Caffeine in coffee vs. tea

by Donna Kaluzniak
(Jacksonville Beach, FL)

QUESTION:

I've heard that coffee has less caffeine than tea. Is that true?


ANSWER:

No, that isn’t true. Coffee actually has about twice as much caffeine as tea.

Different sources quote different figures for the amount of caffeine in tea and coffee, but in each case the proportion remains about the same, with coffee at twice the amount.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the figures are as follows:

Black tea, 8 ounces (oz.) - 47 millegrams

Black coffee 8 ounces (oz.) - 95 millegrams

You can find out about the different levels of caffeine in different coffee types and servings on our caffeine in coffee page.