Matcha vs coffee: caffeine compared
Matcha has 67 mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup. Filter coffee has 96 mg per 8 oz cup.
Per serving filter coffee is ahead: 96 mg against 67 mg, about 45% more. Per 100 ml filter coffee is ahead: 40 mg against 28 mg, about 45% more.
| Matcha | Filter coffee | |
|---|---|---|
| Serving | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 8 oz cup (240 ml) |
| Caffeine per serving | 67 mg | 96 mg |
| Caffeine per 100 ml | 28 mg | 40 mg |
| Caffeine per fl oz | 8.3 mg | 11.8 mg |
| In the same 12 oz (355 ml) | 99 mg | 142 mg |
| Share of the 400 mg daily limit | 17% | 24% |
| Peak level, 45 minutes in | 61 mg | 88 mg |
| Time to fall below 40 mg | 4 and a half hours | 7 and a half hours |
| Latest for an 11 pm bedtime | 6:34 pm | 3:36 pm |
| Servings to reach 400 mg | 6 | 4.2 |
What the numbers mean
A cup of matcha has about two thirds of the caffeine in a mug of filter coffee. It has far more than ordinary green tea, because with matcha you drink the ground leaf itself instead of an infusion of it.
Matcha also contains L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea, and many people describe the lift as steadier than coffee. The caffeine leaves the body at the same rate either way. For sleep, what counts is the milligrams, and a matcha latte made with a double measure can match a coffee.
The full page for each
Common questions
Which has more caffeine, matcha or filter coffee?
Filter coffee. One 8 oz cup holds 96 mg, against 67 mg in one 8 oz cup of matcha: about 45% more.
Which is the better choice late in the day?
Matcha. For an 11 pm bedtime one serving can be had as late as 6:34 pm, against 3:36 pm for filter coffee.
How many servings of matcha equal one filter coffee?
About 1.4. One 8 oz cup of filter coffee holds 96 mg and one 8 oz cup of matcha holds 67 mg.
How many can I have in a day?
Going by the 400 mg daily limit for healthy adults: about 5 servings of matcha or 4 of filter coffee, if that is the only caffeine you have. Anything else with caffeine in it counts toward the same limit.
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Where these numbers come from
Every figure is calculated with the model the Cira app uses: caffeine peaks 45 minutes after you take it and halves every 5.7 hours, 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. These are averages. Smoking, pregnancy, the contraceptive pill and some medicines change how fast you clear caffeine. How the numbers are worked out.
