Caffeine in coffee
Every coffee below is built from the same bean, and the caffeine still ranges from 3 mg to 180 mg a serving. What moves the number is water and time, not roast.
| Drink | Serving | Caffeine | Time to clear | Latest for an 11 pm bedtime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold brew | 10.1 oz cup (300 ml) | 180 mg | 12 and a half hours | 10:26 am |
| Double espresso | 2 oz shot (60 ml) | 127 mg | 9 and a half hours | 1:18 pm |
| Flat white | 5.4 oz cup (160 ml) | 125 mg | 9 and a half hours | 1:26 pm |
| Moka pot | 3.4 oz cup (100 ml) | 100 mg | 7 and a half hours | 3:16 pm |
| Filter coffee | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 96 mg | 7 and a half hours | 3:36 pm |
| Cortado | 4.1 oz cup (120 ml) | 96 mg | 7 and a half hours | 3:36 pm |
| Instant coffee | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 65 mg | 4 hours | 6:49 pm |
| Espresso | 1 oz shot (30 ml) | 64 mg | 4 hours | 6:56 pm |
| Cappuccino | 6.8 oz cup (200 ml) | 64 mg | 4 hours | 6:56 pm |
| Americano | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 62 mg | 4 hours | 7:12 pm |
| Latte | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 62 mg | 4 hours | 7:12 pm |
| Ristretto | 0.7 oz shot (20 ml) | 44 mg | 53 minutes | 10:07 pm |
| Decaf coffee | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 3 mg | already clear | any time |
Dark roast is not stronger. Roasting burns off a little caffeine, so a dark roast measured by scoop has marginally less than a light one. What actually decides the dose is the ratio of ground coffee to water and how long the two stay in contact. That is why cold brew, steeped twelve hours, beats every hot cup on this page, and why an espresso shot is the most concentrated coffee here yet lands mid-table once you account for its 30 ml.
10.1 oz cup (300 ml)
2 oz shot (60 ml)
5.4 oz cup (160 ml)
3.4 oz cup (100 ml)
8 oz cup (240 ml)
4.1 oz cup (120 ml)
8 oz cup (240 ml)
1 oz shot (30 ml)
6.8 oz cup (200 ml)
8 oz cup (240 ml)
8 oz cup (240 ml)
0.7 oz shot (20 ml)
8 oz cup (240 ml)
