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
Recommended products
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Variable-temperature gooseneck kettle
Electric gooseneck kettle with presets from 160°F to boiling and a hold-temp setting.
Why we recommend it: Green and white tea scorch above 180°F — presets take the guesswork out of every steep.
Double-wall glass tea mug with lid
12 oz insulated borosilicate mug with an infuser basket and lid.
Why we recommend it: Keeps tea hot, stays cool to hold, and you can judge strength by color.
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 recommended tea temperatures for each tea type are a useful reference if you want to moderate caffeine with heat.
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.
Also worth having
Stainless electric kettle, 1.7 L
Fast-boiling cordless kettle with a concealed element and auto shut-off.
Why we recommend it: The cheapest reliable way to get hot water; rest it a few minutes for delicate leaf.
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.
Recommended products to get started
Wide-basket stainless tea infuser
Fine-mesh basket infuser that fits most mugs and small teapots.
Why we recommend it: Room for leaves to unfurl is the single biggest flavor upgrade for loose-leaf.
Single-origin loose-leaf tea, 3.5 oz
A 100 g pouch of single-origin leaf with harvest and region on the label.
Why we recommend it: One good tea, drunk often, teaches more than twelve mystery pouches.
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.
Free Tea Brewing Cheat Sheet: Temps, Times & Ratios
Keep the numbers from this guide on one printable page — water temperatures, steep times and leaf-to-water ratios for 10 kinds of tea.
Related reading
Loose-Leaf Tea Water Temperature Guide
The single biggest cause of bitter tea is water that is too hot. Here are the temperatures we brew at, by tea type.
7 min read
Steeping Time Guide: How Long to Brew Each Tea
Timing charts for every major tea type, plus how to re-steep leaves so one scoop makes three good cups.
6 min read
Tea-to-Water Ratios That Actually Work
How much leaf per cup, why teaspoons lie, and the cheap scale habit that fixed our inconsistent brews.
5 min readMore in Tea Brewing, browse all tea guides, or use the tea converter to scale this recipe to your teapot.