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CAFFEINE GUIDE · REVIEWED 7 OCTOBER 2026 · 12 MIN READ
Tea and Caffeine Levels: How Much Is in Your Cup?
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The NHS estimates 75 mg of caffeine in a cup of black or green tea, without specifying a cup size. Your own brew may contain more or less, depending on the tea, how much leaf you use and how you prepare it. Use that NHS figure as a guide when thinking about your daily drinks.
Tea usually offers less caffeine than a comparable cup of brewed coffee, but choosing well takes more than comparing two numbers. Here is how the amounts, familiar blends and brewing choices fit together, so you can find a cup and an occasion that suit you.
QUICK ANSWER
Tea generally contains less caffeine than brewed coffee. Compare the source and portion before comparing the number.
On this page
Choose a question or continue in order.
Decaf and caffeine-free choices
→
More caffeine questions
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01 · THE NUMBERS
Caffeine amounts and serving sizes
Drink (250 ml) | Approximate caffeine | Typical feel |
|---|---|---|
Herbal infusion | 0 mg | None |
Decaf tea | 2-5 mg | Negligible |
White tea | 15-30 mg | Very light lift |
Green tea | 25-45 mg | Light, calm alertness |
Black tea | 40-70 mg | Steady, gentle lift |
Espresso (single shot) | 63 mg | Fast, intense hit |
Filter coffee | 70-140 mg | Strong, steady lift |
Energy drink (250 ml) | 80 mg | Sharp, fast-acting lift |
Check the portion alongside the amount. These figures come from public-health sources and describe different reference drinks, so they are useful estimates rather than exact results for your cup.
Same serving, different estimates
Health Canada · 237 ml each
BREWED TEA · 30–50 MG
BREWED COFFEE · 135 MG
The tea figures differ because the sources use different examples and assumptions. They do not establish a minimum or maximum for all tea. A larger mug, more leaves or a different steep can change the amount you drink.
Tea versus coffee
Health Canada's equal-sized examples put brewed tea below brewed coffee for caffeine. If you would like to explore tea as an alternative to your usual coffee, that is a useful starting comparison. Your actual intake still depends on the drink and how many servings you have.
Choose the flavour you would enjoy as well as considering caffeine. Our tea-types guide introduces the categories and a real comparison of two white teas, so you can look beyond the number on a chart.
02 · FAMILIAR BLENDS
Black tea, Yorkshire Tea and Earl Grey
How much caffeine is in Yorkshire Tea?
Regular Yorkshire Tea contains caffeine. Use the general black-tea figures above as a guide; a precise amount needs a figure for the particular Yorkshire product and brewing method. We have not verified such a manufacturer figure for this guide, so we do not present a generic tea estimate as a Yorkshire Tea measurement.
How much caffeine is in English Breakfast tea?
English Breakfast is generally a black-tea blend and contains caffeine unless it is decaffeinated. Different brands use different blends and portions, so the name alone cannot give you a milligram amount. The same practical rule applies to PG Tips, Tetley and other everyday black teas: check product information, then consider how you brew the cup.
Does Earl Grey have caffeine?
Most Earl Grey contains caffeine because it has a black-tea base. Its bergamot flavour does not remove that caffeine. Choose a version labelled decaf if that is what you want, and check the ingredients when the blend uses a different tea base.
03 · TEA CATEGORIES
White, green, yellow, oolong and pu-erh
All six tea categories can contain caffeine.
White tea's light flavour does not reliably make it lower in caffeine than black tea, and pu-erh's fermentation does not make it caffeine-free.
Measurements of commercial teas show why a fixed white–green–black ladder is unhelpful: amounts varied substantially, without a consistent category order in that study. Yellow and oolong tea also need information about the actual product and brew if you want a precise comparison.
Jasmine tells you about scent, so look for the base tea as well. Matcha is a powdered preparation; figures for ordinary strained tea should not be transferred to a scoop of matcha without checking the portion.
The category is still useful for choosing a style. For caffeine, the product and preparation give you the more relevant detail.
03 · PREPARATION
How brewing changes caffeine
Leaf amount, water, steeping time and leaf form all influence the brew.
01
AMOUNT OF LEAF
02
WATER VOLUME
03
STEEPING TIME
04
FORM OF LEAF
Weighing leaves and measuring water helps you repeat a cup you enjoy. It cannot reveal an exact caffeine amount without measurement.
Research on black and green tea confirms that both the product and the preparation matter.
At home, weighing the leaves and measuring the water helps you repeat a cup you enjoy. Keep the temperature and time in mind, too. These details make your method consistent, although they cannot tell you the exact caffeine amount without a measurement.
If a cup tastes too strong, you can adjust it using our brewing guide. Tea Ducks' black-tea temperature comparison explains a flavour preference; bitterness and colour are not reliable caffeine tests.
04 · TEA DUCKS
Tea Ducks' caffeine labels
Research-informed estimates rather than laboratory measurements.
GENTLE
A quieter place to begin
MODERATE
A balanced middle ground
LIVELY
For a brighter lift
Our Gentle, Moderate and Lively caffeine labels are research-informed estimates. They are not laboratory measurements of Tea Ducks teas, and the calculation and brewing assumptions behind the bands still need fuller documentation. Use the sourced figures in this guide for context rather than treating a label as a measured daily dose.
For flavour, we can be more personal and specific. Our Moonlight White and White Peony comparison describes the sweetness and character Tea Ducks finds in those cups. That is the place to begin if you are choosing between them for taste.
05 · ATTENTION
Caffeine & L-Theanine in Tea
Tea usually offers less caffeine than brewed coffee, together with naturally occurring L-theanine.
“More is not always the goal. Enough is the best.”
For many people, around 40–90 mg caffeine is enough to noticeably improve alertness without feeling overstimulated. Tea offers a different way to approach the same question.
A particular cup cannot be assumed to deliver the same amounts or results as a controlled caffeine and L-theanine study.
FOR A RICHER MORNING
Ancient Tree Black Tea
MODERATE
Malty, brisk and full enough for the start of the day, with dark honey and dried-fruit notes.
EXPLORE THE TEA →
FOR A GENTLER AFTERNOON
Moonlight White
GENTLE
Floral, mellow and light, with a softer character and a Gentle caffeine intensity.
EXPLORE THE TEA →
06 · YOUR DAY
Daily intake and evening tea
General guidance gives context; sensitivity and medical circumstances vary.
EFSA: amounts that generally do not raise safety concerns. These are limits, not targets or a guarantee for every person.
400 mg
UP TO ACROSS A DAY
200 mg
UP TO AT ONE TIME
Healthy adults
During pregnancy
200 mg
NO MORE THAN IN A DAY
NHS guidance · from all sources
For healthy adults, EFSA considers up to 400 mg across a day and up to 200 mg at one time amounts that generally do not raise safety concerns. These are general limits, not targets or a guarantee for every person; medical conditions and medicines can change what is appropriate.
During pregnancy, the NHS advises no more than 200 mg a day from all sources. Tea, coffee, cola, chocolate and other caffeinated products all contribute to the total.
Evening tea can be enjoyable when the timing suits you. From my personal experience, I love an after-dinner pu-erh to balance out the richness of the meal and it has no effect on my sleep in about 3-4 hours. Caffeine can still disturb sleep in some people, so if you are sensitive or unsure, try your tea earlier in the day. EFSA notes that even 100 mg near bedtime can affect some adults.
07 · DIRECT ANSWERS
Decaf and caffeine-free choices
Decaf and caffeine-free choices
Decaffeinated tea usually retains a little caffeine, so “decaf” and “caffeine-free” are not always interchangeable. For a drink chosen specifically to avoid caffeine, check the label and ingredients. Some herbal blends include caffeinated plants or tea, while many others do not. During pregnancy, check the NHS's separate advice on herbal teas as well.
More caffeine questions
Does adding milk or water remove caffeine?
No. Adding either dilutes the drink, but the caffeine already in the cup remains. If you drink the whole cup, it still contributes the same amount to your intake.
Can a quick rinse make tea decaffeinated?
A quick rinse is not a dependable way to make tea decaffeinated. If reducing caffeine is important to you, choose a labelled decaf or caffeine-free product rather than trying to calculate what a rinse has removed.
Does Coke Zero contain caffeine?
Standard Coca-Cola Zero Sugar contains caffeine; a separate caffeine-free version is also sold. Check the manufacturer's UK product information. The generic cola figure in the table is not a verified caffeine value for Coke Zero.
EVIDENCE
Sources and further reading
Serving sizes and qualifications remain beside the claims.
01
NHS · Foods to avoid in pregnancy
02
Health Canada · Caffeine in foods
03
EFSA · Caffeine
04
Chin et al., 2008 · Caffeine in commercial teas
05
Astill et al., 2001 · Factors affecting tea infusions
06
Camfield et al., 2014 · Caffeine, L-theanine and attention
07
Caffeine and attention, 2025 review
07
UK Tea & Infusions Association · tea types and blends
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