brewed coffee has the most caffeine of the three at 95mg per 8 oz cup, brewed black tea sits in the middle at 47mg, and brewed decaf coffee has the least at 5.6mg. The servings are identical, so the per-can numbers settle it outright: a 89.4mg spread from top to bottom.
brewed decaf coffee vs brewed coffee vs brewed black tea: the numbers
| brewed decaf coffee | brewed coffee | brewed black tea | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caffeine per serving | 5.6mg per 8 oz cup | 95mg per 8 oz cup | 47mg per 8 oz cup |
| Caffeine per fl oz | 0.7mg | 11.9mg | 5.9mg |
| Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) | 71.4 | 4.2 | 8.5 |
Sources: brewed decaf coffee is 5.6mg per 8 oz cup per Caffeine Informer (source), and the figure is carried in our brewed decaf coffee 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; 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.
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 decaf coffee vs brewed coffee, head to head
- brewed decaf coffee vs brewed black tea, head to head
- brewed coffee vs brewed black tea, head to head
Which one should you pick?
Take brewed decaf coffee 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
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Gear from this guide
FAQ
Which has the most caffeine, brewed decaf coffee, brewed coffee or brewed black tea? brewed coffee, at 95mg per 8 oz cup. brewed black tea has 47mg per 8 oz cup and brewed decaf coffee has 5.6mg per 8 oz cup.
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 brewed decaf coffee at 0.7mg.
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.
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