dairy-free and made with double espresso. It also states that the drink is not suitable for coeliacs or people with a wheat allergy, so check the full allergen statement.
Check the nutrition basis and pack size when comparing drinks. If caffeine quantity matters, look for an amount on the current label rather than using words such as “strong” to estimate it.
Start with whether you need a finished drink or can prepare a concentrate, then compare the ingredients and label information on the exact pack.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Format and strength wording | Check whether the drink is ready to drink or needs diluting. Treat “strong” and “double espresso” as product descriptions, not comparable caffeine measurements. | I need a cold coffee I can open straight away, or I can bring water and a cup to prepare a concentrate. If caffeine quantity matters, I’ll check the label. |
| Milk and allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen statement. M&S Classic Latte and Waitrose-listed Jimmy’s Strong contain semi-skimmed milk; M&S says its dairy-free Oat Latte is unsuitable for coeliacs or people with a wheat allergy. | I want to choose between a milk latte and an oat drink without assuming that “dairy-free” covers my other ingredient restrictions. |
| Sugars and energy | Compare nutrition values on the same basis, such as per 100ml, and check the whole-pack quantity. Do not treat sugars or calories as a measure of coffee strength. | For a whole breakfast drink, the amount in the full pack matters to me as well as the figure shown per 100ml or per 100g. |
| Product type | Confirm that the listing is for a non-alcoholic coffee, not a coffee liqueur. Sainsbury’s describes its Tia Maria Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur as containing rum. | A search result containing “cold brew” needs a closer look when I’m shopping for a non-alcoholic breakfast drink. |
M&S describes double espresso in its cold brews, while Jimmy’s calls its Big Strong BottleCan its strongest iced coffee. Those descriptions do not provide a common caffeine measurement for comparing the drinks.
Use the wording to narrow down the flavour and format you want, then check the current pack for caffeine information if the quantity matters.
M&S calls its Oat Latte Cold Brew dairy-free but states that it is not suitable for coeliacs or people with a wheat allergy.
Read the allergen statement for the exact drink rather than relying on “dairy-free” alone.
A figure per 100g is not presented on the same basis as a figure per 100ml. Pack quantities also matter when comparing what you would drink in one sitting.
Check each label’s units and serving size before comparing values or working out an amount for the whole pack.
Sainsbury’s lists a Tia Maria cold-brew coffee liqueur containing rum. Its cold-brew wording does not make it equivalent to a non-alcoholic ready-to-drink coffee.
Check the product description for “liqueur” and alcohol information before choosing from broad cold-brew search results.
Its 250ml Classic and Oat Latte Cold Brew drinks offer milk-based and dairy-free choices respectively; M&S describes both as containing double espresso.
Waitrose lists Jimmy’s Strong as a 250ml coffee-and-semi-skimmed-milk drink. Separately, Jimmy’s describes its Big Strong BottleCan as its strongest iced coffee.
Sandows London says it crafts cold brew coffee in its London brewery.
This black cold brew comes in individual concentrate pouches. Consider it for a breakfast journey only if you can follow the pack’s preparation directions; it is not the same format as a ready-to-drink latte.
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The individual pouches could suit a journey if you have water and a cup. The product description calls the coffee ready to drink but also instructs you to add about 200ml of water to a pouch, so check the pack directions before depending on it for an immediate drink. “Extra-strong” does not specify caffeine per pouch; check the current label if that amount matters.
No. “Strong”, “robust” and “double espresso” describe positioning or a recipe, not a comparable caffeine amount across these drinks. Check the current pack for caffeine information if you need a quantity.
M&S describes its Oat Latte Cold Brew as dairy-free; its Classic Latte and the Waitrose-listed Jimmy’s Strong contain semi-skimmed milk. M&S also says the Oat Latte is not suitable for coeliacs or people with a wheat allergy, so check the full allergen statement.
The NHS advises no more than 200mg of caffeine a day during pregnancy. Check the drink’s current label for its caffeine amount and account for other sources of caffeine rather than judging the amount from “strong” on the front of the pack.
Follow the instructions on the individual pack, including what to do after opening and its best-before information. Do not assume that an unopened drink and a partly consumed one have the same storage directions.
Yes. Sainsbury’s lists Tia Maria Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur as a product containing rum. Check the description and alcohol information if you want a non-alcoholic breakfast coffee.