Caffeine in Matcha
A 240 ml matcha holds about 67 mg of caffeine, more than double an ordinary cup of green tea.
| Caffeine per serving | 67 mg |
| Serving | 8 oz cup (240 ml) |
| Caffeine per 100 ml | 28 mg |
| Share of the 400 mg daily limit | 17% |
| Equal to filter coffee | 0.7 mugs |
| Equal to espresso | 1.1 shots |
| Time to fall below 40 mg | 4 and a half hours |
How long does it last?
How late can you have it?
For an average metabolism this drops below the 40 mg sleep threshold about 4 and a half hours after you drink it, so the latest you could have one and still be clear by an 11 pm bedtime is 6:34 pm. A fast metaboliser gains roughly two hours, a slow one loses two.
What to know
With matcha you drink the powdered leaf instead of an infusion, so nothing is left behind in a strainer. That single difference is why it outruns brewed green tea by a factor of two.
A café matcha latte is usually built on one or two teaspoons of powder. Two teaspoons puts you near 130 mg, past a mug of filter coffee.
Ceremonial grade uses younger leaves, which hold more caffeine than the culinary grade used for baking.
Compared with the rest of the tea
| Drink | Serving | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Yerba mate | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 84 mg |
| Matcha | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 67 mg |
| Black tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 48 mg |
| Oolong | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 38 mg |
| White tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 36 mg |
| Chai latte | 10.1 oz cup (300 ml) | 30 mg |
| Green tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 29 mg |
| Herbal tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 0 mg |
Common questions
How much caffeine is in matcha?
Matcha has about 67 mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup (240 ml). That is 17% of the 400 mg daily limit for a healthy adult, or about 0.7 mugs of filter coffee.
How long does the caffeine in matcha last?
It peaks about 45 minutes after you drink it and halves every 5.7 hours. For an average adult one 8 oz cup takes about 4 and a half hours to fall below 40 mg, the line Cira uses as low enough to sleep on.
How late can I drink matcha and still sleep?
For an 11 pm bedtime the latest is about 6:34 pm. Move it by the same amount as your own bedtime. People who clear caffeine slowly should stop about two hours earlier.
How many servings of matcha can I have in a day?
About 5, going by the 400 mg daily limit for healthy adults. That limit covers everything else with caffeine in it too, so the real number is lower on a day with other coffee, tea or cola.
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Where these numbers come from
Caffeine content is the typical value for the serving shown, the same figure the Cira app uses. Brands and brew methods vary, so treat it as a good estimate rather than a measurement of your cup. The 5.7 hour half-life is a typical value for healthy adults, the 40 mg sleep line is a working threshold of the model, and the 400 mg daily limit is the figure used by the European Food Safety Authority and the US FDA. How the numbers are worked out.
