How Much Caffeine is in My Cup of Tea?

   There is no simple answer to the question- “How much caffeine is in my cup of tea?” Many variables can affect the level of caffeine in a cup of brewed tea. Even the location of the individual tea plant can have an effect on caffeine levels! Once picked, the tea leaves can be processed in many different ways, resulting in different types of teas (Black, Green, White, etc.) with differing levels of caffeine. Every step of the brewing process, from water temperature to length of brewing time and water/tea ratios can affect the caffeine levels. Pinpointing the amount of caffeine in a cup of tea is a wildly unpredictable proposition!

   While a precise caffeine measurement in each cup is nearly impossible, we can get a rough estimate of the amount of caffeine in the tea we are drinking. First, remember that all ‘traditional’ teas come from leaves of the exact same plant- the Camellia sinensis. Therefore, all ‘traditional’ teas will contain caffeine. Leaves from the tea plant are picked, then processed in very different ways—some dried, some compressed and fermented, some rolled. The processing method has the most significant effect on the level of caffeine. As a general rule, brewed Black teas have the highest caffeine level, with 60-75 mg of caffeine in an 8 oz cup. Oolong tea is slightly lower with 30-45 mg of caffeine in one cup, followed by Green tea (15-30 mg) and finally, White tea (10-15 mg).

   Other factors can contribute to tea caffeine level. The length of brewing time can certainly affect the caffeine in your cup. It would stand to reason that the longer you steep your tea, the more caffeine will end up in your cup! The quality and shape of the tea leaves can change things, as well. The more broken up your tea leaves are, the more caffeine they will release into the water. In other words, tea made from tea bags, as opposed to loose leaf teas, can have a higher concentration of caffeine!

   If you can’t or won’t have caffeine, you don’t have to be left out! While caffeine can’t be avoided with most ‘traditional’ teas, Herbal teas and Tisanes (dried fruit teas) do not contain any actual tea leaves, and therefore are entirely caffeine-free. Rooibos teas are caffeine-free as well. These teas are excellent choices for the caffeine conscious, or perhaps in the evening time.


Written By:

Matt Kellso

I started this business as a way to subsidize my hobby in 2012. I had just bought an expensive ‘home’ roaster and needed to justify the cost. I combined my love of coffee with my background in web design, marketing, and Industrial Engineering to try to make an online coffee roasting business happen. I was born in Michigan and have two U of M parents, but spent his childhood in South Carolina. When I was about 10 I moved to Tempe, Arizona, and have been in the Tempe / Chandler area ever since. I love the east valley but hate the heat, which makes the summers a test of patience. I graduated from Arizona State University with an Industrial Engineering degree and spent the first decade of my career at Intel doing anything from process improvement projects to forecasting to RFID consulting. I moved on from there to spend the next 15 years at Spencer's TV & Appliance doing much of the same things. In April of 2020 I finally stepped away from Spencer’s TV to focus on Sagebrush full-time. After we learned to manage the rush of online orders that COVID brought, we moved to a larger production facility and focused on opening our coffee shop. The last few years have also given me an opportunity to nurture international relationships in sourcing our coffees. I love the coffee industry, I love the community of local shops, the camaraderie of local micro-communities of a single shop, learning and educating on the industry. But nothing brings me more joy in my work than talking to a farmer about their coffee and how our little business in Chandler is thriving because they’ve dedicated their life to the pit of a coffee cherry. When I’m not at Sagebrush I’m probably meeting with someone from our Church (Grace Bible Church in Tempe) where I’m a pastor, reading or vacationing with family which includes exploring coffee shops.

@ndlman