Energy drink or coffee? What's in the can, and what's in the cup

The 3 p.m. dilemma

You know the moment. Lunch is over; the inbox isn't. Your hand drifts either to the cold can in the fridge or to the coffee. Both are there for the same reason — to get you through the rest of the day. The difference is in what you're actually drinking.

Caffeine: pretty much a tie

A 250 ml can of energy drink has about 80 mg of caffeine. A mug of filter coffee, about 90 mg. A cup of SmartyCoffee, 100 mg — exactly 100 every time, because we top the Arabica up with pure caffeine until it gets there. On caffeine they're all in the same ballpark. The difference is in what arrives with it.

Sugar: here's the big difference

Classic energy drinks are sweet — about 11 g of sugar per 100 ml, or roughly 27 g a can. Sugar is fast energy: blood sugar climbs quickly and comes back down just as quickly. There are sugar-free versions too, and if those are what you drink, this part doesn't apply. A cup of SmartyCoffee has less than 0.1 g of sugar per serving, and the Mocha has no sweetener at all.

Here, the caffeine has company

Both have taurine — though here it comes without the sugar that usually travels with it. Both have B vitamins. That's where the similarities end: in SmartyCoffee, 14 more actives are built around the caffeine, and most of them you won't usually find in a can.

• L-theanine — the amino acid from tea leaves, sitting right next to the caffeine.
• Chromium — helps maintain normal blood glucose levels.
• Choline — contributes to normal fat metabolism.
• MCT from coconut oil — just C8 and C10, the medium-chain fats.
• Hydrolyzed collagen — second on the ingredient list, ahead of the coffee itself.
• Coenzyme Q10 — the one people usually buy in a separate bottle.
• L-tyrosine, L-carnitine and green coffee — plus Ceylon cinnamon, ginger and black pepper.

There are six B vitamins in here, and they help reduce tiredness and fatigue. With about 1.7 g of protein per serving, the cup even counts as a source of protein. So the can gives you caffeine. The cup gives you caffeine with a whole recipe built around it.

In the mood for something cold?

An energy drink is cold, fizzy and sweet — and some days that's exactly what you want. SmartyCoffee is coffee: Arabica, smooth on the palate but medium in strength, in Mocha or Choco Fudge. You'd usually have it hot, but it dissolves in seconds in cold water or a shaker full of ice too, frappé-style. So even on a hot day, the can isn't your only option.

So is SmartyCoffee an energy drink?

No — it's coffee. A functional instant coffee that dissolves in seconds. But if it's the caffeine you're after when you grab an energy drink, this cup has it: 100 mg, tasting of real coffee — with everything listed above along for the ride.

How much is sensible

For a healthy adult, up to about 200 mg of caffeine at a time and up to about 400 mg a day are considered safe. That counts everything — coffee, tea and anything else with caffeine in it. One cup of SmartyCoffee is 100 mg. Not for children, or during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Want to give it a try? There are two flavors — Mocha and Choco Fudge.