Tea Brewing
How Much Caffeine Is in Your Tea?
Real ranges by tea type, what actually changes the number in your cup, and how to brew for less caffeine.
Key takeaways
- A typical cup of tea has 20–70 mg of caffeine; brewed coffee has 95–165 mg.
- Brewing time and leaf quantity affect caffeine more than tea color does.
- There is no reliable way to decaffeinate tea at home by rinsing it.
Typical ranges per 8 oz cup
These are ranges, not guarantees. Cultivar, harvest, leaf grade and your brewing all move the number.
- White tea: 15–45 mg
- Green tea: 20–45 mg
- Oolong: 30–50 mg
- Black tea: 40–70 mg
- Matcha (2 g whisked): 60–70 mg
- Herbal and rooibos: 0 mg
What actually moves the number
Caffeine is water-soluble and extracts quickly, so a five-minute steep pulls noticeably more than a two-minute one. More leaf per cup does the same.
Hotter water extracts faster too. A green tea brewed at boiling for four minutes can easily out-caffeinate a gently brewed black tea, which is why 'green tea has less caffeine' is only half true.
The 30-second rinse myth
A short rinse removes only a small fraction of caffeine while stripping much of the aroma. If you want less caffeine, brew a shorter steep with less leaf, or choose hojicha, aged white tea or a herbal infusion.
L-theanine and why tea feels different
Tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that smooths the caffeine curve. Most people report a steadier, longer lift from tea than the same caffeine dose in coffee.
Frequently asked questions
- Does re-steeping reduce caffeine?
- Yes, substantially. Most of the caffeine leaves in the first two infusions, so a third or fourth steep is much gentler.
- Is decaf tea caffeine-free?
- No. Decaffeinated tea usually retains 2–5 mg per cup. Only herbal infusions are genuinely caffeine-free.
About the author
Written by the Leaf & Steep editorial team. We brew, weigh and re-test everything we publish at home with ordinary kitchen equipment — no lab, no sponsorships influencing the verdict. How we test.
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