How much caffeine is in brewed black tea?

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brewed black tea has 47mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup, per USDA FoodData Central. That works out to about 5.9mg per fluid ounce, well under brewed coffee at 11.9mg per ounce. Against the two standards everyone actually knows, one 8 oz cup equals about 0.5 cups of brewed coffee or 0.7 shots of espresso.

brewed black tea vs coffee and espresso

How the number behaves

Brewed tea has no single true number: leaf amount, water temperature, and steep time all move it, so the 47mg figure is a compiled average for a standard 8 oz cup rather than a label guarantee. brewed black tea brewed strong with more leaf lands higher; a short, cooler steep lands lower.

The mistake people make is treating every cup as identical. The same leaves steeped five minutes instead of two can carry meaningfully more caffeine, so treat 47mg as the midpoint of a range, not a fixed dose.

Where to find it

Check brewed black tea prices on Amazon

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For context, the FDA cites 400mg of caffeine a day as an amount generally not associated with negative effects in healthy adults. Tolerance and health vary, so treat these numbers as information, not advice.

FAQ

How much caffeine is in brewed black tea? 47mg per 8 oz cup, per USDA FoodData Central. That is about 5.9mg per fluid ounce.

Is brewed black tea stronger than coffee? No. brewed black tea carries 47mg per 8 oz cup versus 95mg in an 8 oz cup of brewed coffee, and per ounce it is 5.9mg versus 11.9mg.

How many servings of brewed black tea reach 400mg of caffeine? About 8.5 of the 8 oz cup servings reach the 400mg daily amount the FDA cites for healthy adults.

Sources: the brewed black tea figure (47mg per 8 oz cup) is USDA FoodData Central (source). Brewed coffee (95mg per 8 oz) and espresso (63mg per 1 oz) reference values are from USDA FoodData Central (source).