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Is Coffee Caffeine Different than Tea Caffeine?
Both drinks contain caffeine, but is there much of a difference between them? Let's find out!
Published November 5, 2021
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Vasileia Fanarioti
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
Caffeine is a hot topic, whether you're drinking it or avoiding it. Which has more caffeine though: tea or coffee? The question of caffeine content in tea versus coffee comes up often.
If you love to drink tea but are trying to cut back on your caffeine intake, then this post is for you! I'll be exploring the differences between tea and coffee caffeine levels, as well as some other fun facts about these two popular beverages.
So let's get started!
Caffeine in tea vs coffee
Coffee and tea are one of the most popular drinks in the world, but they each contain caffeine. The difference between coffee and tea caffeine is that coffee caffeine has a much more potent stimulant effect on the body due to its chemical makeup .
There are many differences between coffee and tea, even though they are both caffeinated beverages. Coffee is much richer in caffeine than tea because coffee beans contain more caffeine than tea leaves. Also, the process of making coffee causes caffeine to be extracted from the bean while it's being ground up and brewed; however, this isn't true for tea.
The biggest reason why drinking coffee caffeine gives you a much stronger stimulant effect on the body than drinking tea caffeine is because coffee has much more caffeine per serving size than tea does. For example, there are approximately 95 milligrams of caffeine in an average 8 ounce cup of drip coffee brewed with ordinary grounds. However, green or black teas only have about 25 milligrams per 8 ounce cup no matter how long they are brewed.
The bottom line is that not only does coffee caffeine give you more energy than tea, it's also more powerful because there's simply more of it in your average cup of coffee than there is in an 8 ounce glass of black or green tea.
How much caffeine is in a cup of tea
The caffeine content of tea depends on the type of tea. For example, a study done by the University of Coimbra, Portugal showed that 25 ml (about 2 teaspoons) of black tea contains approximately 40mg of caffeine and 15ml (about 1 teaspoon) of green tea contains about half that amount 25mg.
In short, it's hard to say exactly how much caffeine is in any given cup because there are so many variables at play, including leaf size and brewing time. In general, though, here's what we know: A typical 8 oz cup brewed from caffeinated leaves contains around 60 to 120 mg of caffeine, about one-third the amount in a cup of coffee. Decaffeinated tea has only 3 to 15 mg per 8 oz cup.
How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee
The amount of caffeine found in an 8-ounce (237 ml) cup of drip brewed coffee can vary depending on the type and blend.
Arabica beans contain about 1/3 less caffeine than Robusta beans, but they also taste better, so most high quality blends use Arabica.
If you are interested in purchasing commercially-roasted whole beans or ground coffee, bear this ratio difference in mind; many specialty stores will let you purchase samples to "try before you buy."
A good starting point for comparison purposes would be that one rounded teaspoon of ground coffee is generally considered equivalent to one cup of brewed coffee. It takes roughly 54 grams of fresh roasted and ground coffee to make 6 cups of brewed coffee. That means that one ounce has about 175 milligrams or mg of caffeine in it. However, this is just a rough estimate since there are many variables that can affect the concentration, including the variety of the bean. grind size, brewing ratio etc.
Therefore, brewing methods may yield different concentrations depending on several factors. A good way to determine what works best in your situation is to experiment with your personal tastes.
Other drinks and foods that contain caffeine
Coffee and tea are not the only drinks that contains caffeine. There are other drinks and foods that contain caffeine like chocolate, certain sodas, as well as energy drinks, of course. Let's find out which ones these are.
- Chocolate is not what you might think as a source of caffeine, but it does indeed come with a small amount of this substance. Dark chocolate contains less caffeine compared to milk chocolate, but it's still best to limit your intake of these a little bit.
- Energy drinks usually contain sugar and other additives together with different amounts of caffeine depending on the brand/type you have chosen. Some energy drinks have a high amount of caffeine at 80 milligrams per 8 ounces while others contain about 25 milligrams in the same serving size. Most people consider this type as an alternative to coffee without having too much sugar or calories, so they tend to drink more than one can throughout the day, thinking that it's safe for them even though that may not be the case.
- There are also other beverages that contain caffeine like bottled iced teas, cold coffee drinks, and sport drinks. Bottled iced teas have less caffeine compared to sodas, since they only contain an average of 4 milligrams per cup or bottle. Cold coffee drinks have just about 40 milligrams of caffeine in a 12-ounce serving, while sport drinks contain 30 milligrams of this substance per cup or 8 ounces.
- Energy shots are liquid supplements marketed as energy boosters, containing high doses of caffeine which the FDA has not yet regulated. There have been reports of people experiencing harmful side effects from drinking these like vomiting, tremors, and heart palpitations among others; so it's best to avoid them at all costs, especially if you are sensitive to any kind of medications or supplements.
- Instant breakfast drinks are also caffeine-laden beverages, which come in different flavors like vanilla, caramel, and chocolate. This type of drink contains about 25 milligrams of caffeine per cup or 8 ounces just like sport drinks. As always, just remember not to overdo it when it comes to drinking any kinds of drinks that contain caffeine including your morning coffee, because overdosing can be very dangerous for you. This is especially true if you have other conditions that might worsen due to the effects of too much caffeine intake. You don't want to end up in an emergency room do you?
How much caffeine is safe
It varies from person to person based on different factors. For example, how big someone is isn't the only determining factor in caffeine intake, but also how many other things they consume contain caffeine.
Diet plays a huge role too. For example smoking will worsen the effects of caffeine because nicotine inhibits absorption of adenosine, which stimulates arousal throughout the body, whereas caffeine blocks that inhibition process by overwhelming receptors with its own signal for increasing wakefulness.
Caffeine can be beneficial to relieve some symptoms associated with ADHD, including difficulty concentrating and impulse control. Furthermore, caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it makes people urinate more which will deplete the body of essential fluids like calcium and potassium.
Now with the effects considered, you need to know how much is too much. According to Mayo Clinic, up to 400 milligrams per day (about four 5-ounce cups) can be safely consumed by healthy adults without negative health consequences for most people.
By contrast, pregnant women are advised to limit their daily intake of caffeine to less than 200 milligrams; otherwise there is an increased risk of miscarriage or other problems during pregnancy. Most children do not need any caffeine in order to stay alert and focused throughout the day because they naturally have higher levels than adults.
Final Thoughts
So as you can see, the answer is not that straightforward! Both tea and coffee contain enough caffeine to give you an energy boost but you also need to be aware how much caffeine intake is safe for you depending on factors like your diet and general habits.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post about coffee and tea caffeine! If you're still wondering, "What has more caffeine, tea or coffee?" or if you want to learn more about the difference between these two caffeinated beverages, don’t hesitate to shoot me a message, I am happy to discuss this further!
About the author
Vasileia Fanarioti
My name is Vasileia and I’m here because i decided to combine my two favourite things: writing and coffee. I love travelling around the world and visiting coffee shops but my biggest goal is to visit a coffee farm, to see where it all starts! You can follow my coffee adventures via my blog: thewanderingbean.net
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