What is the Caffeine Content of Coffee?

You Probably Shouldn’t Ask This Simply Out of Curiosity

While being well informed about what exactly is in the food and beverages we consume is always a good idea, knowing the caffeine content in coffee is particularly important.  Consuming too much caffeine can lead to serious health problems.  In some extreme cases, caffeine over-consumption can even lead to death.

It’s important to know that caffeine content is not constant across all brands and types of coffee.  Some have practically no caffeine content, while others can have more than the maximum recommended daily amount of caffeine in a single cup.

There Is a Very Wide Range of Caffeine Content in Coffee

From the examples in the chart above, it can be seen that the difference in the amount of caffeine in coffee drinks can be pretty significant.  Differences in preparation methods, beverage sizes, and coffee varieties are some of the reasons why.

Those who are interested in learning specific information about the caffeine content in coffee and related matters are wise in wanting to have more detailed information.  Fortunately, there are many potential sources of information covering a considerable amount of coffee types, brands, and drinks.

I will be sharing what these sources are generally and will also be proving some specific examples.  Before proceeding to that, I want to share some information about total daily caffeine consumption numbers.

Tracking Daily Caffeine Totals

In terms of those who are interested in finding information on caffeine content, there are two main groups.  There are those who want to know, and there are those who need to know.

If you are not sure which one applies, you should definitely have a better idea soon. In either case, all are welcome to read on.  Below are some examples of people who need to monitor caffeine content more carefully.

Since caffeine is classified as a drug, it is under the regulatory scope of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  The FDA’s recommended maximum total daily caffeine consumption is 400 milligrams.  There are plenty of disclaimers, both explicit and implied.  A couple of those are highlighted above.

Sources of Information on Caffeine Content

Except for rare exceptions, coffee is exempt from FDA nutrition label requirements. That means that caffeine content usually is not available on coffee packaging, but it can be obtained elsewhere.

Interestingly enough, coffee brands aren’t too keen on providing caffeine content information online.  I checked dozens of coffee brand websites, and I was only able to find 4 companies that provided their own information.  For this reason, I’m not mentioning the brands themselves as a primary source of caffeine content information.

I will provide the links to the websites for these 4 brands in a categorized list of resources near the end of this article.  In my opinion, only Caribou Coffee provides their information in a user friendly format.  Pertaining to the others, some information is better than none.

Some examples of sources of caffeine content information that I will be covering in this article are: (1) blogs, (2) websites about medicine, health, nutrition, etc., (3) government agency websites, and (4) consumer advocacy organization websites.

For those not already aware, the coffee industry is very fragmented. There aren’t just a few major companies dominating production.  Also, a lot of different varieties of coffee exist.  Many brands and many varieties of coffee mean that there is no single caffeine content value for coffee.

Even if there was a single value in terms of the coffee being produced, reasons such as the ones mentioned previously would cause differences in the caffeine content of coffee after it’s prepared.

Because there is so much potential information about the topic of caffeine content in coffee, presenting all of it would require something more along the lines of a book than an article.

To narrow down the subject, most of what I will be mentioning in this article is about one particular source of information mentioned above
(blogs, and coffee blogs more specifically)

An Introduction to Blogs That Can be Used as References

There are numerous coffee blogs with a wealth of information on caffeine content. My personal favorite is Caffeine Informer. A special thank you to James, who gave me permission to use information from the
Caffeine Informer website as a reference for this article.

The main objectives of this article are to focus on some important points regarding caffeine content and to guide others in their search for information, rather than to exhaustively provide the type of detailed information that is available from Caffeine Informer and other sources.

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, first of all. Also, the fact that there is a lot of available information doesn’t guarantee that all will know the most direct route to the information they are looking to get.  Some people will want to identify where to look first before attempting to search for specific information.

So rather than starting a new database to then demonstrate how to use one, I believe it’s more productive to show examples of how existing ones can be helpful for finding caffeine content information.

Caffeine Informer

An Initial Look at Caffeine Informer

Not only does Caffeine Informer have a vast amount of information on caffeine content, it’s also very user friendly and practical.  Whether you are interested in finding very specific information on the caffeine content of beverages or in generally knowing more about caffeine content and its importance, you will certainly benefit from what they have to offer.

In the beginning of this article I mentioned that in some cases a single cup of coffee can have more than the daily recommended maximum of 400 milligrams of caffeine.  I imagine it’s possible that some of you may have already known this, and you are now looking for other information.

Surely it’s likely that some weren’t aware of this (given the title of this article I would expect that) and possibly even might have scoffed at the idea.  If so, be sure to read the 20 Most Caffeinated Coffees article to see the proof.

You can also select Search Caffeine Amounts in the Tools drop down menu, choose Coffee, and sort by highest milligrams of caffeine per ounce in the last column (mg of caffeine / fl. oz.).  It would take no more than 6 ounces of the ones at the top to exceed 400 milligrams of caffeine.

Below is a screen shot of the results mentioned above.  You can see the coffee with the highest caffeine content that I used in the Examples of Caffeine Content chart at the beginning of this article (Death Wish) isn’t even in the top 10.

I picked the 6 ounce cup of Death Wish because Death Wish is a relatively well known brand (with a very distinctive name), I wanted to use a common coffee serving size, and I wanted to use a size that would have a total caffeine content under the maximum recommended daily amount.

Though among the four examples, this cup of a mere 6 ounces still has the highest total amount of caffeine in spite of containing only half of the amount that the largest drink in the example (the Starbucks Verdana) contains.

One final observation for now on the amount of coffee in a cup.  “A cup of coffee” can be inadequate for comparisons, because using the term interchangeably can lead to confusion and misinterpretation.

Comparing milligrams of caffeine per ounce is much more useful, and it is very convenient that such information is available on sites like Caffeine Informer.

More on the Caffeine Informer Blog

I would like to highlight a couple of additional benefits of using Caffeine Informer to learn more about caffeine content.

First, you can save a lot of time and effort.  If you’re researching more than a few items using other sources, the task can be very tedious and time consuming.

I’ll use the Starbucks website as an example.  Browsing their menu, it’s only possible to see the data of one drink  / variation at a time (it’s worth noting that this data isn’t even visible when the page loads initially: it can only be seen after selecting to display the “full nutrition & ingredients list” near the bottom of the page).

In the screen capture below, the information for a 12 ounce Veranda is shown.

I would have to use the drop down menu to see the information for other sizes, and I would need to go to other pages to see the caffeine content information for other drinks (and only after scrolling down to be able to select the nutrition and ingredients list, as mentioned above).

It is much faster and practical to get the information I want from the Starbucks caffeine content chart in Caffeine Informer.  I can quickly glance at a large number of drinks and size variations in a single chart, as partially shown below.

The second benefit is related to some of the information I have shared previously.  It can be especially handy for those who potentially have the need to gather a lot of information and yet at the same time might want to simplify the task.

For instance, someone might tend to drink more coffee than average person.  This person might also want to avoid going over the recommended maximum of 400 milligrams of caffeine (having already determined that this is the maximum that is applicable, hopefully).

For the sake of choosing some round numbers that are easy to work with, this person may want to note the options above and below 10 milligrams of caffeine per ounce.  That way it’s a matter of avoiding the options with more than10 milligrams / sticking with the options below 10 milligrams and paying attention not to exceed drinking 40 ounces of coffee per day.

Below is an illustration with some examples.  On the left are options to be avoided, and on the right are the options to choose from (according to the previously chosen 10 milligrams per ounce criteria).  As a reminder, in the “Tools” section it’s possible to sort by milligrams per ounce.  This makes it easy to go through the ordered results and identify the options that fit the desired criteria.

Additional Coffee Blog Resources

Caffeine Informer is a good example of a site with plenty of specific information on caffeine content, for those who need or desire to have a high level of detail.

The following two represent a more general type of resource for learning about caffeine content and other information pertaining to coffee.

You’ll notice some overlap in articles about caffeine content, but all tend to vary in terms of length, level of detail, and style of presenting information.

Knowing of these various alternatives, it’s then a matter of deciding which one better suits individual needs and preferences.

Roasty Coffee

I recommend reading How Much Caffeine is in a Cup of Coffee? It is a great resource to learn about this topic in general.  I want to mention two particular things this article covers that I won’t be addressing in detail in my article (again, it is not my intent to reinvent any wheel that is already rolling along smoothly).

The first is information about coffee bean types and roast levels.  Because every detail about every coffee (brand, type, variety, etc.) isn’t going to be easy to find, knowing general information on this subject can be very useful to estimate caffeine content when specific information isn’t available.

The second is variability in caffeine content due to brewing methods.  An example would be differences in caffeine content of espresso versus regular coffee, which is mainly due to the differences in how each is brewed.  I did mention a bit about this, though not specifically in this context.

Using the resources available in Caffeine Informer and elsewhere, it becomes apparent that the caffeine content in terms of milligrams per ounce of espresso is on the high end across all coffee.

Similar to what I mentioned in the first point above, this type of general information can be very handy when specific information can’t be found.

It’s also important in assessing the caffeine content of espresso based drinks such as cappuccinos.

There is quite a bit of valuable information in this article beyond these points that I mentioned.  For example, it discusses the very relevant effects of caffeine on the body.  After all, many of those looking for information on caffeine content are doing so to prevent consuming too much caffeine in order to avoid the harmful effects of over-consumption.

Home Grounds

For those who would prefer a quick and easy reference, How Much Caffeine in Coffee: Which Coffee has the Most Caffeine? can be a good article to read.

I would say it’s probably more appropriate for those in the “want to know about the caffeine content in coffee” group rather than the “need to know” group.  For those who also want to know more about caffeine in general, there are several additional articles on the topic.

Other Sources of Information

Websites Covering Topics in Medicine, Health, and Nutrition, etc.

There is a vast number of these websites that provide information about caffeine content and other related matters.  However, they usually don’t contain the level of detail that websites such as coffee blogs typically do for things that pertain to caffeine content in coffee specifically.

There is still a lot of valuable information to be found in these websites, particularly for whose primary concern isn’t mathematical precision with caffeine milligram quantities associated with coffee.

For example, someone might be much more concerned with recognizing all of the potential signs of caffeine over-consumption from drinking coffee than with absolute caffeine totals that may or may not apply to their specific circumstances.

It will always be advisable to at least be familiar with basic caffeine content numbers related to coffee, and for that purpose most of the information in these websites tends be sufficient.

A couple of examples of articles are How Much Caffeine in a Cup of Coffee: A Detailed Guide and Caffeine Content of Different Types of Coffee. The first one is written by a registered dietician nutritionist, and the second one has been reviewed by a licensed dietician nutritionist.

This can be a reason why some may chose these types of information sources over other alternatives.  Some people may feel more confident about using information that has been written or reviewed by professionals in these particular fields.

Government Agency Websites

The main agency in this category is the one I had briefly mentioned near the beginning of this article, the Food and Drug Agency (FDA).

One fairly recent article published by the FDA that I recommend for those looking to learn some of the basic information is Spilling the Beans: How much caffeine is too much?

The title of the article implies that the FDA recommended maximum of 400 milligrams of caffeine is not always the answer to that question.  I have alluded to this perspective a few times previously in this article.

There is a lot of information to consider in order to have the proper context and understanding of the FDA recommended daily caffeine maximum.  The FDA recognizes this fact and provides important supplemental information.

Summary of Potential Sources of Information

Below I am providing categorized links to a number of resources.  For those who may want to refer to information previously covered, rather than having to scroll to various other places in this article it may be more convenient to find them all in one place.  There are also some additional resources that I didn’t cover specifically in this article.

Project Kanban Board Brainstorm by jorge

Final Thoughts on Caffeine Content in Coffee

Know What Decaf Really Means (Hint: It’s Not Zero Caffeine)

I’m mentioning this information about decaffeinated coffee for benefit of those who may not have an opportunity to learn this information otherwise.

Knowing this information about decaf coffee isn’t quite as critical as knowing that a cup of coffee with very high caffeine content can have more than the maximum recommended daily amount of caffeine. It can be significant to some people, though.

In identifying who these people might be, I can use the same examples that I used previously (those with above average caffeine sensitivity, with certain medical conditions, who consume caffeine in things besides coffee, and who drink many cups of coffee daily).

Knowing that decaf coffee typically contains some caffeine can also be potentially significant for all when considered together with other information I will be mentioning below.

So what is decaf coffee exactly? One source defines decaffeination as “the removal of caffeine from coffee beans.” This is different than the fairly common misconception of decaf coffee meaning coffee without caffeine. Regulations only require most (but not all) of the caffeine to be removed in order for companies to sell it as decaf coffee.

The truth about decaf is, literally by definition, that it’s not necessarily coffee without any caffeine. Rather, it is coffee that has had caffeine removed and in many cases only partially.

In this sense, decaf coffee can be a source of “hidden” caffeine for those who might drink it without being aware that it contains some caffeine. In other words, caffeine that may be consumed without knowing.

By itself this won’t necessarily be significant, but it can be considering other potential sources of hidden caffeine such as a number of medications. Multiple sources of hidden caffeine can add up to a significant amount.

The Big Picture

Even though this is a bit of a lengthy article, the information that I have mentioned is but a small fraction of what is available.  I have shared my perspective on some points that I consider to be among the most significant, and I have also provided links to a variety of resources throughout this article.

Looking back to all that has been mentioned, there is a connection between caffeine and health that hopefully is pretty well established by now.  Being knowledgeable about the caffeine content in coffee matters most as it relates to avoiding over-indulging / enjoying the beneficial effects of caffeine.

This is the big picture.  Caffeine content specifics are important to understand, but it is equally important to be able to step back and put everything into proper perspective.

Monitoring Caffeine Content Amounts in Coffee

There are a number of ways to approach this, and the best approach is not the same for everyone.  Not everyone has the same risk of going overboard with caffeine, not everyone needs to know exactly how much caffeine they are consuming, and not everyone has the same safe maximum amount of total caffeine consumption.

Additionally, coffee is but one of many beverages that contain caffeine, and a variety of foods and medications also contain caffeine.  Monitoring caffeine content in coffee is important, but so is monitoring caffeine in everything else that might contain it.

Coffee and Health

Coffee is one of the most naturally healthy beverages that exist.  Some might be surprised by this and may be wondering, what are the health benefits of drinking coffee?

There is plenty of information on that for those who are interested in learning more, including the article mentioned in the previous question, additional information from some of the resources I have shared, and much more for those willing to research the topic on their own.

For those interested in learning about what is considered by many to be the healthiest coffee available, this article on Lifeboost Coffee provides a detailed look at that.

Beneficial Stimulant Effects of Moderate Caffeine Consumption

As mentioned above, coffee is very inherently healthy.  It can, however, become less healthy and even unhealthy for a number of reasons.  Poor cultivation methods,  over-consumption, and adding unhealthy substances are a few examples.

What is the healthiest way to drink coffee?  In a nutshell, it’s about being selective when purchasing coffee, drinking coffee with moderate caffeine content, and choosing coffee that has plenty of the “good stuff” (antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals).

Drinking coffee like Deathwish and others with high caffeine content wouldn’t allow drinking enough daily to get the most beneficial levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

For those looking to use moderate caffeine consumption to complement the benefits of exercise and an active lifestyle in general, something similar applies.

Ever wondered, how much does coffee help overall weight loss efforts?  More precisely, the answer is really mostly about the stimulant effects of the caffeine in the coffee.

Finally, the stimulant effects of caffeine can work wonders in helping relieve constipation.  Though as many of you surely know, easy does it. Too much caffeine is known to cause bowels to become overactive.  Which brings me to the last point.

Avoiding Consuming Too Much Caffeine

As mentioned above, this is a crucial part of the big picture.  The list of potential adverse effects on the body is pretty extensive.  A few are shown in the image below.

Hopefully, the objective of this article is accomplished.  That is to help others enjoy the benefits of coffee and caffeine, without having any of the harmful effects.