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Yes, one method to reduce caffeine levels is to perform a quick “rinse” of the tea leaves. Steep the leaves briefly (30 seconds) and discard the water. This initial steep removes a significant amount of caffeine, after which you can steep the tea again for your desired flavor.
We explore the full tea-vs-coffee comparison later in this guide. For most people in the UK, black tea with caffeine simply means a strong mug of English Breakfast, Earl Grey, or a familiar “builder’s tea” bag. Brewed in a 240 ml mug with one bag for 3–5 minutes, these everyday black teas typically deliver somewhere between 40 and 60 mg of caffeine per cup. That puts them comfortably below a standard coffee, but still high enough to give a clear, steady lift. While there’s a general correlation, tea color isn’t a definitive indicator of caffeine content.
But the lower caffeine count might mean less sleep disruption and jitters. Problem is, people are different and that caffeine sensitivity can vary wildly – even in people who drink the same amount. And then there is L-theanine, an amino acid that when consumed with caffeine, has been shown to make us feel more relaxed and focused at the same time. And it’s no surprise that nutrition pros are always talking about tea when it comes to overall eating habits. Coffee comes from actual coffee beans that have been roasted – these are actually the seeds of the Coffea plant and you can commonly find them growing in tropical regions. When they’re harvested, they get to go through the whole process of fermentation, drying, roasting, and then get ground down.
- Traditional tea is derived from an evergreen shrub called Camellia sinensis.
- Assamica is known for producing higher caffeine content, especially in bold loose leaf black teas.
- Green tea is particularly high in catechins such as EGCG, which is being looked at for its long-term health benefits and a lot of other people are interested in as well.
- At the end of the day the preference between tea and coffee is really a personal choice which gets influenced by our lifestyle and our health needs.
Caffeine in Tea: A Complete Comparison Chart (Plus How It Compares to Coffee)
Cold brewing, which uses cool water and longer steeping times, generally extracts less caffeine than hot water brewing. This can be a gentler way to enjoy green, oolong, and white teas. Like for like, a cup of coffee has around double the amount of caffeine compared to black tea, with an average of 95mg per cup. Like tea, a lot of factors can influence the caffeine content of coffee including the type of coffee beans, the roasting process and the type of coffee.
How Brewing Changes Caffeine in Your Cup
For a complete guide, read our article on the best teas for different times of day. While cola is comparable to tea, other soft drinks can vary wildly. Search data shows high interest in Pepsi Max, Dr Pepper, and energy drinks like Monster. It’s real tea (Camellia sinensis) that has had most of its caffeine removed before packaging.
Popular Tea Varieties and Their Caffeine Content
On average, it takes five-times more coffee than tea to brew the same size cup. And hotter water releases more caffeine in an average cup of tea, than cooler water does. For some, it’s cultural, while others sip hot or cold tea for the health benefits.
🍃 Explore More Tea Guides
Much like the length of time you steep your tea, hot water facilitates more caffeine absorption into your cup. In other words, the more tea you use and the longer you steep it, the stronger that caffeine kick will be. Oolong teas sit between green and black tea in both flavor and caffeine content. They offer a well-rounded energy profile that many enjoy for sustained focus. Unlike coffee, tea contains L-theanine — a naturally occurring amino acid that helps create a more balanced, steady energy experience. This is why many tea drinkers describe tea’s caffeine as smoother and less jittery than other caffeinated beverages.
Regular tea is naturally caffeinated but it can be processed to remove all (or most of) the caffeine. While black, green, and white tea all stem from the Camellia sinensis plant, herbal teas do not. Herbal teas are made from a variety of different botanicals including flowers, nuts, fruits, and dried herbs. Remember that individual caffeine sensitivity varies, so start with lower-caffeine options and how long should a tea bag steep gradually increase if needed. The beauty of tea is its versatility – you can enjoy the ritual and health benefits while managing your caffeine intake effectively.
Signs You’re Consuming Too Much Caffeine:
Assamica is known for producing higher caffeine content, especially in bold loose leaf black teas. Sinensis is typically used for green and white teas and has slightly lower caffeine. Though the decaffeinating process aims to remove caffeine, trace amounts remain in decaf tea. The exact amount can vary and, just like caffeinated tea, brew time and water temperature can affect caffeine levels in the resulting cup.
Naturally Caffeine-Free
Even when a cup of tea has a similar caffeine content to coffee, it often feels different in your body. That’s thanks to an amino acid called L-theanine, found only in tea. Use the high-end temperature to begin the steeping, and allow for cooling to remain in the acceptable range for best results.
Many colas provide around 30–40 mg per 12 ounces, and popular energy drinks can jump much higher. On average, a six-ounce cup of black tea has about 50milligrams of caffeine—less than half the amount in a standard cup of brewed coffee. A similarly-sized cup of oolong tea contains approximately milligrams ofcaffeine, while green tea contains roughly 20-30milligrams. White tea contains the smallest amount ofcaffeine of all “true” teas (i.e. those made from the Camellia sinensis plant)—just milligrams per cup.
Decaf tea typically contains 1–2 mg of caffeine per cup, compared to ~75 mg in a regular black tea. For most people this is negligible, but it is not technically “zero.” If you enjoy a few black teas across the day, keeping this 40–70 mg range in mind helps you roughly tot up your intake while still keeping your daily ritual simple and enjoyable.