Caffeine calculator

Your total shows as a range, because caffeine varies from cup to cup. Even the same drink at the same café changes from day to day.

Estimates only, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, have a health condition or take medication, ask your doctor.

Where the numbers come from

Most figures come from the Mayo Clinic and from lab tests of café drinks. A single espresso lands around 63 mg. An 8 oz cup of drip coffee holds about 96 mg. Some drinks have no measured figure, so their number is worked out from shot count. One lab study found café single shots between 33 and 82 mg.

What the guidance says

The FDA and EFSA both say up to 400 mg a day for healthy adults. Roughly two to three 12 oz cups. EFSA also says up to 200 mg at one time raises no safety concern. In pregnancy, EFSA and the NHS advise up to 200 mg a day. People differ in sensitivity, so read the limits as a guide.

Why the same drink varies

Caffeine depends on bean, roast, dose, grind and brew time. Robusta beans carry roughly 1.5 to 2 times the caffeine of arabica. In one study, the same café drink varied from 259 to 564 mg across six days. Milk adds none, so a latte has the caffeine of its shots. So the figure for your cup is an estimate.

Questions people ask

Does a double shot have twice the caffeine?

Roughly, yes. Two shots means two doses of coffee, so about 126 mg instead of 63. Ask how many shots your drink has, since many cafés pour a double by default.

Does dark roast have more caffeine?

No. Roasting barely changes caffeine. Light roasts come out slightly higher. A scoop of dark roast holds a bit less, because the beans expand. The dark taste is not linked to caffeine.

Is decaf caffeine-free?

Not quite. The FDA puts a 240 ml cup of decaf at 2 to 15 mg. A shot of decaf espresso is about 1 mg.

Sources

  1. Spilling the beans: how much caffeine is too much? FDA
  2. Scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine (2015) EFSA
  3. Caffeine EFSA
  4. Foods to avoid in pregnancy NHS
  5. Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more Mayo Clinic
  6. Caffeine in coffee from chain cafés (Wierzejska & Gielecińska 2024) Nutrients
  7. Caffeine in Turkish coffee (Derossi et al. 2018) PubMed
  8. Caffeine in specialty coffees (McCusker et al. 2003) PubMed
  9. Caffeine in coffee drinks, a review (Mystkowska et al. 2024) Applied Sciences
  10. Caffeine half-life PMC
  11. Caffeine Wikipedia
  12. Ristretto, espresso and lungo compared (2023) Foods
  13. Coffee extraction Wikipedia
  14. Caffeine in French press coffee Flask
  15. Starbucks cold brew caffeine Caffeine Informer
  16. Cold brew and hot brew compared (Fuller & Rao 2017) Scientific Reports
  17. Moka pot Wikipedia
  18. Coffee brewing methods and caffeine, a review Beverages (MDPI)
  19. FAQ Nespresso
  20. FoodData Central USDA