How Much Caffeine Is In Your Coffee (Or Tea) Order?
Jun 25, 2026
Caffeine, a stimulant that most of us use, is what gets most people drinking coffee in the first place. Everyone reacts differently to caffeine, but it primarily helps us feel awake, focused, and maybe a little jittery at times. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cites that adults should not exceed 400 milligrams of caffeine in a day. That's a good amount of caffeine, and depending on what you're drinking, you might be able to fit up to 4-5 caffeinated beverages in that daily limit! Coffee shops, like Little Bear, offer a central place for people to come and fuel that need for caffeine through many different beverages. Filter coffee, espresso, cold brew, matcha, and tea all have varying levels of caffeine, and some can even hit us differently. So how much caffeine does your coffee, or tea, order have?
Filter coffee
Filter coffee is what we most think of first when we think of “Coffee”. It's brewed through some sort of paper filter and typically served in 10-12oz. Whether it's drip coffee or pour overs, you can expect to intake around 100 mg of caffeine per 10oz cup. This amount can vary quite a bit depending on the type of coffee, whether it is dark or light roast, and how strong it is brewed. However, 100 mg, or 10mg of caffeine per oz, is around average for a filter coffee. Many shops will offer drip coffee refills as well, so you can down anywhere from 100 - 200 mg of caffeine with one order!
Espresso
Espresso is the 2nd most popular form of coffee. It’s brewed on a machine that applies pressure to a bed of coffee which quickly extracts the coffee into a 2-3oz beverage. Espresso is often considered a higher caffeinated option, however the doses that it's served in mean it's not always a more caffeinated order. Most shots will serve espresso as a “double shot”, which on average contains about 100mg of caffeine per 2oz. This is a lot more concentrated compared to filter coffee, coming out to about 50mg per oz! However, regardless of if you're getting just an espresso, cortado, cappuccino, latte, or americano it's all going to be that 2oz of espresso, so just 100mg of caffeine.
Cold brew
Known for having a strong flavor and high caffeine content, cold brew is brewed in cold water over an extended period of time. People will often associate the long brew time with the high caffeine content, but it actually has more to do with brew ratio! Brew ratio refers to the ratio of coffee to water that you use. A typical cup of filter coffee will use a 1:17 ratio, about 20 grams of coffee to 340 grams of water. On the other hand, cold brew can be made using anywhere from a 1:4 - 1:10 ratio of coffee to water, about ≥34 grams of coffee per 340 grams of water! This difference in 20 to 34 grams of coffee per cup is where the caffeine increase comes from. In a cold brew, we are extracting more coffee per cup of coffee, therefore we are extracting more caffeine too.
Matcha
Matcha is a japanese green tea that is ground into a super fine powder. Traditionally, it is whisked into a bit of hot water and drank in a tea like form without any additives. However, in cafes it is typically served in a latte form with milk and some added sugar. Matcha has also exploded in popularity over the last couple years through social media. This can be credited to a couple things like antioxidants and a little amino acid called L-theanine. L theanine can provide a calming effect that reduces the negative side effects of caffeine like increased anxiety and jitteriness. Matcha contains about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee will, around 100 mg per cup, but the addition of L theanine will make the caffeinated experience more regulated, calming, and mitigate a “caffeine crash”.
Green/Black/Herbal Teas
Teas offer a lower caffeinated option for anyone looking for a more delicate experience.
Black teas will be the most caffeinated option in this category, around 40-70mg per cup. Green teas will have slightly less caffeine with about 30-60mg of caffeine per cup. Herbals teas on the other hand will contain no caffeine! At Little Bear, we offer both iced and hot options for each tea, making it a great option for any mood you're feeling!
What's the best option for you!
Although the daily recommended limit is 400mg of caffeine, I would not advise drinking that much caffeine in one sitting. Spreading out your caffeine intake throughout the day will likely provide the best results. The effects of caffeine usually last for around 4 hours, so having some in the morning and then again in the early afternoon can balance out your day a lot better. My personal routine is to filter coffee or espresso in the morning (usually when I'm opening the cafe) and then a matcha in the afternoon (when I'm leaving my shift). The caffeine and strong flavors from coffee really help to wake you up first thing in the morning while the L-theanine in a matcha keeps you calm and consistent through the afternoon.
Regardless of preference, at Little Bear Coffee we encourage everyone to drink coffee and experiment with something new! Next time you're at one of our cafes, consider the amount of caffeine you need to keep going. We offer decaf, half caf, and caffeinated options all day long!
