Caffeine in Tea: Everything You Need to Know

Summary : Matcha has the highest caffeine content of the teas we sell, at around 68mg per 2g cup as you consume the whole tea leaf (powdered) rather than simply steeping it. Among leaf teas, black teas come next with a caffeine content of around 27–35mg, followed by oolong at 20–30mg, green tea at 20mg, and white tea at 10mg. Herbal and fruit infusions are caffeine-free, with one exception: yerba mate (40–80mg). For comparison, a cup of coffee contains roughly 65–175mg.

When you think tea, you automatically think caffeine. But truth is, caffeine is present in varying quantities, some teas have more caffeine than coffee, some have medium amounts and there are some with no caffeine at all. This is where tea gets interesting as there are so many varieties to choose from!

Where does caffeine in tea come from?

Caffeine is created and stored inside the cells of the Camellia sinensis tea plant.

Caffeine acts as a natural defence mechanism, as an insecticide and fungicide to protect young shoots in their growing phase. Thus caffeine is mostly concentrated on the tender buds and top two leaves of the plant.

The older, more mature leaves, as well as the stems generally contain very little caffeine. An example is our Japanese Hojicha tea made entirely from stems and containing very little caffeine.

When we brew tea, some of this naturally occurring caffeine is released into the water. How much you end up drinking depends on the tea, how much tea is used, the water temperature and how long the tea is brewed for.

The reason Herbal and fruit teas are usually caffeine-free is because they do not come from the Camellia sinensis plant.

One important exception is Yerba Mate. This is a herbal infusion made from the leaves of the South American yerba mate plant and contains around 40-80 mg of caffeine per cup.

How much caffeine is in tea?

As a simple guide (in a typical 2 gm serving)

• Black tea: around 27–35mg per cup
• Green tea: around 20mg
• Oolong: around 20–30mg
• White tea: around 10–15mg
• Matcha: around 40-70mg
• Pu-erh: around 30–40mg
• Japanese Hojicha: around 7–8mg
• Herbal and fruit teas: usually caffeine-free
  

Some examples of Tea People caffeinated teas are as follows:

Figures are approximate and can vary depending on how you prepare your tea.

The pros and cons of caffeine

For most healthy adults, moderate caffeine intake, generally up to 400mg per day, can have benefits, but too much may cause unwanted effects.

The key is finding the amount that works for you.

Cutting down on caffeine?

You certainly do not have to give up your tea ritual.

Tea People has plenty of naturally caffeine-free herbal and fruit teas:

A quick note on wellness teas

It is always worth checking the ingredients.

Our Sleep Tea is caffeine-free, but our Energy Tea contains ingredients such as Yerba Mate and Matcha, which naturally contain caffeine.

So if you are avoiding caffeine, always have a quick look at the label.

Prefer traditional tea without the caffeine?

If you love the taste of traditional tea but want to reduce your caffeine intake, you can also explore our decaf English Breakfast or decaf Earl Grey. Decaf tea may still contain a very tiny amount of caffeine, so something to bear in mind if you are trying to avoid caffeine completely.

And how do you actually turn caffeinated tea into decaf tea?

That is a story for another blog.

FAQs

Q1. Which tea has the most caffeine?

Matcha has the most caffeine of the teas we sell, at around 68mg per 2g cup, because the whole leaf is powdered and consumed. Among steeped leaf teas, black teas are highest at 27–35mg per cup, followed by oolong at 20–30mg, green at around 20mg and white at around 10mg. Yerba mate, an infusion rather than a true tea, contains 40–80mg.

Q2. Does green tea have less caffeine than black tea?

Usually, yes. Our green teas average around 20mg per 2g cup, while our black teas are 27–35mg. But how you brew matters more than the type: using more tea, hotter water or a longer steep can push a green tea above a lightly brewed black tea. Matcha is the exception, at around 68mg, it has more caffeine than any of our black teas.

Q3. Is there more caffeine in tea or coffee?

Coffee, in almost every case. A cup of coffee contains roughly 65–175mg of caffeine, compared with 10–68mg in our teas. A standard cup of black tea is less than half that. The one overlap is matcha: at around 68mg per cup it can match a weaker coffee. Tea also releases its caffeine more gradually, which many drinkers find gentler.

Q4. Which teas are caffeine-free?

All herbal and fruit infusions are naturally caffeine-free, because they aren't made from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). From our range that includes rooibos, peppermint, camomile, dandelion root and leaf, nettle, moringa passion fruit, blood orange, very berry and spiced apple. Two things to check: yerba mate is a herbal infusion that does contain caffeine, and some wellness blends (like our Energy Tea) include caffeinated ingredients.

Q5. Is decaf tea completely caffeine-free?

No, decaffeination removes most, not all, of the caffeine. That's why our decaf English Breakfast and decaf Earl Grey are labelled "may contain residual caffeine". If you need to avoid caffeine entirely, for example if you are allergic to caffeine a herbal or fruit infusion is the safer choice. Always check the label on blends.