Caffeine in coffee, espresso, matcha and tea: a sourced chart

An 8-ounce (237 ml) cup of brewed coffee has about 95 mg of caffeine, based on USDA FoodData Central. A 1-ounce shot of espresso has about 63 mg, black tea about 47 mg and green tea about 28 mg per 8 ounces. Real cups vary widely: the FDA lists 113 to 247 mg for a 12-ounce brewed coffee.

The chart below brings these numbers together with the source for each. Use the typical value for daily logging and the range to understand why the same "cup of coffee" can feel very different from one café to the next.

How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee?

A standard 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains about 95 mg of caffeine. USDA FoodData Central lists brewed coffee at 40 mg of caffeine per 100 grams, and an 8-ounce cup weighs about 237 grams. Larger cups scale up: the FDA gives a range of 113 to 247 mg for 12 ounces of regular brewed coffee.

The range is wide because the bean, the roast, the ratio of coffee to water and the brewing method all change the result. If you drink from a large mug, measure it once with a measuring cup so your log uses the right size.

Caffeine chart: coffee, espresso, matcha and tea

The chart lists typical caffeine values per serving from USDA FoodData Central, FDA ranges for drinks where the FDA gives one, and published data for matcha. Use the typical value for daily logging. Use the range to see how much a real drink can differ. Packaged drinks list caffeine on the label, which is the most accurate number for that product.

Drink	Serving	Typical caffeine	Range or note	Source
Brewed coffee	8 fl oz (237 ml)	95 mg	12 fl oz: 113 to 247 mg	USDA; FDA
Espresso, single shot	1 fl oz (30 ml)	63 mg	Varies with dose and shot size	USDA
Espresso, double shot	2 fl oz (60 ml)	126 mg	Two single shots	USDA (calculated)
Decaf coffee	8 fl oz	2 to 15 mg	Not caffeine-free	FDA
Black tea, brewed	8 fl oz	47 mg	12 fl oz: 71 mg	USDA; FDA
Green tea, brewed	8 fl oz	28 mg	12 fl oz: 37 mg	USDA; FDA
Matcha powder	1 gram	18.9 to 44.4 mg	2 g of powder: about 38 to 89 mg	Kochman et al., 2020
Caffeinated soft drinks	12 fl oz	23 to 83 mg	Check the label	FDA
Energy drinks	16 fl oz	54 to 328 mg	12 fl oz: 41 to 246 mg	FDA

USDA values calculated from caffeine per 100 g in FoodData Central (coffee 40 mg, espresso 212 mg, black tea 20 mg, green tea 12 mg) and standard serving weights. FDA ranges from its consumer update on caffeine.

Two notes on reading the chart. First, USDA and FDA numbers for tea do not match exactly, because they come from different samples and serving sizes. Both are reasonable; use one source consistently. Second, café drinks built on espresso, such as lattes, cappuccinos and Americanos, get their caffeine from the shots. Count the number of shots, not the size of the cup.

How much caffeine is in a shot of espresso?

A single 1-ounce shot of espresso has about 63 mg of caffeine. USDA FoodData Central lists restaurant-prepared espresso at 212 mg of caffeine per 100 grams, and one fluid ounce weighs about 30 grams. A double shot has about 126 mg. Shot size and the amount of ground coffee used change the result.

Espresso is more concentrated than brewed coffee: about 63 mg per ounce versus about 12 mg per ounce. But a single shot is a small drink, so it usually holds less caffeine than an 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee. Many café drinks use two shots by default, which puts them above a regular cup.

Café drink	Typical shots	Estimated caffeine
Single espresso	1	About 63 mg
Double espresso	2	About 126 mg
Americano with 2 shots	2	About 126 mg
Latte or cappuccino with 1 shot	1	About 63 mg
Latte or cappuccino with 2 shots	2	About 126 mg

Estimated from the USDA espresso value. Ask the café how many shots a size includes.

Does espresso have more caffeine than coffee?

Espresso has more caffeine per ounce, but a typical serving of brewed coffee has more caffeine in total. An ounce of espresso holds about 63 mg, while an ounce of brewed coffee holds about 12 mg. Yet a single espresso is one ounce, and a standard brewed cup is eight, so the brewed cup ends up near 95 mg.

This is why "I only drink espresso" can mean either less or more caffeine than a coffee drinker. One single shot after lunch is less than a mug of drip coffee. Three double shots during the day is about 378 mg, close to the 400 mg daily amount that the FDA says is not generally associated with negative effects for most healthy adults.

How much caffeine is in matcha?

Matcha contains 18.9 to 44.4 mg of caffeine per gram of powder, according to a 2020 review in Molecules. That is higher per gram than regular green tea leaves, which the same review puts at 11.3 to 24.67 mg per gram. A drink made with 2 grams of matcha would hold about 38 to 89 mg.

Matcha is different from brewed green tea because you drink the whole ground leaf instead of an infusion. That is why one bowl of matcha can contain more caffeine than a cup of brewed green tea. The range is wide, so the amount of powder you use matters more than the drink's name. A kitchen scale makes your log much more accurate than a "scoop".

How much caffeine is in green tea and black tea?

Brewed green tea has about 28 mg of caffeine per 8 ounces and brewed black tea about 47 mg, based on USDA FoodData Central. The FDA lists 37 mg for 12 ounces of green tea and 71 mg for 12 ounces of black tea. Steep time and the amount of tea used change the result.

Tea is a useful afternoon swap if you want to keep a warm drink but cut caffeine. Replacing an 8-ounce coffee (about 95 mg) with an 8-ounce green tea (about 28 mg) removes about 67 mg. That matters most for drinks late in the day, because caffeine has a half-life of about 5 hours in healthy adults. Our guide on when to stop caffeine before bed explains the cutoff times.

How much caffeine is in decaf coffee?

Decaf coffee typically contains 2 to 15 mg of caffeine per 8-ounce cup, according to the FDA. That is a small fraction of regular brewed coffee at about 95 mg, but it is not zero. The FDA notes that people who react strongly to caffeine may want to avoid decaf too. Several cups of decaf can add up to the amount in a small regular coffee.

How much caffeine is too much in a day?

For most healthy adults, the FDA cites up to 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects. That is about four 8-ounce cups of brewed coffee, about six single espresso shots, or about eight cups of black tea. If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding, the FDA recommends asking your health care provider about whether to limit caffeine.

Daily pattern	Approximate total
2 cups brewed coffee (8 oz)	190 mg
2 cups brewed coffee + 1 black tea	237 mg
2 double espressos	252 mg
1 large brewed coffee (12 oz, upper FDA range) + 1 energy drink (16 oz, upper FDA range)	Up to 575 mg

Totals calculated from the chart values above.

The last row shows how quickly large café sizes and energy drinks add up. The FDA lists signs of too much caffeine, including fast heart rate, palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, jitters, upset stomach and headache. If you have palpitations, chest pain or fainting after caffeine, see a doctor.

Why does the same drink have different caffeine?

Caffeine varies with the coffee bean, roast, grind, the ratio of coffee to water, brewing time and cup size. The FDA range for 12 ounces of brewed coffee, 113 to 247 mg, shows how much difference this makes: one café's cup can contain twice the caffeine of another's. For packaged drinks, the label is the best source.

For logging, consistency matters more than precision. If you use the same typical value for your usual drink every day, your trends are still meaningful even if the absolute number is off by 20 or 30 mg. Change the value if you switch brands or sizes.

How does caffeine in your cup relate to your sleep?

The amount and the time of your last drink both matter. A 2023 meta-analysis found that a 107 mg coffee should be consumed at least 8.8 hours before bedtime to avoid losing total sleep time, and a 217.5 mg pre-workout serving at least 13.2 hours before. That 107 mg coffee is close to one 8-ounce brewed cup in the chart.

To see how much of each drink is still in your body by evening, read how long caffeine stays in your system. It includes an hour-by-hour table and a worked example for a typical day.

How Svanu logs caffeine

Svanu lets you log coffee and other drinks in one tap with a time. The app then estimates how much caffeine is still active at your bedtime, and the logs also go to Apple Health. Over time, the correlations view checks whether caffeine is associated with your sleep and recovery, using 30-day correlations that need at least 14 paired days.

If you also track food, the nutrition log offers food search, barcode scan and AI photo logging. We cover the accuracy of that method in AI photo calorie counting: how accurate is it?. See the full feature list on the Svanu home page.

Key takeaways

• An 8-ounce brewed coffee has about 95 mg of caffeine; a 12-ounce cup can hold 113 to 247 mg.
• A single espresso shot has about 63 mg, a double about 126 mg.
• Matcha holds 18.9 to 44.4 mg per gram of powder, so the dose depends on how much you use.
• Green tea has about 28 mg and black tea about 47 mg per 8 ounces.
• Decaf is low but not zero: 2 to 15 mg per 8 ounces.