Caffeinated coffee is the most popular stimulant in the world. However, there are also coffee drinkers who have to be careful about their caffeine intake for various reasons. If you’re one of them or just want to learn more about the caffeine content in your favorite drink, this article will help you.
Coffee and caffeine
It probably won’t surprise anyone that coffee is the most important source of caffeine in our diet. Caffeine has a wide range of positive effects on the human body, such as reducing the feeling of fatigue, improving concentration, increasing satisfaction, and preventing many diseases. And while some coffee drinkers reach for coffee precisely because of caffeine and its stimulating effects, others have to avoid it totally or limit their intake.
You might be interested: What is caffeine? And what processes does it trigger in our body?
How much caffeine can you intake?
Experts say that we only need 75 mg of caffeine to increase alertness and attention levels, which is the approximate amount found in one cup of espresso.
The optimal amount of caffeine per day is about 200 mg. Healthy adults aren’t recommended to exceed approximately 350-400 mg daily. During pregnancy, experts recommend reducing this amount to around 150-200 mg.
Did you know that… you can overdose on caffeine? Symptoms include increased nervousness, heart palpitations, headache, digestive problems, eye pain, dry mouth, and/or sore throat.
Caffeine content in different types of coffee
The average amount of caffeine in a cup of regular espresso, prepared from Arabica coffee, is in the 60-90 mg range. The results of laboratory tests on our coffees, for example, showed that a regular cup of espresso made from Ebenica Brasil Santos coffee (100% Arabica) contains approximately 85 mg of caffeine. However, take this data as a guide only—the amount of caffeine in your cup may be quite different. It’s affected by several factors.
Which factors influence the caffeine content of a cup?
- The type of coffee bean
Although there are many varieties of coffee plants, Arabica and Robusta beans are mainly used to prepare coffee, and Robusta has twice the caffeine content of Arabica. However, in addition to the variety, the amount of caffeine in the beans is also influenced by other factors—for example, the composition of the soil in which coffee plants are grown and even the health of the plants.
Did you know that… coffee blends can contain Arabica and Robusta beans mixed in different proportions? For example, our Duetto and Gurmano blends contain 80% Arabica and 20% Robusta. The rest of our coffees, including blends, are 100% Arabica.
- Degree of roasting
Although it may seem paradoxical, lighter roasted coffees contain more caffeine than darker roasted beans.
- Length of extraction
Basically, the longer the coffee is extracted, the more caffeine is released into the water. This means that a short ristretto or espresso, which is extracted for about 25 seconds, contains less caffeine than coffee steeped for half an hour or a cold brew—that is, a drink prepared by steeping coffee in cold water for several hours.
- Portion size
“One cup of coffee” means something different to everyone. For one person, it’s a cup of espresso coffee with a volume of 29 ml. For others, it’s a 300 ml mug of brewed coffee. See how much caffeine different coffee drinks contain.

An overview of caffeine content in different coffee drinks
Coffee drink type | Cup size | Approximate caffeine content |
Espresso prepared from Arabica coffee | 29 ml | 75 mg |
Espresso prepared from Robusta coffee | 29 ml | 150 mg |
Filtered/drip coffee | 240 ml | 95 mg |
Capsule coffee | 40 ml | 65 mg |
Instant coffee | 2 teaspoons dissolved in any amount of water | 65 mg |
Decaffeinated coffee | 29 ml | 2-5 mg |
Caffeine content in other beverages and foods
Coffee is the most common, but far from the only, source of caffeine. Caffeine is produced by more than 60 types of plants, and other sources of this substance include cocoa beans, tea tree leaves, kola nuts, and guarana fruits. Caffeine is, therefore, naturally found in products made from them—in black, green, and white tea, chocolate, or cola drinks. However, it’s also artificially added to other drinks, foods, and medicines aimed at helping with pain, flu, and colds. If you want to monitor your caffeine intake, it’s also essential to monitor the data on these products.
Drink/food | Portion size | Approximate caffeine content |
Black tea | 240 ml | 47 mg |
Green tea | 240 ml | 30 mg |
Cola | 370 ml | 33 mg |
70% chocolate | 100g | 92 mg |
White chocolate | 100g | 0 mg |
Does decaffeinated coffee also contain caffeine?
It may seem paradoxical, but no decaffeinated coffee is completely decaffeinated. Due to the type of beans used, the method of decaffeination, and subsequent processing, decaffeinated coffee beans may contain up to 0.1% caffeine in dry matter.*
You might be interested in: how is it made? and how does it taste?
For our decaffeinated coffees, Ebenica Zero and Ebenica Mammie, this amount is even lower than the permitted standard—lab tests showed that the caffeine content in the beans is only around 0.05%. This means that one cup of Mammie and Zero espresso coffee contains approximately 3.7 mg of caffeine, which is negligible in terms of effects on the human body. Ebenica decaffeinated coffees can therefore be enjoyed by pregnant women or people sensitive to caffeine.
* Decaffeinated coffee is evaluated according to Decree no. 309/2015 Coll. Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic on snacks, edible salt, dehydrated foods, soup preparations, and seasonings.
MAMMIE
Exceptionally delicious decaffeinated coffee, created especially for pregnant and lactating women.
Duetto
Pleasantly sweet coffee with a fruit syrup and dark chocolate flavor with a perfectly dense crema.
Siesta
Coffee with reduced caffeine content, which will surprise you with the full taste of almond tones.
Zero
Certified decaffeinated coffee suitable for pregnant and nursing women or cardio patients.