How Much Caffeine is in Tea?
Tea is one of the most popular drinks around the world and is packed with flavour and antioxidants, but many of us don’t consider the amount of caffeine in our cuppa.
Different Types of Tea
The amount of caffeine varies drastically depending on the type of tea you are drinking. The following list includes some popular types of tea and the amount of caffeine in each cup.
- Black Tea: around 42-144 mg per cup (240 ml)
- Oolong Tea: around 37-55 mg per cup (240 ml)
- Green Tea: around 28-42 mg per cup (240 ml)
- White Tea: 12-25 mg per cup (240 ml)
- Herbal Tea: usually no caffeine
Brewing Time and Strength
The amount of caffeine in your cup of tea can also vary according to the brewing time, water temperature, and strength of each steeping. Generally speaking, the longer you steep your tea, the more caffeine is released. It’s common to steep green tea for 30-60 seconds, oolong tea for 2-4 minutes, and black tea for around 3-5 minutes.
Caffeine vs Other Beverages
It’s also important to note that tea generally contains much less caffeine than other beverages such as coffee. A 8-oz cup of coffee contains around 95-200 mg, making it far higher than most types of tea.
Bottom Line
Tea is a wonderful choice for the health conscious and can be enjoyed in either hot or cold forms. Most types of tea contain small amounts of caffeine and brewing time can affect the amount of caffeine that is released. When deciding how much caffeine is right for you, it’s important to consider the type of tea you are drinking, how strong it is, and how long it was infused.
