Yerba mate vs coffee: caffeine compared
Yerba mate has 84 mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup. Filter coffee has 96 mg per 8 oz cup.
Per serving filter coffee is ahead: 96 mg against 84 mg, slightly more. Per 100 ml filter coffee is ahead: 40 mg against 35 mg, slightly more.
| Yerba mate | Filter coffee | |
|---|---|---|
| Serving | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 8 oz cup (240 ml) |
| Caffeine per serving | 84 mg | 96 mg |
| Caffeine per 100 ml | 35 mg | 40 mg |
| Caffeine per fl oz | 10.4 mg | 11.8 mg |
| In the same 12 oz (355 ml) | 124 mg | 142 mg |
| Share of the 400 mg daily limit | 21% | 24% |
| Peak level, 45 minutes in | 77 mg | 88 mg |
| Time to fall below 40 mg | 6 and a half hours | 7 and a half hours |
| Latest for an 11 pm bedtime | 4:42 pm | 3:36 pm |
| Servings to reach 400 mg | 4.8 | 4.2 |
What the numbers mean
A cup of yerba mate has a little less caffeine than a mug of filter coffee. It is the strongest drink in the tea family, well ahead of black tea.
The traditional way of drinking it changes the dose. A gourd is refilled with hot water many times over an hour or two, and the total from a session can pass two coffees. Canned and bottled mate varies widely by brand, so check the label.
The full page for each
Common questions
Which has more caffeine, yerba mate or filter coffee?
Filter coffee. One 8 oz cup holds 96 mg, against 84 mg in one 8 oz cup of yerba mate: slightly more.
Which is the better choice late in the day?
Yerba mate. For an 11 pm bedtime one serving can be had as late as 4:42 pm, against 3:36 pm for filter coffee.
How many can I have in a day?
Going by the 400 mg daily limit for healthy adults: about 4 servings of yerba mate or 4 of filter coffee, if that is the only caffeine you have. Anything else with caffeine in it counts toward the same limit.
More comparisons
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Where these numbers come from
Every figure is calculated with the model the Cira app uses: caffeine peaks 45 minutes after you take it and halves every 5.7 hours, 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. These are averages. Smoking, pregnancy, the contraceptive pill and some medicines change how fast you clear caffeine. How the numbers are worked out.
