Caffeine in tea
Tea sits between 0 and 84 mg a cup. The plant is the same for black, green, white and oolong, so the colour on the box tells you less than the brew time does.
| Drink | Serving | Caffeine | Time to clear | Latest for an 11 pm bedtime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yerba mate | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 84 mg | 6 and a half hours | 4:42 pm |
| Matcha | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 67 mg | 4 and a half hours | 6:34 pm |
| Black tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 48 mg | 1 and a half hours | 9:18 pm |
| Oolong | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 38 mg | already clear | any time |
| White tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 36 mg | already clear | any time |
| Chai latte | 10.1 oz cup (300 ml) | 30 mg | already clear | any time |
| Green tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 29 mg | already clear | any time |
| Herbal tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 0 mg | already clear | any time |
Black, green, white and oolong are all Camellia sinensis, processed differently. The old rule that white tea has the least caffeine does not survive measurement: white tea uses young buds, which are the most caffeinated part of the plant. Matcha and yerba mate are the outliers for the same reason, you swallow the leaf instead of straining it out. Only herbal infusions are genuinely caffeine free, because they are not tea at all.
Yerba mate
84mg
8 oz cup (240 ml)
Matcha
67mg
8 oz cup (240 ml)
Black tea
48mg
8 oz cup (240 ml)
Oolong
38mg
8 oz cup (240 ml)
White tea
36mg
8 oz cup (240 ml)
Chai latte
30mg
10.1 oz cup (300 ml)
Green tea
29mg
8 oz cup (240 ml)
Herbal tea
0mg
8 oz cup (240 ml)
How late can you have one?
Half-life 5.7 h · peak at 45 min · sleep threshold 40 mgAt bedtime
—mg
Below 40 mg at
—
Latest for tonight
—