Caffeine in Tea: A Comparison
How tea caffeine compares to coffee and other beverages - and what affects it.
Typical caffeine per cup
| Beverage | Caffeine |
|---|---|
| Brewed coffee (240 ml) | 95–200 mg |
| Espresso (30 ml) | 60–80 mg |
| Matcha (whisked, 2 g) | 60–80 mg |
| Gyokuro (240 ml) | 50–70 mg |
| Black tea (240 ml) | 40–70 mg |
| Oolong (240 ml) | 30–60 mg |
| Sencha / Dragon Well (240 ml) | 25–45 mg |
| White tea (240 ml) | 15–30 mg |
| Hojicha / Bancha (240 ml) | 5–15 mg |
| Herbal "tea" (chamomile, rooibos) | 0 mg |
What affects tea caffeine?
- Leaf age: Younger leaves and buds contain more caffeine.
- Shading: Shade-grown teas (matcha, gyokuro) have boosted caffeine and L-theanine.
- Water temperature: Hotter water extracts more caffeine.
- Steep time: Longer steeps extract more caffeine - though most caffeine is released in the first 60 seconds.
- Tea-to-water ratio: More leaf, more caffeine.