Tea Or Coffee - Which Cup Carries More Caffeine?

As we’re entering the coziest seasons of the year, complete with cooler temperatures and a greater abundance of warm mugs, if you’re like most folks, your solid coffee routine may be expanding to include a variety of teas as well.

Then, of course, if you’re like me, your solid tea routine may be expanding to include more coffee.

Either way, as your warm mug count rises, how does this impact your daily caffeine intake?

If you add an extra cup of tea or coffee throughout the day, will this tip the caffeine scales and keep you up at night?

And, if you switch from coffee to tea, will this actually help you cut down on caffeine?

If you’ve ever pondered the above questions, you’re in the right place, because, as you can likely determine from the title, today we’re covering the ultimate mug match-up…coffee vs tea.

Coffee has long been considered the heavyweight champion of the caffeine world, but is this actually true?

Most folks reach for a cup of joe first thing in the morning to help them wake up and start their day sharp and focused.

Coffee And Tea Caffeine Comparisons

When comparing the caffeine content of coffee as opposed to tea, the difference lies primarily in concentration.

Just one look at a glass of iced coffee or cold brew compared to a glass of iced black tea (or a cup of hot tea or coffee if your mug happens to be clear) communicates one thing, coffee is much richer, much stronger, and much more concentrated than tea.

Brewed coffee is incredibly dark, almost black in many cases, whereas brewed black tea is much lighter, often described as having a thin, light brown hue.

Of course, there are many varieties of teas, and each of these come with varying levels of caffeine.

But, prior to brewing, tea leaves (specifically black tea varieties) contain far more caffeine than coffee beans.

Tea leaves contain roughly 3.5% caffeine per milligram, but coffee beans only contain 1.1-2.2% caffeine.

The thing is, once brewing occurs, these numbers can change.

First, if you’ve ever brewed tea, whether you’re opting for loose leaf (preferred) or bagged tea, you’ve likely noticed that the crushed tea leaves are much larger than coffee grounds.

In other words, coffee grounds are much, much smaller than typical tea leaves.

So, when hot water is added to coffee grounds, the extraction of flavor and caffeine is much more efficient, resulting in a greater concentration of both, compared to tea.

In some teas, however, such as black and green varieties, the caffeine content can increase with steeping times.

This is why some tea drinkers leave their tea bag, sachet, or infuser in their mug/cup while sipping.

And obviously, the information we’ve presented thus far might be interesting, but this doesn’t help you when you’re trying to decide what to brew based on caffeine content and desired effect, so let’s do some comparisons.

Highest Caffeine Content

First, the caffeine content of coffee doesn’t vary much from roast to roast if you precisely weigh your whole beans prior to grinding, then brewing. (including flavored selections)

If you skip weighing and primarily measure your beans with a scoop or spoon, however, light roasted coffee beans can potentially yield a very small increase in caffeine content compared to medium or dark roasted beans.

This is because darker roasts have an increased bean size due to expansion from longer roasting times and higher roasting temperatures.

For the purpose of this article, however, we’ll assume we’re all weighing our beans for a more even result when it comes to caffeine content, therefore, the average 8-ounce cup of black coffee contains approximately 95 milligrams of caffeine.

Then, in a category of its own, is espresso.

Espresso is simply a deeply dark roasted coffee that is prepared a bit different than traditional brewing methods.

Espresso is ground to a fine powder, then brewed under intense heat and pressure, which produces a smaller, more concentrated brew.

Due to its unique concentration, an average shot of espresso, or 1 ounce of espresso, contains roughly 60 milligrams of caffeine.

Most folks, however, order espresso by the double shot, which contains an average of 120 milligrams of caffeine.

By comparison, an average 8-ounce cup of black tea (such as an English breakfast tea or earl grey tea) contains anywhere between 60-112 milligrams of caffeine, depending on steeping times.

I know that’s a big range, but it seems tea varieties can come with a number of distinctions.

So, the key thing to remember with tea is the higher the steeping temp and the longer the steeping time, the greater the caffeine.

For example, your average earl grey tea contains 40 mg of caffeine after 1 minute of steeping in 6 ounces of 200-degree (Fahrenheit) water, but the caffeine content here increases to nearly 60 mg after 3 minutes of steeping, and on and on.

I’ve yet to find any information stating that the caffeine content rises indefinitely though, so I think it’s safe to say the cap of roughly 112 mg listed above would be a ‘tea peak.’

Now, most of you are familiar with our light, medium, and dark roasted coffees, even our espresso, but for all of our black tea fans out there looking for a comparable caffeine kick, I highly suggest trying our Empire State Sunrise Tea.

This tea is a loose-leaf organic Sri Lanken black tea enhanced with a touch of bergamot oil.

Many liken this unto a classic earl grey tea, but please let me weigh in, I mean excitedly gush, for a moment concerning my experience with this tea.

English breakfast black tea is my favorite tea. I’ve attempted to stray from this in trying multiple varieties of earl grey tea, but never…I mean never…have I ever tried an earl grey tea that was even remotely palatable to me.

So, knowing this tea contained the classic earl grey ingredient of bergamot oil, I was a little skeptical, but boy was I surprised!

There’s no way I can accurately articulate to you how amazing this tea is.

It is by far the cleanest, purest, most flavorful, rich, and just sinfully delicious black tea I’ve ever tasted!

My cabinet was full of a very large variety of loose-leaf black teas, and I threw them all away after one mug of this tea!

I can attest that the subtle wording throughout its description on our site is wholly accurate - “inherent sweetness…full bodied…pleasing medium astringency…”

I prefer steeping this tea for roughly 5 minutes at around 200 degrees fahrenheit (or a little more), and this brings the caffeine kick I desire in a black tea. And, personally, I love enjoying it first thing in the morning with a touch of monk fruit or organic cane sugar, and a foam topper made from organic grass-fed whole milk.

I could go on and on about our Empire State Sunrise Tea, but we must move on, so let’s look at a few teas with a little less caffeine and see how they compare to coffee.

Medium Caffeine Content

I suppose there’s not really a medium grade coffee when it comes to caffeine content…unless you’re a Lifebooster!

Our Half Caff Coffee is a customer favorite for those folks who are either sensitive to caffeine or like to have an option that simply isn’t as stimulating.

As you can imagine, our Half Caff Coffee contains half the caffeine of our regular roasts, so according to the average caffeine content of an 8-ounce cup of fully caffeinated coffee, half caff varieties contain approximately 45-47 milligrams of caffeine.

And there’s actually a variety of teas that fall in this caffeine range, so we’ll list each of them with their respective caffeine content.

Oolong teas, depending on steep time, can contain anywhere between 30-50 milligrams of caffeine per 8-ounce cup.

The average loose leaf green tea, on the other hand, contains between 20-40 milligrams of caffeine per 8-ounce cup.

And white tea is somewhat similar in caffeine content as it contains anywhere between 15-40 milligrams of caffeine per 8-ounce cup, depending on variety, water temperature, and steeping time.

Caffeine Free Options

If you’re looking for a warming cup of tasty goodness minus any of the stimulating effects of caffeine, there are a wide variety of options for you to choose from here.

Of course, if you’re looking for a caffeine-free option for coffee, decaffeinated coffees contain no caffeine.

However, the average decaffeinated coffee is made by using harsh chemicals in the decaffeination process.

This is why Lifeboost Decaffeinated Coffee is made in an entirely different way than most conventional options, using the Swiss Water Method.

In this method of decaffeination, science shines as the decaffeinating king, as green coffee beans are washed in hot water to remove the caffeine from the beans.

This water is then passed through a charcoal filter to remove the caffeine molecules.

The remaining caffeine-free extract is then used to soak a new batch of green coffee beans, and this is where science takes over.

With a need for equilibrium, the caffeine in the coffee beans transfers to the extract, naturally removing this stimulant.

And this entire process is repeated until the remaining coffee beans are completely void of caffeine.

So, decaffeinated coffee, specifically that which is made using the Swiss Water Method, contains 0 milligrams of caffeine.

(Coffee that is decaffeinated using traditional methods can still contain up to 3 milligrams of caffeine per 8-ounce cup.)

When it comes to tea, black and green varieties can be decaffeinated, but the same is true here as well (as with coffee) ...if you’re looking for decaffeinated black or green teas, look for those made using the Swiss Water Method.

Other than this, there is a very large variety of teas that are naturally caffeine free.

Rooibos tea is a specific type of herbal tea, often called red tea.

Our Crimson Hibiscus Tea is one such tea with a few added boosts, containing organic hibiscus, rosehips, and orange peels for some added flavor, vitamin C, and antioxidants.

Peppermint tea is another popular herbal option that is entirely caffeine-free, and it comes with many health benefits, including relief from digestive distress and headaches!

Some herbal teas focus more on fruity notes, infusing single fruits or a combination of fruits such as raspberry, cherry, peach, lemon, and more.

Still other herbal options focus more on floral notes, such as lavender, rosehips, and chamomile flowers.

For instance, many people are fans of chamomile tea, a floral offering which boasts calming effects, making it a likely choice for an evening treat.

Our Golden Sands Serenity Tea is made of pure Egyptian chamomile, with a golden color and peaceful serene effect that awaits upon brewing.

Personally, I enjoy this tea with a touch of raw, local honey in the early evening for a low-key calming effect.

Then, we actually have a tea that somewhat combines both of these popular herbal tastes, our Champagne Bliss Tea, which is both fruity and floral.

Made with apple pieces, blackberry leaves, organic orange peel, rosehips, rose petals, champagne essence, and more, it’s truly an elegant choice!

Then, we do offer another caffeine-free option, a very effective bedtime tea that truly negates any need for the Scandinavian folklore favorite, the Sandman.

Our Snoozy Snooze Tea is an herbal tea containing magnesium, GABA, sweet orange, organic lavender flowers, and more, specifically formulated to help you drift off to sleep, sleep well, and wake rested.

Any of these teas are perfect for a midafternoon or evening cup, when you need to forgo any stimulating effects from your mug.

For A Quick Recap…

As we close out our coffee and tea caffeine comparison today, here’s a few things to consider when it comes to getting a stimulating jolt from one, two, or more brews (coffee and/or tea) each day.

First, the average recommendation for (healthy) daily caffeine intake is 400 mg.

So, keep this in mind when you’re planning your daily cup content, especially if you’re thinking of adding extra cups in the cooler months for all those extra cozy vibes.

Then, since caffeine is a stimulant, consuming (caffeinated) coffee or tea too close to bedtime can interfere with good, quality sleep.

To avoid any negative effects on sleep, the recommended caffeine cut off time is roughly 8 hours prior to bedtime (recommendations range from 6-10 hours prior to bedtime).

For optimal coffee and tea enjoyment, here’s a condensed recap of the comparisons we covered today:

- Black teas, such as English breakfast and earl grey varieties, like our Empire State Sunrise Tea, are most comparable to the caffeine content of traditional light, medium, and dark roasted coffees.

Even espresso (one shot or two) falls in this range.

(most black teas: 60-112 mg caffeine per 8-ounce cup: most coffee roasts: roughly 95 mg caffeine per 8-ounce cup; espresso: 60 mg caffeine per 1 ounce)

- Oolong, green, and white teas are most comparable to the caffeine content of half caff coffee.

(Half caff coffee: approximately 45-47 mg of caffeine per 8-ounce cup; oolong tea: 30-50 mg caffeine per 8-ounce cup; green tea: 20-40 mg caffeine per 8-ounce cup; white tea: 15-40 mg caffeine per 8-ounce cup, depending on variety)

- Decaffeinated coffee, when prepared using the Swiss Water Method, is 99.9% caffeine free. Similarly, decaffeinated black and green teas share this result.

All herbal teas, such as rooibos, chamomile, peppermint, hibiscus, etc., including our Crimson Hibiscus, Golden Sands Serenity, Champagne Bliss, and Snoozy Snooze teas are naturally caffeine free.

Just remember with tea, the higher the temp and the longer the steeping time, the more caffeine you’ll get in your cup.

And, with that in mind, we’ll leave you with a few common tea steeping tips and recommended temps -

Black tea: 205-212 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-5 minutes

Oolong tea: 190-195 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-4 minutes

Green tea: 175 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-4 minutes

White tea: 175-180 degrees Fahrenheit for 4-5 minutes

Herbal tea: 212 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 15 minutes, depending on variety

Check out Lifeboost Coffee Empire State Sunrise Tea.

Medical Disclaimer
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Charles Livingston nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.

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