The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pattern of intake of coffee and caffeine-containing food among students in a post-secondary institution in northeastern Brazil. We interviewed 498 students. Among these students, 72.3% (n = 360) reported to consume coffee, with a higher prevalence among women (68.3%) and students aged between 18 and 25 years (82.8%). The student's residence itself was the top location for taking coffee (90.6%) and the most widely used method of preparation was brewing coffee using a cloth filter (82.5%). The average intake of coffee was 199.0 ± 230.6 ml/day, with a frequency of 1.6 ± 1.4 times a day and concentration between 4%-12%. Coffee was the main source of caffeine and the average daily intake of 147.3 ± 141.2 mg of caffeine was low. The data showed that the intake of coffee and caffeine does not represent a risk factor for the population studied. On the other hand, the scarcity of national studies on the subject points to the need of similar research about customer profile and pattern of consumption of coffee and caffeine, especially regarding the preparation technique of coffee, featuring benefits or risks for the development of chronic diseases.