Does Espresso Have More Caffeine than Coffee?

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Besides the delicious taste, caffeine is one of the main reasons you drink coffee. Especially, when you feel groggy in the morning, caffeine in your hot coffee cup refreshens you and keeps your mind alert.

If you wonder if espresso has more caffeine than a regular coffee cup, then the answer is “NO“. Coffee has about 80-100 mg of caffeine in an 8-ounce cup vs espresso has about 64 mg in the same amount of cup.

In this article we will talk about caffeine in espresso and regular coffee. Keep reading to explore espresso vs coffee caffeine.

How Much is Caffeine in Espresso?

The answer depends on how much of each drink you’re consuming. However, if you’re wondering, is espresso more caffeinated than coffee so the answer is no.

There are many factors that have an impact on the caffeine content. The quality and variety of the beans, type of roasting and its period and more importantly the grinding of the beans. 

These elements show that some cups of espresso (or coffee) may have more caffeine than others. Well, when it comes to espresso the average 8 ounce cup of espresso has 64 mg of caffeine. 

Naturally, as you add more espresso, the caffeine level gets high. Many espresso drinks, such as cappuccinos and lattes contain at least two espresso shots. Thus, the average caffeine level for an espresso cup is around 128 mg. That is the reason why people use espresso as soon as they wake up.

Note: As per the recommendation by FDA, you can consume around 400 mg of caffeine if you’re not sensitive to caffeine. Also, if you do the math, 400 mg of caffeine means 6 shots of an espresso per day.

How Much Caffeine is in Coffee?

The amount of caffeine in regular coffee depends on the brewing method and the water to coffee ratio. An average 8 ounce cup of coffee contains 95 mg of caffeine. This clearly shows that you will get less caffeine from the shot of espresso than the normal coffee.  

Moreover, there is a wide range in the coffee world. It includes brewed, decaffeinated, instant and cold brew coffee. All these drinks has different caffeine levels. 

Generally, in an 8 ounce brewed coffee cup there is 80 to 100 mg caffeine. On the other hand, decaffeinated coffee contains only 2 mg caffeine. 

According to the 2017 study, cold brew coffee has 153 to 238 mg caffeine content in a 12 ounce cup. While in an instant coffee, around 63 mg makes caffeine. 

Above information clears the fact that coffee has more caffeine than espresso shot.

Drip Coffee vs Espresso Caffeine: Does espresso have more caffeine than coffee?

The time to brew coffee and espresso is different. Caffeine is water soluble, and when you’re making a drip coffee the coffee grounds get saturated with the hot water. The whole process takes several minutes and then your normal coffee cup is ready. 

On the flip side, espresso takes a few seconds as the temperature and pressure of an espresso machine is high. This further allows the machine to extract caffeine quickly from the beans and produces espresso shots efficiently. Due to the nature of the process, slightly less caffeine is present in the espresso mug.

Moreover, the debate about caffeine in espresso vs coffee can be unduly long as famous brands of the world produce espresso and coffee with different caffeine amounts.

For example, one single Starbucks espresso shot contains 75 mg of caffeine. Whereas Dunkin’ Donuts offers espresso with 118 mg of caffeine and brewed drip coffee with 210 mg of caffeine.

Besides that, espresso serving sizes are generally much smaller than those of brewed drip coffee all around the world.

What Affects the Caffeine Levels in the Drinks?

There are numerous factors that influence the amount of caffeine in your favorite hot drinks. The first and foremost factor is coffee beans. Since there are different species of coffee plants so the beans come from different plants having varying caffeine levels.

Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora (commonly called Robusta) are two common coffee plants that produce coffee beans. As per a 2016 study, Robusta coffee beans contain around twice as much caffeine content as Arabica beans.

Other factors that create an impact on the caffeine of the drinks are roasting period, brewing method, amount of ground beans and serving size. All these elements contribute to pulling a refreshing, thick and rich shot of espresso and coffee.

Thus, the caffeine levels vary from brand to brand. However, whenever you come across to the caffeine difference between coffee and espresso, drip coffee has always more caffeine than espresso shot.

Which One is Better? Espresso Caffeine vs. Coffee

When taken moderately, both drinks work perfectly fine for your body. These are the good sources of bioactive plant compounds that help your body in different ways. 

All coffee has chlorogenic acid which is a natural bioactive substance that works on your circulatory system, inflammation and metabolism. 

Additionally, these compounds contribute to maintaining your heart’s health and cognitive functioning. Although the chlorogenic acid’s ability to provide benefits is reduced by increased roasting time. The more you roast the coffee bean, the less benefits this acid offers. 

This further indicates that lightly roasted and medium roasted beans will result in high concentration of healthy plant compounds as compared to dark roasted ones. 

Here espresso falls in the category of dark roasted ones as the beans that produce espresso take more time in roasting. Moreover, this dark color of the beans make concentrated and bold espresso shots.

Finally, it would not be wrong to say that both drinks are beneficial for your health if you’re consuming the right dosage. Having said that, coffee (particularly light-roast coffee) tends to have more advantages since it has more properties of bioactive plant compounds. 

Furthermore, the consumption of caffeine depends on your needs and moods. The intense and strong flavor of espresso will be preferred over coffee if you want your brain to work with concentration and focus on your day-to-day duties. Also, espresso shots can help you win in your weight loss journey.

Final Thoughts

So, did you get the answer: does espresso have more caffeine than coffee? Though there are multiple factors that change the caffeine amount in coffee and espresso, usually coffee has more caffeine.

You will need to drink three espresso shots to equal the amount of caffeine that is found in one 8 oz cup of drip coffee. Nevertheless, people find espresso more caffeinated than coffee as it tastes rich, concentrated, and intense. But coffee is the winner in this case.

Therefore, whenever you feel dazed and need something to buck up for the day opt for a hot cup of coffee. The caffeine-loaded drink will restore your energy right away.