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04/06/2005: "Coffee and the caffeine factor"

An average cup of coffee contains about 80 to 150 milligrams of caffeine. For comparison, cola drinks contain about 30 to 50 mg per can. Although an ounce of tea leaves contains more caffeine than an ounce of ground coffee, an average cup of coffee has more caffeine because it takes more ground coffee to make a cup of java than it to make a cup of tea. While Espresso has a higher concentration of caffeine than regular coffee, the average serving is typically only 1.5 to 2 ounces – so the caffeine dose is about equal to that of a regular cup of coffee.
The type of coffee, the kind of roast, the level of grind, and the method of brewing all affect how much caffeine you drink with each cup. Robustas can have up to twice the amount of caffeine of finer specialty arabicas. Although they taste stronger, darker roasted beans actually have less caffeine than lighter roasts, as the longer roasting time breaks down more of it. Because of the larger surface area per unit volume, finer grinds increase the dose of caffeine extracted from the beans. (Dicum & Luttinger, 1999)

At CoffeeGIANT.com we offer both regular and decaf coffees in the single cup options as well as fresh ground from our own onsite roaster, Sonora Roasters. What ever you coffee needs or questions we can help you at CoffeeGIANT.com, 1-800-480-8071.