Do you think a green tea vs coffee caffeine battle is an easy win? Think again…
Some varieties of green tea actually pack a bigger punch, and the way caffeine interacts with your body is drastically different.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at how much caffeine does green tea have compared to coffee, how it’s measured and how the caffeine in green tea vs coffee can vary based on picking, processing and brewing.
In the end, we’ll find the highest caffeine green teas to put to the test and come up with a final green tea vs coffee caffeine comparison.
Let’s get this battle brewing! 🍵🆚☕️
Green Tea vs Coffee Caffeine: A battle is brewing
The short answer
So how much caffeine is in green tea compared to coffee?
A standard cup of green tea caffeine content
A 8oz/240ml cup of green will have 40mg of caffeine per serving.
A standard cup of coffee caffeine content
This is much lower in caffeine than coffee which has between 90-100mg of caffeine per serving.
So why did we say that the caffeine in green tea vs coffee can be higher?
For that we’ll have to dig a bit deeper.
Why scientists and tea experts struggle to measure green tea vs coffee caffeine
So when we compare green tea vs coffee caffeine, it’s important to note that both drinks can vary widely.
How much caffeine in green tea vs coffee can vary based on how the two are produced and what type of beans/leaves are used.
In the next section, we will pull apart the green tea vs coffee caffeine and see why the question is not as simple as it may appear.
Factors that influence tea caffeine content
Not all tea is created equal, and depending on what type of tea you are using, you can get vastly different outcomes in the green tea vs coffee caffeine equation.
These are the following factors that can influence the caffeine in a green tea.
Shading
Even before the tea is picked, farmers are able to influence the caffeine content in the leaves. Caffeine is produced as a defense mechanism, to defend the leaves against insects.
When the tea plant is cut off from sunlight, a practice used to produce some of Japan’s best quality green teas, the plant feels threatened, and produces extra caffeine.
This is why long-shaded teas like gyokuro have more caffeine, and they tip the balance of power in the green tea caffeine vs coffee debate.
Picking
When the green tea is ready to be harvested, the farmer will have another decision to make that will influence the caffeine and that is the picking.
The younger, more tender tea leaves are more vulnerable to insects and therefore they contain higher amounts of caffeine.
This means that teas made from younger leaves like sencha, will have higher amounts of caffeine than your standard green tea.
Processing
Finally, how the tea is processed can have an impact on the caffeine profile.
If the tea is mixed with other ingredients like genmaicha, the caffeine can be lowered.
If the green tea is roasted, like is the case with hojicha, the caffeine content can also be lowered.
So in the end, the winner of the green tea vs coffee caffeine battle will be determined by the shading, picking and processing of the green tea.
Spilling the beans on coffee caffeine content
If you’ve ever pondered green tea vs coffee caffeine, just know that coffee’s caffeine content varies widely. Bean type is crucial. Robusta beans generally contain more caffeine than Arabica, which impacts caffeine in coffee vs green tea. Growing conditions, such as altitude, also play a role in shaping that caffeine punch.
Harvesting & Processing
Just like tea leaves, coffee cherries picked at different stages can alter the caffeine levels in the final brew. Wet or dry processing further changes the bean’s chemical makeup, influencing coffee vs green tea caffeine comparisons.
Roasting & Brewing
Lighter roasts often retain slightly more caffeine, while darker roasts taste stronger but don’t necessarily have more caffeine. Brewing method, whether a quick espresso or a slow-steeping French press, impacts extraction, and can be a key determinant in how much caffeine is in green tea compared to coffee.
When weighing caffeine in green tea vs coffee, remember that each decision, from farm to cup, matters. By exploring bean variety, processing, roasting, and brewing, you’ll discover just how flexible coffee’s caffeine can be.
Green tea vs coffee caffeine miscalculated because of preparation
Coffee is typically made with 2 tablespoons of ground beans (11 grams) and loose leaf tea is made with 1 tablespoon of leaves (5 grams). This already gives coffee an advantage, but green tea also tends to be brewed with lower temperatures, which extracts less caffeine.
For this reason, coffee will generally have more caffeine than tea, but there are some extreme cases where the caffeine green tea vs coffee can be higher, which we will discuss later.
Heavy hitters - High caffeine green tea vs coffee
So we’ve talked about how much caffeine is in green tea compared to coffee, but we haven’t taken into consideration some of the high caffeine Japanese, Chinese and Indian green teas.
These teas will have either the same amount of caffeine as coffee, or even more, depending on how you prepare them.
Let’s talk about each one here:
Japanese green teas
Gyokuro 138 mg of caffeine
Gyokuro is a special type of Japanese green tea that can have 120-140mg of caffeine per serving. This high caffeine content comes from the fact that the gyokuro plant is covered in a special type of netting before the harvest and it produces more caffeine.
You won’t notice the same effect as you do with coffee because gyokuro is also high in l-theanine, so you get that calm-alert energy we discussed earlier. This is one of the big differences between green tea caffeine vs coffee.
So does green tea have more caffeine than coffee? If you’re drinking gyokuro it does!
Matcha up to 136mg of caffeine
What about the caffeine content in coffee vs matcha? Because matcha is a powdered green tea, it is mixed directly into water with a bamboo whisk or chasen. This means that you’re getting not only all the health benefits, but also all the caffeine contained within the tea leaf.
High quality, ceremonial matcha can have 34mg of caffeine per gram. This may not seem like much, but in a typical 8 ounce cup of matcha, you will use as many as 4 grams and 136mg of caffeine. So how much caffeine does green tea have compared to coffee? If you are using a lot of matcha, it can have more!
By the way, of you want to learn more about why matcha is so high in caffeine, you may like this article here 👉 Does Matcha Have Caffeine? It’s the most Caffeinated Tea
Chinese green tea
Mao Feng – 115mg of Caffeine
Mao Feng green tea from China comes in at around 115mg of caffeine per serving, giving it a reasonable standing in the green tea vs coffee caffeine debate.
Thanks to its natural balance of caffeine and other compounds, you may still feel a smoother buzz compared to the jolt from coffee. If you’re wondering how much caffeine in green tea vs coffee, Mao Feng proves that the answer can vary widely.
Indian green tea
Darjeeling Green Tea – 96mg of Caffeine
Another contender in the caffeine in green tea vs coffee discussion is Darjeeling green tea from India, which delivers around 96mg of caffeine. When considering coffee vs green tea caffeine, darjeeling green tea sits comfortably in the middle, offering a level of alertness without the sharper edges some people experience with coffee.
So how much caffeine is in green tea compared to coffee? As with most things, it depends on the variety, and these teas show there is more than what meets the eye.
Why caffeine in green tea vs coffee “feels” different
With all this discussion about the green tea vs coffee caffeine, it is important to explain that both drinks produce very different results when you drink them.
We are all familiar with this “jolt” effect that coffee gives you, but tea is much more subtle. Even if there is more caffeine in green tea vs coffee, you won’t feel it as much because of the l-theanine.
L-theanine in green tea vs coffee caffeine
It’s not just about the green tea vs coffee caffeine, it’s also about the theanine. Theanine is an amino acid found only in tea and one other plant, and it is thought to reduce a lot of the negative side effects of caffeine like the crash and jitters.
So while there isn’t much of a difference between green tea caffeine vs coffee, green tea has l-theanine and coffee does not, so the effect is completely different. Tea drinkers report having this calm-alert feeling that lasts throughout the day.
Exploring the L-Theanine vs coffee health benefits
So now that we’ve talked about which has more caffeine coffee vs green tea, let’s talk about some other differences between the two, specifically as it relates to health.
Green tea not only offers a lower caffeine content, but also a plethora of health benefits. Here are some of our favorites:
What is l-theanine
The coffee vs green tea caffeine content is very different because tea contains l-theanine which is thought to induce a calming effect on the brain. It’s also believed to stimulate alpha brainwave activity, the same brain waves stimulated during meditation.
If you like comparing the coffee vs green tea caffeine, you may also like learning about the other health benefits tea has to offer in this article 👉 Chemical Composition of Green Tea
Antioxidants
When deciding between green tea and coffee, one key factor to look into is the antioxidant content. Coffee is very low in antioxidants, and green tea is very high in antioxidants like EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate).
In fact, matcha can have over 20 times the amount of antioxidants as blueberries! These antioxidants help to repair damage in the body caused by oxidative stress.
Lower acidity
Coffee generally has a lower pH, making it more acidic than green tea. The acidity in coffee can be influenced by bean variety, roast level, and brewing method, resulting in some coffees being milder than others. Conversely, green tea’s naturally higher pH and certain compounds can make it gentler on the stomach.
If you will like this comparison of caffeine in green tea vs coffee, you will love our acidity breakdown 👉 Is Green Tea Acidic? The Mystery of Acid in Green Tea
Caffeine in green tea vs coffee - which is the caffeine King?
So when comparing the caffeine content coffee vs green tea, coffee may come out on top most of the time, but there are lots more benefits of green tea.
Is green tea better than coffee? For us, yes! Green tea not only provides a longer lasting, more calm energy throughout the day, but it comes with many additional benefits.
Even though the caffeine of green tea vs coffee tends to be lower, it has a lot more to offer! There are a lot of benefits of switching from coffee to green tea, there can be some challenges such as taste and caffeine level.
If you liked this comparison of Green Tea vs Coffee Caffeine, make sure to leave us a comment below and share it on social media.
