Is matcha stronger than coffee?

For people looking into caffeine alternatives or jumping ship, a common question is ‘How strong is matcha?’ and ‘Is matcha stronger than coffee?’.


To answer this question, it’s better to compare comparing the caffeine content of matcha and various preparations of coffee per 8 fl. oz, the common serving of coffee.


Caffeine (per 8 fl.oz)

Matcha (usucha)

70 mg (Moderate)


Brewed arabica

163 mg (Very high)

Decaf coffee

2.5 mg (Low)

Instant coffee

57 mg (Moderate)

The traditional style of thin matcha called usucha prepared with 1 teaspoon of matcha powder, which at 70 mg of caffeine is rated moderate, This can go higher or  lower depending on how you take your matcha.


Some people like their matcha thinner by only using half a teaspoon which is about 35 mg of caffeine. Thicker matcha called koicha, prepared with 2 teaspoons of matcha per bowl, has about 140 mg of caffeine (Funfact: Matcha is served in bowls, not cups!).

These three styles of preparation fall way below the recommended daily caffeine intake of 400 mg per day.

So yes, coffee is stronger than matcha

Based on the table above, coffee clearly has more caffeine, and is therefore stronger. While a cup of Arabica has 163 mg of caffeine which is very high, coffee from fast food outlets and coffee shop brews are much stronger.


Starbucks drinks can range from moderate, high, to insane. A Grande decaf (16 fl. oz) is expectedly low at 25 mg, a Grande Caffe Latte at a heart-palpitating 150 mg, while the Caffe Mocha is straight up rated Dangerous at 510 mg. The Caffe Mocha however is the carton kind sold at groceries with 6 servings at 85 mg per serving. People don’t pay attention to serving sizes though so someone who chugs a whole carton can easily end up in an ER.



Speaking of ERs, stronger doesn’t mean better. Coffee might be insanely helpful in keeping you up for the graveyard shift, study time and jolt you awake to start your day, but it’s not healthy.


The average consumption of coffee by coffee drinkers n the United States is 3.2 cups with men drinking as much as women. If you like your Starbucks order with an extra shot of espresso, this can quickly escalate into dangerous levels.



What’s fascinating this is that the reason people turn to coffee is for that caffeine jumpstart, when in fact there are safer, healthier, more efficient ways that caffeine can be consumed.



Matcha is better than coffee, even with less caffeine.



Matcha which has half the caffeine, trumps coffee at being the better stimulant and keeping you alert and awake.


For starters, the fact that matcha in caffeine is different is one reason why it’s a good switch from coffee because a good bowl of matcha has effects has last for 4-6 hours. And because it’s a form of tea, it has the component that causes relaxation in tea: L-theanine.


Those two complement each other so well that drinking a bowl of matcha with the extended effect of caffeine’s mental alertness does not cause jitters at all.



But that just starts of why, despite matcha not as strong as coffee, is so much better.