discover how your brewing method, bean choice, and coffee-to-water ratio dramatically affect caffeine levels in your daily cup of coffee.
the directory is yours to explore, and the passport is free.
you're probably getting way more caffeine than you think. or maybe less. depends on your brew method, bean choice, and how heavy-handed you are with the scoops.
let's figure out exactly what's in your cup.
a "standard" cup of coffee has 95mg of caffeine. but that's about as useful as saying a car goes 30mph. which car? what conditions? how's the driver feeling today?
coffee caffeine content swings wildly. light roasts pack more punch than dark roasts — that burning process breaks down caffeine molecules. arabica beans hover around 1.2-1.5% caffeine by weight. robusta? nearly double at 2.2-2.7%.
grind size matters too. finer grinds extract more caffeine per gram. water temperature, brew time, coffee-to-water ratio — they're all moving the needle.
espresso: 63mg per shot (1 oz)
sounds low until you realize most cafe drinks use 2+ shots. that "small" cortado? you're looking at 126mg minimum.
pour over: 95-165mg per 8oz
hugely variable. depends on your ratio (1:15? 1:17?), grind consistency, pour technique. chemex filters trap oils and some caffeine compounds. v60 lets more through.
french press: 107-135mg per 8oz
that 4-minute steep time extracts serious caffeine. plus you're getting all the oils and fine particles that paper filters would catch.
cold brew: 155-238mg per 8oz
the dark horse. long extraction time (12-24 hours) pulls out everything. often made with higher coffee-to-water ratios too. that innocent-looking cold brew might pack more punch than three shots of espresso.
drip coffee: 95-200mg per 8oz
depends entirely on the machine, grind, and beans. diner coffee from a burnt carafe? probably on the low end. specialty shop using single-origin beans and proper extraction? easily hitting 150mg+.
explore specialty coffee shops near you on not another sunday to find cafes that know what they're doing with dosing and extraction.
here's where it gets personal. grab your usual coffee order and let's do math.
say you hit up a local roaster for their signature blend. single origin guatemalan, medium roast, pulled as a double shot. that's roughly 126mg right there. add a 12oz oat milk latte? you're still at 126mg — milk doesn't dilute caffeine content.
but if you're making pour over at home with a 1:16 ratio using 25g of coffee? you're probably extracting 120-140mg into that 400ml cup. drink the whole thing and you're well past the espresso baseline.
cold brew concentrate gets tricky. many shops serve it 1:1 with water or milk. others go lighter. that 16oz cold brew could be anywhere from 200-400mg depending on how they're mixing it.
the caffeine calculator at the top of this post accounts for these variables. plug in your method, serving size, and bean type for a realistic estimate.
your body processes caffeine at roughly 50mg per hour. half-life is 3-5 hours for most people. that morning coffee at 8am? still partially in your system at 2pm.
daily tolerance builds fast. 400mg is the fda's recommended daily max for healthy adults. sounds like a lot until you map out a typical day: double shot latte (126mg) + afternoon americano (154mg) + pre-workout cold brew (200mg). you're already at 480mg.
some people metabolize caffeine slower due to genetics. cyp1a2 enzyme variations mean that espresso hits different for different people. if coffee keeps you up past midnight, you might be a slow metabolizer.
origin affects caffeine content more than most people realize. ethiopian beans typically run lower caffeine. guatemalan and colombian varieties often punch higher. robusta-heavy blends (looking at you, italian espresso blends) will spike numbers significantly.
many specialty roasters list origin details and processing methods. natural processed beans sometimes retain slightly more caffeine than washed coffees. it's marginal but it adds up over multiple cups.
check out our roaster directory to find detailed tasting notes and origin information from craft roasters worldwide.
water temperature: 195-205°f is standard. too hot and you'll over-extract bitter compounds along with caffeine. too cool and you'll under-extract everything.
grind size: finer = more surface area = more caffeine extraction. but go too fine and you risk over-extraction and bitter flavors.
brew time: longer contact time pulls more caffeine. french press and cold brew max this out. espresso minimizes it but compensates with pressure and fine grind.
coffee-to-water ratio: more coffee = more caffeine. obvious but worth stating. that "strong" coffee you make by brewing longer doesn't add caffeine — it just tastes bitter.
decaf coffee still contains 2-5mg per cup. swiss water process and co2 extraction remove about 97% of caffeine. not 100%. if you're highly sensitive or avoiding caffeine entirely, even decaf might affect you.
track your intake for a week. note brew method, serving size, and timing. most coffee apps underestimate caffeine content by 20-30%.
if you're getting jittery, dial back gradually. cold turkey caffeine withdrawal includes headaches, fatigue, and serious mood swings. cut by 25% each week instead.
quality over quantity works here too. one excellent 12oz cup from a specialty roaster often satisfies better than three mediocre cups from a chain. you'll probably consume less caffeine overall.
switch up brewing methods to control intake. espresso-based drinks for moderate caffeine. pour over when you want more. cold brew when you need serious fuel.
find cafes with detailed brewing information to make informed choices about your daily caffeine intake.
the calculator above gives you hard numbers. but your body's response is the real measure. pay attention to how different coffees affect your energy, sleep, and overall well-being. adjust accordingly.
Key takeaway: a single cold brew can contain more caffeine than three espresso shots, making brew method -- not cup size -- the biggest factor in your actual caffeine intake.
it depends heavily on brew method. drip coffee runs 95-200mg per 8oz, french press hits 107-135mg, and cold brew is the highest at 155-238mg per 8oz. pour over lands anywhere from 95-165mg depending on your ratio and technique. the fda recommends a daily max of 400mg for healthy adults.
no -- light roasts actually have slightly more caffeine. the roasting process breaks down caffeine molecules, so the longer and hotter the roast, the more caffeine is lost. the difference is small, but if you want maximum caffeine, reach for a light roast, not a dark one.
caffeine has a half-life of 3-5 hours for most people, meaning your body clears roughly half of it in that window. a morning coffee at 8am is still partially active at 2pm. genetics play a role too -- variations in the cyp1a2 enzyme mean some people metabolize caffeine much slower than average.
no. milk, oat milk, and other add-ins do not lower caffeine content. a 12oz oat milk latte made with a double shot still contains the same 126mg as the espresso alone. diluting with liquid does not change how much caffeine you are actually consuming.
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