No One Knows What's In Your Coffee Chain Drink, Research Says

If you have ever wondered how many calories were in your grande cappuccino, turning to the online calorie counts might not be the best way to figure out whether or not the drink will fit into your diet. The Korea Consumer Research Agency recently released a study discussing the difference between the calorie count coffee chains advertised and how it compared to the actual drink. Turns out, most of the coffee chains studied showed vast differences between their advertised drinks and the ones served in cafes.

The research agency analyzed nine different coffee chains that had an international presence: Starbucks (no surprise there), Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Pascucci, Angelinus, Ediya Coffee, Cafe Bene, Tom & Tom's Coffee, A Twosome Plac,e and Holly's Coffee. (The only criteria for choice was that they have at least 100 branches worldwide). According to its research, Starbucks, Holly's Coffee, and Twosome Place had the biggest difference between what was posted and what was advertised.

The drink that showed the most difference: the caramel macchiato. Starbuck's caramel macchiato was about 32 percent smaller in size than what was promised. The Coffee Bean's, which had the smallest difference, was 17 percent less than advertised. While this may be a comforting surprise for some, it certainly is a blow to the wallet spending more and more on coffee drinks. Some chains also showed a difference in the amount of the caffeine that was advertised and served. There were some that served twice as much and some that served only half.

While it may be nice to have a drink at a coffee chain, remember that the baristas aren't scientists. The best way to choose whether or not a drink will fit into your diet is to choose for yourself.