How Much Caffeine in Tea?

Posted by Dave and Dennis on November 29th, 2006 at 08:41am

I know we usually write about coffee here, but many of us drink tea as well.

For those looking to curb their caffeine intake, tea may not be the best beverage choice. However, levels of caffeine in tea don’t even come close to those in most coffees.

If you can’t have caffeine but you need your tea, you could try the decaffeinated varieties, although the health benefits aren’t as strong in these.

Another way to reduce the caffeine is to brew your tea for less time. A one-minute brewing, versus three-minute brewing, can cut caffeine in half, according to the American Dietetic Association.

Compare tea’s caffeine levels to other items high in caffeine:

Item	Amount of Caffeine (mg)
	Typical	Range*
Tea (8 oz cup) Brewed (US brands) Brewed (imported) Instant Iced	40 60 28 25	20-90 25-110 24-31 9-50
Coffee (8 oz cup) Brewed Instant Decaffeinated	85 75 3	65-120 60-85 2-4
Espresso (1 oz cup)	40	30-50
Soft Drinks (8 oz glass)	24	20-40
Chocolate Milk (8 oz glass)	5	2-7
Milk Chocolate (1 oz)	6	1-15
Dark Chocolate (1 oz)	20	5-35
Chocolate Syrup	4	4
*The range is due to different brewing methods, brand, plant variety, etc.