With loose leaf teas, you also steep the leaves and then remove them, only consuming the infused water. Green teas extracted from loose tea leaves must be steeped several times to extract all of the caffeine. With matcha, all the caffeine is consumed at once since the whole tea leaf is ground into a powder. The difference between the level of caffeine in matcha and other green teas is how the tea is consumed. Don’t be alarmed, though! Caffeine in matcha is released and absorbed in a completely different way from coffee. For example, if you were to make an 8-ounce cup of matcha, it could contain more caffeine than a drip coffee of the same size. Matcha could potentially contain more caffeine than coffee, depending on how it's prepared. Matcha is regarded as a high-caffeine green tea because you can increase the level of caffeine in your serving simply by adding more powder. That would be about 68 milligrams of caffeine in a recommended serving.

In traditional consumption, a typical serving of matcha is about 2 grams of powder to 100 milliliters (about 3.5 ounces) of water. Most high-quality matcha contains about 34 milligrams of caffeine per gram of matcha powder. Studies have found that matcha can contain between 19 and 44 milligrams of caffeine (Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review, 2021). Therefore, our discussion of how much caffeine is in matcha and other green teas will focus on high-quality teas like those offered by Mizuba Tea Co. Not to mention, all teas aren’t created equally. With all these factors involved, it’s clear how the caffeine in matcha and other green teas can widely vary. Way of Consumption : Consuming hot tea or cold tea, as well as tea with water or milk, affects caffeine levels.Also, the longer you brew loose leaf teas, the more caffeine is extracted from the leaves. Brewing Temperature and Time : Brewing tea at higher temperatures can result in a higher caffeine level.Serving Size : How much matcha powder or loose tea leaves you use in your serving will affect caffeine levels.Teas with fewer stems contain more caffeine. Processing Method : When certain teas are processed, the stems are removed.Teas like matcha, made from spring harvests versus later subsequent harvests, have significantly more caffeine. Picking : Matcha caffeine content also depends on the parts of the plant used and the age of the leaves when picked.The shading process reduces the speed of loss of caffeine. Usually, as the leaves become bigger, they contain less caffeine. Shading : Some Japanese teas are shaded prior to harvest to increase sweetness and umami for a particular style.For example, the caffeine in matcha and gyokuro can be higher than in other styles of green teas. Style of Tea : Different tea styles contain different levels of caffeine.The younger the leaves are at harvest, the higher the caffeine level can be. High-quality tea generally comes from younger tea leaves. Tea Quality : Tea quality plays a huge part in caffeine in matcha and other teas.Humans have had quite the opposite response and consume tea for its taste, caffeine content, and health benefits.ĭetermining how much caffeine is in matcha and other green teas boils down to multiple factors such as: Tea plants produce caffeine as a chemical defense mechanism to protect themselves from insects. Whether you're an avid drinker or trying matcha out for the first time, understanding how much caffeine is in matcha is essential to how you can enjoy it.Īll styles of green teas contain caffeine. Several factors, from quality to harvesting methods, play a part in matcha caffeine content. Matcha has the highest level of caffeine compared to other green teas - but it’s not that simple. Drinking matcha is an excellent choice if you’re sensitive to caffeine but still need a morning pick-me-up. If you’re wondering about the caffeine in matcha, let’s just say there’s a lot to learn. By Mariah Bourne Does Matcha green tea have Caffeine?

Caffeine in a cup of green tea