Many of us just can’t get through the day without our morning cup of java, whether it comes from the home drip machine, the corner coffee shop, or a coffee pod machine at the office. Coffee is not only a great tasting treat, but it’s a great pick-me-up for a lull in your afternoon. It is no mystery that coffee contains caffeine, but does anyone know just how much? Are coffee drinkers consuming more or less than tea drinkers, soda drinkers, energy drink junkies and chocoholics? Here we will analyze how much caffeine is in a cup of coffee, and what that means.
It may surprise you to know that the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee can vary depending on various factors. It depends on the type of coffee and the way it’s been brewed. For example, in a 7 ounce cup, ordinary drip-brewed coffee (which is the most common) has about 150 milligrams per cup. Other types of brewing can produce a cup with anywhere from 80 to 175 milligrams per cup.
On the other hand, instant coffee has anywhere from 65 to 100 milligrams per cup. Decaf coffee even has some traces of caffeine, and espresso shots are around 80 milligrams each. With only about 6 milligrams for brewed decaf and less than 3 for instant, it is quite negligible. However, it is present.
But what does that mean in relation to other foods? It would be difficult to get an accurate idea of how much caffeine is actually in a cup of coffee without some scale on which to judge it. Twelve ounces of iced tea contains about 70 milligrams of caffeine, with hot brewed tea usually having between 40 and 60 milligrams. Instant tea comes in at around 30 milligrams. A caffeinated soft drink might be anywhere between 20 and 40 milligrams, and 8 ounces of cocoa could be between 3 and 30. From milk to dark chocolate, the amount of caffeine varies considerably. Caffeine pills range between 100 and 200 milligrams of caffeine each, and a caffeinated cold medication comes in at about 30 milligrams.
Of course, there’s a wide range for every cup, since even the same person using the same ingredients and equipment every day is going to produce a cup of coffee or tea with vastly different caffeine content. While coffee does pack a punch of caffeine, it’s not the only source out there or even the most potent one. How much caffeine is in your cup of coffee? It has a lot to do with the method – it will depend upon how it’s made and the cup you’re drinking.
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