Does Coffee Have More Caffeine Than Tea?

Does Coffee Have More Caffeine Than Tea?

Many people in the world avoid drinking coffee. They even forbid their kids from drinking it regularly, and encourage them to drink tea instead.

This is because of the notion that coffee has more caffeine than tea and it would, therefore, lead to more detrimental effects to the body, in terms of withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking it.

However, this is not true. While steeped tea has lower levels of caffeine (when compared to brewed coffee), the coffee beans actually have a lower caffeine content than tea leaves.

As such, many people associate coffee with a higher caffeine content, because it is stronger as a beverage.

Caffeine Levels In Coffee Beans And Tea Leaves

Caffeine is a compound that is naturally occurring in not only tea and coffee, but also in small amounts in cacao plants. The compound is mainly produced as a pesticide to wade off pests.

It has been discovered that the caffeine levels in the unprocessed leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant (the tea bush) is significantly more than that in either Arabica or Robusta plants (the most common coffee bush species).

Caffeine Levels In Brewed Coffee And Steeped Tea

As previously mentioned, the level of caffeine in brewed coffee is more than that in steeped tea. The explanation for this is that coffee is a stronger beverage than tea.

You will clearly see this when you make a cup of each and compare the physical appearances. While it is easy to see through a cup of tea, it may be impossible to see through a cup of coffee.

In most cases, a cup of coffee may appear completely black. The reason for this difference is that during the brewing process, coffee is extracted more than tea.

This occurs because, in most cases, coffee is brewed at a higher temperature compared to tea. It is mostly fresh when brewed, and it is brewed for longer periods of time, when compared to tea.

The General Overview Of Caffeine In Coffee And Tea

Tea and coffee reviews have shown that the level of caffeine varies, depending on factors like the type of coffee used, the kind of tea being brewed, and even the harvesting and processing procedures.

In the case of coffee, there is a huge variation in the caffeine levels from the two major species that are utilized for coffee.

Arabica beans have half as much caffeine as the Robusta variety.

The processing of tea into green tea, black tea, purple tea, and even white teas determine the amount of caffeine in the tea. This is because they are harvested at different times and undergo different steps during processing, which has an impact on the general caffeine levels they contain after steeping.


Even though the caffeine levels vary significantly during the consumption of coffee and tea, none of them are unhealthy to consume.

Lifestyle gurus and medical practitioners recommend keeping caffeine intake at less than 500 milligrams every day.

This means that you can enjoy your favorite beverage, in moderation, without being worried about side effects to your body.