How Much Caffeine Is in Coffee Beans? Which Coffee Drinks Contain the Most Caffeine?

"Which coffee on the menu has the least caffeine?" "I really want to drink coffee, but I'm afraid it will keep me awake at night~"

In most people's eyes, coffee is a beverage consumed precisely for its stimulating effects, but its aromatic qualities also attract a group of flavor-seeking enthusiasts, including those who are caffeine-intolerant yet still crave coffee, such as the customer mentioned by FrontStreet Coffee at the beginning. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will discuss the caffeine content in various types of coffee and common misconceptions about caffeine.

What determines the caffeine content in a cup of coffee?

The amount of caffeine in a coffee bean first depends on its variety and growing altitude. Among the two most common coffee varieties, Robusta contains approximately 2-4% caffeine by weight, while Arabica contains about 0.9-1.4%, typically only half as much as Robusta. Most commercially available fresh-ground coffees use Arabica varieties, with only a small percentage of Robusta added to blends to create richer crema in espresso.

Generally, the higher the growing altitude, the lower the caffeine content. High-altitude growing regions have lower temperatures and fewer pests, so coffee trees don't need to produce as much caffeine to defend against insects. This also explains why Robusta, grown at lower altitudes, contains so much caffeine, though this standard primarily applies to Arabica varieties.

FrontStreet Coffee has previously explained that when brewing coffee, lighter flavor molecules are released first, while heavier molecular compounds dissolve into the water later. Caffeine, with the chemical formula C8H10N4O2, is a heavy molecular compound, so like flavor compounds, its extraction amount is also related to extraction time. That is, the longer the brewing time, the higher the caffeine content.

Therefore, espresso-based drinks actually don't have the highest caffeine content. Pour-over drip coffee and French press immersion coffee have slightly higher caffeine content. Although cold brew and iced drip coffee are extracted at low temperatures, their extremely long extraction times result in higher caffeine content than the previous methods.

Here is FrontStreet Coffee's reference guide to approximate caffeine content in common coffee types based on typical serving sizes:

Espresso (20g beans/40g coffee) approximately 100mg; (same for lattes, Americanos, cappuccinos, etc.)
Pour-over coffee (15g beans/195ml coffee, 2 minutes) approximately 90mg;
French press (20g beans/4 minutes) approximately 135mg;
Iced drip coffee (one cup 20g beans/200ml coffee, 8 hours) approximately 135mg;
Cold brew coffee (one cup 20g beans/200ml coffee, 12 hours) approximately 140mg;
Coffee bag (one bag 10g beans/120ml coffee) approximately 50mg;
Instant coffee (one bag) approximately 50mg.

FrontStreet Coffee needs to emphasize that these values are based on typical extraction parameters and are not absolute results. The actual caffeine content in a cup of coffee is also related to extraction rate. For example, if we brew two cups of FrontStreet Coffee's Golden Mandheling, one with fine grind and one with coarse grind while keeping other parameters consistent, the fine grind will release more flavor compounds and consequently more caffeine. In other words, brewing with finely ground coffee results in a more intense flavor and a more stimulating effect.

Misconception about Caffeine #1

Online, popular science articles often tell us that an adult should not consume more than 400mg of caffeine daily, otherwise it may affect their health. Caffeine-sensitive individuals might try to calculate specific caffeine values from their beverages to avoid excessive intake. Consequently, they ask questions like "How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee?"

From a barista's perspective, beyond coffee variety, growing altitude, and brewing time, multiple factors affecting coffee extraction also determine caffeine content. For pour-over coffee, differences in grind size, water temperature, pouring technique, and coffee-to-water ratio all directly alter caffeine extraction, making it difficult to measure with specific values.

Misconception about Caffeine #2

FrontStreet Coffee has noticed that some friends believe caffeine content is related to roast degree. They think that darker roasts result in lighter coffee beans, so when weighing equal amounts for brewing, more dark roast beans are needed compared to light roast beans. Additionally, dark roast beans have a more porous structure, making it easier to extract flavor compounds, leading them to believe dark roast coffee contains more caffeine and has a more stimulating effect.

However, many studies show that coffee bean roast degree actually has little effect on caffeine content. At this point, some might say from personal experience: "I indeed feel more stimulated after drinking dark roast coffee!" This can only suggest that in your subconscious mind, only heavily bitter coffee can wake you up, compared to milder, acidic coffee. This is also why many people mistakenly believe espresso has the highest caffeine content.

Want to drink coffee but avoid caffeine? What to do?

For caffeine-intolerant friends, whether it's instant, bottled coffee, fresh-ground espresso, pour-over drip coffee, or long-extraction iced drip and cold brew coffee, these beverages all contain relatively high caffeine levels that can interfere with sleep. If you really want to drink coffee but avoid caffeine, you can choose artificially decaffeinated coffee, which contains almost no caffeine.

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FrontStreet Coffee
No. 10, Bao'an Qianjie, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473