If you've ever wondered whether your afternoon cup will keep you up at night, you're asking the question millions of tea drinkers ask: how much caffeine is actually in tea? The honest answer is that it depends on the type of leaf, how it's grown, and how you brew it — but the ranges are predictable enough to plan your day around. Here's the complete breakdown, type by type, with a simple chart and the brewing tweaks that nudge caffeine up or down.
Caffeine in tea: the quick chart
All "true" teas — black, green, oolong and white — come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. Herbal teas (also called tisanes) are made from other plants, which is why most are naturally caffeine-free. Here's how a typical cup compares, based on an 8 oz (≈250 ml) serving brewed as you would at home.
| Tea type | Caffeine (per cup) | Compared to coffee* | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black tea | 40–70 mg | About half | Morning, a proper wake-up cup |
| Matcha | 60–70 mg | Just under | Sustained focus (you drink the whole leaf) |
| Oolong tea | 30–50 mg | About a third | Afternoon, a gentle middle ground |
| Green tea | 20–45 mg | About a third | All-day sipping |
| White tea | 15–30 mg | Around a fifth | Light, late-afternoon |
| Chai (black-tea base) | 40–70 mg | About half | Morning or a spiced afternoon lift |
| Rooibos | 0 mg | None | Evening, caffeine-free |
| Herbal / fruit tisanes | 0 mg | None | Evening, kids, caffeine-sensitive |
*A standard 8 oz cup of brewed coffee sits at roughly 95–120 mg of caffeine.
Why caffeine in tea varies so much
Two cups of the "same" tea can deliver noticeably different amounts of caffeine. A few factors do most of the work:
The plant variety
Teas grown from the assamica variety (common in India, Sri Lanka and parts of Africa) tend to carry more caffeine than the sinensis variety widely grown in China. It's one reason a robust Assam breakfast tea hits harder than a delicate Chinese green.
Leaf age and grade
Young buds and tender top leaves hold more caffeine than older, larger leaves. Broken leaves — the kind packed into many supermarket tea bags — release caffeine faster than whole loose leaf, which is part of why a cheap tea bag can brew surprisingly strong.
How you brew it
This is the lever you actually control. Hotter water and a longer steep pull more caffeine from the leaf. We'll come back to how to use that on purpose below.
The L-theanine difference. Tea contains an amino acid called L-theanine that coffee doesn't. It slows how quickly caffeine is absorbed, which is why many people describe tea's lift as calm and steady — alert without the jitters or the afternoon crash.
Black tea
Black tea is the most oxidised of the true teas and generally sits at the top of the caffeine range, around 40–70 mg per cup — roughly half a cup of coffee. It's the classic morning choice for exactly that reason. Our award-winning single-origin black teas, including the hand-crafted range from AMBA Estate in Sri Lanka, are a great place to start if you want a bold, characterful cup.
Green tea & matcha
Green tea is less oxidised and usually gentler, around 20–45 mg per cup — ideal for sipping through the day. Matcha is the exception: because you whisk the whole powdered leaf into water rather than steeping and discarding it, you consume everything it contains, pushing it to 60–70 mg per serving. If green tea's antioxidant reputation is what brought you here, it's our most popular all-day category.
Oolong tea
Oolong is partially oxidised, sitting between green and black in both flavour and caffeine — typically 30–50 mg per cup. It's a comfortable middle option: more lift than a delicate white, softer than a strong black, with floral, nutty or gently roasted notes depending on the leaf.
White tea
White tea is the least processed of the true teas and generally lowest in caffeine when brewed — around 15–30 mg per cup. Light, delicate and subtly sweet, it's a lovely late-afternoon cup when you want flavour without a strong kick.
Chai
Traditional chai is built on a black-tea base, so it lands in the same 40–70 mg range as black tea, with warming spices layered on top. If you love the spice but want to wind down, the same blend brewed shorter and cooler will be gentler — or look to a caffeine-free rooibos chai for the evening.
Herbal & caffeine-free teas
Herbal teas aren't made from the tea plant at all — they're infusions of flowers, fruit, herbs and spices — so the vast majority contain no caffeine. That makes them the natural choice for the evening, for children, or for anyone keeping caffeine low. Rooibos, chamomile, peppermint and our fruit blends all fall here. (A small handful of herbs such as yerba mate are exceptions and do contain caffeine, but you won't find those hiding in a fruit tisane.)
Tea vs coffee: how do they really compare?
By dried weight, tea leaves actually hold more caffeine than coffee beans. By the cup, coffee wins — because it's brewed hotter, with far more material per serving. A typical cup of coffee delivers around 95–120 mg, while even a strong black tea tops out near 70 mg. The practical takeaway: swapping a coffee for a black tea roughly halves your caffeine, and swapping it for green or white cuts it further still — without giving up a warm, satisfying ritual.
How to brew for more or less caffeine
Once you know the type, brewing is where you fine-tune. To dial caffeine up: use hotter water, steep a little longer, and add more leaf. To keep it down: use cooler water, a shorter steep, and a lighter hand with the leaf. One useful tip — if you want a stronger flavour without much extra caffeine, add more leaf rather than steeping longer. A longer steep mostly draws out tannins (and bitterness), not a lot more caffeine.
For the full method, see our guide on how to make a really good cup of tea.
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Shop all teasFrequently asked questions
How much caffeine is in a cup of tea?
It depends on the type. A cup of black tea has roughly 40–70 mg, green tea 20–45 mg, oolong 30–50 mg, and white tea 15–30 mg. Herbal and rooibos teas are caffeine-free. By comparison, a cup of brewed coffee has around 95–120 mg.
Which tea has the most caffeine?
Among brewed cups, black tea is usually highest among traditional teas. Matcha can edge it out because you consume the whole powdered leaf rather than steeping and discarding it, putting it around 60–70 mg per serving.
Which tea has the least caffeine?
Herbal teas and rooibos contain no caffeine at all. Among the true teas, white tea is generally lowest, at around 15–30 mg per cup.
Does green tea have less caffeine than black tea?
Yes. Green tea typically contains about 20–45 mg per cup versus 40–70 mg for black, making it a gentler choice for sipping through the day.
Does chai have caffeine?
Traditional chai is made on a black-tea base, so it contains a similar amount of caffeine to black tea — roughly 40–70 mg per cup. A rooibos-based chai is a caffeine-free alternative.
Is there a caffeine-free tea?
Yes. Herbal teas (tisanes), fruit infusions and rooibos are naturally caffeine-free because they aren't made from the tea plant. They're ideal for the evening or for anyone reducing caffeine.
Why does tea feel calmer than coffee even when it has caffeine?
Tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that slows how quickly caffeine is absorbed. This tends to produce a steadier, calmer alertness without the jitters or crash some people get from coffee.
Does steeping tea longer increase caffeine?
A little, but less than most people think. Hotter water and a longer steep do extract more caffeine, but a longer steep mainly draws out tannins and bitterness. To boost strength without much extra caffeine, add more leaf rather than steeping longer.
The caffeine figures above are typical ranges compiled from published references and will vary by specific tea, leaf grade and brewing method. This article is general information, not medical advice. If you're managing caffeine for a health reason or during pregnancy, check with your GP or healthcare provider about what's right for you.