Caffeine in Espresso
A single 30 ml shot of espresso holds about 64 mg of caffeine, less than a standard mug of filter coffee.
| Caffeine per serving | 64 mg |
| Serving | 1 oz shot (30 ml) |
| Caffeine per 100 ml | 212 mg |
| Share of the 400 mg daily limit | 16% |
| Equal to filter coffee | 0.7 mugs |
| Equal to espresso | 1.0 shots |
| Time to fall below 40 mg | 4 hours |
How long does it last?
How late can you have it?
For an average metabolism this drops below the 40 mg sleep threshold about 4 hours after you drink it, so the latest you could have one and still be clear by an 11 pm bedtime is 6:56 pm. A fast metaboliser gains roughly two hours, a slow one loses two.
What to know
Espresso is the most concentrated coffee you will drink, around 212 mg per 100 ml, roughly five times filter coffee. You just drink 30 ml of it rather than 240, which is why both "espresso is the strongest" and "espresso is the weakest" get repeated as facts. Per millilitre the first is true, per cup the second is.
No drink on this site varies more from one café to the next. Dose, grind and extraction time move a single shot anywhere between 45 and 90 mg, and what a chain sells as a single is frequently a double.
The small serving makes espresso one of the safer late options. At 64 mg it drops under the 40 mg sleep threshold in about four hours, where a flat white made from the same beans takes eight.
Compared with the rest of the coffee
| Drink | Serving | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Cold brew | 10.1 oz cup (300 ml) | 180 mg |
| Double espresso | 2 oz shot (60 ml) | 127 mg |
| Flat white | 5.4 oz cup (160 ml) | 125 mg |
| Moka pot | 3.4 oz cup (100 ml) | 100 mg |
| Filter coffee | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 96 mg |
| Cortado | 4.1 oz cup (120 ml) | 96 mg |
| Instant coffee | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 65 mg |
| Espresso | 1 oz shot (30 ml) | 64 mg |
| Cappuccino | 6.8 oz cup (200 ml) | 64 mg |
| Americano | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 62 mg |
| Latte | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 62 mg |
| Ristretto | 0.7 oz shot (20 ml) | 44 mg |
| Decaf coffee | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 3 mg |
Common questions
How much caffeine is in espresso?
Espresso has about 64 mg of caffeine per 1 oz shot (30 ml). That is 16% of the 400 mg daily limit for a healthy adult, or about 0.7 mugs of filter coffee.
How long does the caffeine in espresso last?
It peaks about 45 minutes after you drink it and halves every 5.7 hours. For an average adult one 1 oz shot takes about 4 hours to fall below 40 mg, the line Cira uses as low enough to sleep on.
How late can I drink espresso and still sleep?
For an 11 pm bedtime the latest is about 6:56 pm. Move it by the same amount as your own bedtime. People who clear caffeine slowly should stop about two hours earlier.
How many servings of espresso can I have in a day?
About 6, going by the 400 mg daily limit for healthy adults. That limit covers everything else with caffeine in it too, so the real number is lower on a day with other coffee, tea or cola.
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Where these numbers come from
Caffeine content is the typical value for the serving shown, the same figure the Cira app uses. Brands and brew methods vary, so treat it as a good estimate rather than a measurement of your cup. The 5.7 hour half-life is a typical value for healthy adults, the 40 mg sleep line is a working threshold of the model, and the 400 mg daily limit is the figure used by the European Food Safety Authority and the US FDA. How the numbers are worked out.
