brewed black tea has the most caffeine of the three at 47mg per 8 oz cup, brewed white tea sits in the middle at 28mg, and brewed green tea has the least at 28mg. The servings are identical, so the per-can numbers settle it outright: a 19mg spread from top to bottom.
brewed white tea vs brewed green tea vs brewed black tea: the numbers
| brewed white tea | brewed green tea | brewed black tea | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caffeine per serving | 28mg per 8 oz cup | 28mg per 8 oz cup | 47mg per 8 oz cup |
| Caffeine per fl oz | 3.5mg | 3.5mg | 5.9mg |
| Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) | 14.3 | 14.3 | 8.5 |
Sources: brewed white tea is 28mg per 8 oz cup per Caffeine Informer (source), and the figure is carried in our brewed white tea guide; brewed green tea is 28mg per 8 oz cup per USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy 171917, 12mg per 100g times 237g (source), and the figure is carried in our brewed green tea guide; 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.
What a 19mg spread actually feels like
All three come in the same 8 oz cup, so the gap is the whole difference. 19mg is less than half a cup of brewed coffee, which is the easiest way to size it if you already know your coffee tolerance. Switching from brewed green tea to brewed black tea once a day changes your weekly intake by about 133mg.
The three head-to-head pages
Each pairing has its own page with the full math:
- brewed white tea vs brewed green tea, head to head
- brewed white tea vs brewed black tea, head to head
- brewed green tea vs brewed black tea, head to head
Which one should you pick?
Take brewed green tea when you want the smallest dose of the three, brewed white tea when you want a middle number without thinking about it, and brewed black tea when you actually want the 47mg 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 white tea, brewed green tea or brewed black tea? brewed black tea, at 47mg per 8 oz cup. brewed white tea has 28mg per 8 oz cup and brewed green tea has 28mg per 8 oz cup.
Which of the three is strongest per ounce? brewed black tea, at about 5.9mg per fluid ounce, ahead of brewed white tea at 3.5mg and brewed green tea at 3.5mg.
How many brewed black tea servings reach the FDA 400mg reference? About 8.5 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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