brewed coffee has more caffeine than English breakfast tea: 95mg vs 47mg in the same 8 oz cup. That is a 48mg gap, and since the cans match, the per-serving number is the whole story.
These are different categories of drink, which changes how the caffeine arrives. Energy drinks and sodas list an exact number because caffeine is a measured additive; brewed drinks vary with the beans and the brew, so their figures are compiled averages. The numbers here are the standard published values for each.
English breakfast tea vs brewed coffee: the numbers
| English breakfast tea | brewed coffee | |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeine per serving | 47mg per 8 oz cup | 95mg per 8 oz cup |
| Caffeine per fl oz | 5.9mg | 11.9mg |
| Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) | 8.5 | 4.2 |
Sources: English breakfast tea's figure is verified in our English breakfast tea caffeine guide against Twinings published figure (source); brewed coffee's figure is verified in our brewed coffee guide against USDA FoodData Central (source).
Which one should you pick?
Pick English breakfast tea when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and brewed coffee when you actually need the bigger hit and know your tolerance. If you are stacking either with other caffeinated drinks through the day, run the math against the 400mg reference rather than guessing.
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
- English breakfast tea: the full caffeine guide
- brewed coffee: the full caffeine guide
- The verified caffeine database
- Every drink compared: the comparisons index
FAQ
Does English breakfast tea or brewed coffee have more caffeine? brewed coffee: 95mg per 8 oz cup versus 47mg per 8 oz cup for English breakfast tea.
Which is stronger per ounce? brewed coffee, at about 11.9mg per fluid ounce versus 5.9mg for English breakfast tea.
Comparing caffeine? The caffeine comparison tool puts hundreds of drinks side by side, and the caffeine curfew calculator can check your cutoff time for tonight.