How Much Caffeine in Tea

We know that tea contains caffeine? But how does it stack up against coffee?

Most tea drinkers, even those who consume over 5 cups of tea a day, are not aware that their favourite hot beverage actually contains caffeine. Most of them stay away from coffee, believing that its high caffeine content will harm their bodies and keep them awake at night. But tea also contains appreciable amounts of caffeine.

Millions of people around the world need to start their morning with a fresh cup of hot, steaming tea. Whether brewed with tea leaves over a flame or made with a tea bag in hot water, whether black and unsweetened or with added milk and sugar, tea holds a special place in people’s hearts. Tea is especially indigenous to Asian and Middle Eastern cultures, which like their tea strong and piping hot, while the French and the British prefer to have weak tea with a little milk and very little sugar.

There is nothing more wonderful than a piping hot cup of tea, perfectly made. For many people, the highlight of their working day is when they come back to their desks after lunch and drink a calming cup of tea. Tea is wonderful even when it’s raining outside, and we are snugly sitting indoors watching television or are curled up on the couch with a good book!

It is now becoming apparent why tea is the drink of choice for many around the world – its caffeine content helps to kick-start the day! What is more, the more beneficial teas such as green or white tea contain more caffeine than a usual cup of milky tea! Though the quantities of caffeine are lower than those found in coffee, it is worth finding out just how caffeine content a normal cup of tea contains.

Coffee:Coffee lovers swear by its miraculous powers – just one cup in the morning jolts the last vestiges of sleep out of their eyes, and helps them prepare for the rest of the day. A mid-morning cup of coffee when the day’s chores are almost on track is a wonderful experience, too. Whether taken with sugar and milk or simply poured black and unsweetened, coffee’s caffeine kick is worth waiting for!

One cup of brewed coffee (235 ml) contains about 200 mg of caffeine; while an espresso shot (about 30 ml) contains 75 mg of caffeine. A cup of instant coffee will contain about 173 mg of caffeine, while a cup of mocha will have 175 mg of caffeine.

Tea: As compared to these numbers, tea has lower caffeine content per serving. A 235 ml cup of black tea contains about 70 mg of caffeine, and green tea has 45 mg of caffeine. Meanwhile, instant tea contains about 47 mg of caffeine, and bottled iced tea has 40 mg of caffeine.

As these numbers show, tea has much less caffeine as per serving as compared to coffee.