How Much Caffeine Is in Coffee

The answer depends on what you are drinking, how it was brewed, and how much of it is in the cup. The numbers people cite are often wrong because they ignore serving size, which is the variable that matters most.

By Drink

Drip coffee 8oz: ~95mg. Drip coffee 16oz: ~190mg. Single espresso: 63mg. Double: 126mg. Americano (double): 126mg. Cold brew concentrate 8oz: ~200mg. Nitro cold brew 12oz: ~170mg. Red eye 12oz: ~220mg. Matcha latte 8oz: ~70mg. London Fog 8oz: ~55mg. Decaf drip: 5 to 15mg.

The Per-Ounce Trap

espresso has more caffeine per ounce than any other preparation: 63mg per ounce versus about 12mg per ounce of drip coffee. But nobody drinks 8 ounces of espresso. When you compare serving to serving, a large drip coffee has significantly more total caffeine than a double espresso. The common belief that espresso is "stronger" than coffee is misleading. It is more concentrated. It is not higher in caffeine per serving.

What Affects Caffeine Content

Robusta has roughly twice the caffeine of arabica. Light roasts have slightly more caffeine than dark roasts (marginal, 5 to 10%). Longer extraction times pull more caffeine, which is why cold brew (12 to 24 hour steep) has more per serving than a quick pour over. The FDA considers 400mg of caffeine per day safe for most healthy adults. Know what is in your cup.

Keep reading: Best Time to Drink Coffee, Coffee and Sleep, Decaf vs. Regular Coffee.