brewed black tea vs brewed coffee vs Coca-Cola Classic: which has more caffeine?

brewed coffee has the most caffeine of the three: 95mg per 8 oz cup, against 47mg per 8 oz cup for brewed black tea and 34mg per 12 oz can for Coca-Cola Classic. It also leads per ounce, at roughly 11.9mg to 2.8mg, so the order holds whichever way you count.

brewed black tea vs brewed coffee vs Coca-Cola Classic: the numbers

Sources: brewed black tea is 47mg per 8 oz cup per USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy 173227, 20mg per 100g times 237g (source), and the figure is carried in our brewed black tea guide; brewed coffee is 95mg per 8 oz cup per USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy 171890, 40mg per 100g times 237g (source), and the figure is carried in our the caffeine database; Coca-Cola Classic is 34mg per 12 oz can per Caffeine Informer (source), and the figure is carried in our Coca-Cola Classic guide.

Why the three numbers are not measured the same way

Canned drinks list an exact figure because caffeine is a measured ingredient, so the number on the label is the number in the can. Brewed drinks are averages: grind, dose, water temperature and steep time move a cup of coffee or tea by tens of milligrams either way. When you compare across those categories, treat the canned figures as fixed and the brewed ones as a center point with real spread around it.

The three head-to-head pages

Each pairing has its own page with the full math:

• brewed black tea vs brewed coffee, head to head
• brewed black tea vs Coca-Cola Classic, head to head
• brewed coffee vs Coca-Cola Classic, head to head

Which one should you pick?

Take Coca-Cola Classic when you want the smallest dose of the three, brewed black tea when you want a middle number without thinking about it, and brewed coffee when you actually want the 95mg and know how you handle it. If you drink more than one caffeinated thing a day, the useful move is adding the day up against the 400mg reference rather than judging each drink alone.

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.

Related reading

• The verified caffeine database
• Every drink compared: the comparisons index
• Compare any two of 120+ drinks

FAQ

Which has the most caffeine, brewed black tea, brewed coffee or Coca-Cola Classic? brewed coffee, at 95mg per 8 oz cup. brewed black tea has 47mg per 8 oz cup and Coca-Cola Classic has 34mg per 12 oz can.

Which of the three is strongest per ounce? brewed coffee, at about 11.9mg per fluid ounce, ahead of brewed black tea at 5.9mg and Coca-Cola Classic at 2.8mg.

How many brewed coffee servings reach the FDA 400mg reference? About 4.2 of them, at 8 oz cup each. The FDA cites 400mg a day as an amount generally not associated with negative effects in healthy adults. This is information, not advice.