Coffee Culture
How Much Caffeine is in Coffee
A frequently asked question, the caffeine content in coffee is always up for discussion. Each coffee will have varying amounts of caffeine because coffee is an agricultural product that varies seasonally and regionally. Depending on the type of coffee species, the varietal, how and where it is grown, coffee can taste extremely different and can also carry varying amounts of caffeine in each bean.
However, the variances in caffeine content in coffee are not so great that you cannot estimate the amount of caffeine in coffee. There are many ways to measure the amount of caffeine in coffee so let’s start simple with a single bean!
How Much Caffeine in a Coffee Bean?
On average, a single bean of arabica coffee – the most common species of commercial coffee – contains 5 to 10mg of caffeine. While that may seem like a wide range for the amount of caffeine in a coffee bean, it spans 5 to 10 mg of caffeine due to the variations in different types of coffee.
For example, dark roast caffeine content may vary from light roast caffeine content. Generally speaking, light roast coffee beans carry more caffeine content than dark roast coffee beans. Brewed dark roast averages the same amount of caffeine as a light roast due to the processing of weighing out coffee before brewing it. However, bean to bean, the dark roast bean is likely to contain closer to 5 mg of caffeine whereas a light roast bean is more likely to contain closer to 10mg of caffeine.
Caffeine in Your Cup!
When it comes to brewed coffee amounts, a 14 oz cup of brewed drip coffee averages between 150 to 200 mg of caffeine. In contrast, instant coffee carries less caffeine content with about 47 mg of caffeine per 6 oz cup or closer to 100mg per 14 oz cup. That means that instant coffee is less caffeinated than traditionally brewed coffee and this is due to the way that instant coffee is made. Most instant coffees are actually made from brewing coffee then dehydrating the brewed coffee to create coffee flavor crystals. This means that some of the caffeine content is lost in the process.
If you are an avid coffee drinker and drink a whole pot to yourself, you are definitely increasing your caffeine consumption. Many coffee brewers are capable of brewing up to 60 oz of drip coffee so, following the logic that a 14oz cup of coffee tends to have between 150 to 200 mg of caffeine, a pot of coffee is likely to have between 643 to 857 mg of caffeine.
Decaffeinated But Delicious
Regarding decaffeinated coffee, there is still a small trace amount of caffeine. Decaffeinated coffee can be processed in many different ways but there is always a small amount left over in the process. The amount of caffeine left in decaffeinated coffee is minimal and usually comes in at 2 to 20 mg of caffeine in a 14 oz of drip decaffeinated coffee.
When it comes down to the amount of caffeine in your cup of coffee, the only question that matters is if there is or isn’t caffeine. Of course, if you are avoiding caffeine for whatever reason, decaf is the answer! Otherwise, caffeine content in coffee varies and is mostly subject to how much coffee you are drinking regardless of roast level or region. The best way to choose the coffee for you is based on taste.
Written by Val Hue
Thanks to this month’s Guest Blogger Val Hue and the team at The Coffee Guru.
The Coffee Guru is a blog site for Coffee Lovers. They are a dedicated team of coffee drinkers that bleed coffee. Their goal is to share with you as much information about coffee as possibly. They are constantly learning and reviewing new products in the industry, and as they learn and discover new things, they love to share their discoveries with fellow coffee lovers.
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