How Much Caffeine Is in a Cup of Coffee? By Cup Size, Roast and Bean
A 12-ounce cup of regular brewed coffee has about 113 to 247 milligrams of caffeine, according to the FDA. Scaled down, that is roughly 75 to 165 mg in an 8-ounce cup (our estimate). Roast level matters less than most people think. The kind of bean matters more, and what matters most is the size of your cup and how much ground coffee goes into it.
We roast one coffee in cast iron on our family farm in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and caffeine has its own section in our FAQ. This guide gives the government numbers, shows the arithmetic behind every estimate, and is plain about what we do not know: we have never had our own coffee lab-tested, so we have no measured milligram figure for it.
Caffeine by cup size
The FDA publishes one range, for a 12-ounce cup of regular brewed coffee. The other rows scale that range by volume, which assumes the same brewing strength. They are estimates, not measurements.
| Cup | Caffeine, regular brewed coffee | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| 6 oz | about 57 to 124 mg | Estimate: FDA range x 6/12 |
| 8 oz | about 75 to 165 mg | Estimate: FDA range x 8/12 |
| 12 oz | 113 to 247 mg | FDA, as published |
| 16 oz | about 151 to 329 mg | Estimate: FDA range x 16/12 |
| 20 oz | about 188 to 412 mg | Estimate: FDA range x 20/12 |
| 8 oz decaf | 2 to 15 mg | FDA, as published |
The 12-ounce and decaf rows come from the FDA's Spilling the Beans consumer update. For a single typical figure, USDA FoodData Central lists brewed coffee ("Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water") at 40 mg of caffeine per 100 grams. USDA weighs an 8-ounce cup at 237 grams, so that is roughly 95 mg.
The cup is where most people lose track. A big mug or a travel tumbler can hold two 8-ounce cups, so count the ounces you drink, not the refills.
How much coffee you use matters most
Caffeine dissolves readily in hot water, so the caffeine in your cup follows the amount of ground coffee in the filter. Twice the grounds in the same water gives roughly twice the caffeine. No change of roast comes close to that.
Our FAQ puts it this way: "Strength is mostly about how you brew rather than the roast. Use more grounds for a stronger cup and fewer for a milder one." Our own starting point is two tablespoons of ground coffee per six ounces of water. More in our guide to the coffee to water ratio.
An example, with the assumption shown: at standard strength (the SCA golden cup ratio), a pound makes about 35 eight-ounce cups. A diner-style pot can stretch the same pound to about 64. Each diner cup then holds about 35/64 of the coffee, a little over half, and roughly half the caffeine (estimate). See how many cups of coffee are in a pound for the full chart.
Does dark roast have more caffeine?
Not by much in the way most people make coffee, and the answer depends on how you measure. Our FAQ: "How you brew matters far more than roast level."
Caffeine holds up well in the roaster, but beans lose water and puff up as they darken, so a dark bean is lighter and less dense. Sprudge reported on research by roaster Juliet Han in which dark roast gave about 32 percent more caffeine than light roast when the grounds were weighed, but only about 9 percent more when scooped. One roaster's explainer says the roasts are virtually equal by weight and that a scoop of light roast has slightly more. The sources disagree on the direction, but by the scoop, which is how most home coffee is measured, the gap either way is under a tenth. A second scoop doubles it.
A roaster's footnote: our cast iron drum releases beans at different points, so every batch holds a spread of roast levels. By the time the first beans reach the second crack, others are still a few shades lighter. More in what medium-dark roast is and what cast iron roasted coffee is.
Taste and caffeine are separate things, too. Customers describe our coffee as smooth, bold and low in acid, and good black (see coffee you can drink black), but smooth describes flavor, not caffeine.
Arabica vs robusta caffeine
The kind of bean matters more than the roast. Our FAQ: "Arabica grows at higher elevation, tastes smoother, and carries less caffeine. Robusta is hardier, cheaper, more bitter, and higher in caffeine. It is common in low cost blends and instant coffee."
One coffee retailer's figures put robusta at about 2.2 to 2.7 percent caffeine by dry weight and arabica at about 1.2 to 1.5 percent, roughly double. Treat those as approximate, since caffeine varies by variety and farm.
If you want the biggest kick per scoop, a coffee with a good share of robusta will usually give you more than an all-arabica coffee, ours included. That is a fair choice, just a different coffee from the one we roast. More in arabica vs robusta.
Is Colombian coffee high in caffeine?
No. Colombia is known for arabica coffee, and an arabica lands in the ordinary range in the table above. Ours is 100% Colombian Supremo Arabica. Supremo is Colombia's grade for the largest beans by screen size, so it describes how big the beans are, not how strong the cup is. A strong cup of Colombian coffee comes from the dose and the cup size, like any other. See what Colombian Supremo coffee is.
Drinking less caffeine with regular coffee
Our FAQ's answer is short: "Brew it lighter, use a smaller cup, or drink it earlier in the day. We do not offer a decaf option." In practice:
- Use fewer grounds. Going from two tablespoons per six ounces of water to one and a half cuts the coffee, and roughly the caffeine, by about a quarter (estimate).
- Pour a smaller cup. A 6-ounce cup instead of a 16-ounce mug is a bigger cut than any change of bean or roast.
- Drink it earlier. Keep your cups to the morning.
If you need to cut caffeine way down, decaf is the right coffee for you. We do not make it, and we would rather say so plainly than sell you the wrong bag. If you are watching caffeine for a medical reason, your doctor is the person to ask.
Our coffee, plainly
We make one coffee: 100% Colombian Supremo Arabica, roasted medium-dark in the German Norwegian style in a cast iron drum roaster on our farm in Cedarburg. It is a normal arabica coffee. We have not had its caffeine lab-tested, so we have no measured number to give you. Brewed like any coffee, it falls in the ordinary range in the table above. We do not make decaf, flavored coffee, pods or a light roast.
If a smooth, traditional cup suits you, a 2 lb Big Hoff Bag of whole bean or ground is $34 and makes about 70 eight-ounce cups at standard strength (estimate). To try it first, the half-pound Little Hoff, whole bean or ground, is $15. Ground is one medium-fine grind that works for every brew method, espresso included; if you grind at home, order whole bean. We ship by USPS to US addresses, free on orders of $50 or more.
Caffeine questions
How much caffeine is in an 8 oz cup of coffee?
About 75 to 165 mg for regular brewed coffee, by our estimate, scaling the FDA's 12-ounce range of 113 to 247 mg down to 8 ounces. USDA FoodData Central's figure for brewed coffee works out to roughly 95 mg per 8-ounce cup.
Does dark roast have more caffeine?
Not by much in the way most people make coffee. Sources differ on whether light or dark comes out ahead, depending on whether the coffee is weighed or scooped; by the scoop, the gap either way is under a tenth. That is small next to how much coffee you use and how big the cup is.
Is Colombian coffee high in caffeine?
No. Colombia is known for arabica coffee, which carries less caffeine than robusta, so a cup falls in the ordinary range for brewed coffee. "Supremo" is a bean size grade and says nothing about caffeine.
How much caffeine is too much?
For most adults, the FDA has cited 400 milligrams a day, about two to three 12-ounce cups of coffee by its description, as an amount not generally associated with negative effects. People vary widely in how they respond to caffeine, so if you have questions about your own intake, ask your doctor.
Do you sell decaf?
No. We make one caffeinated coffee. If you need decaf, a roaster that makes it will serve you better.
How much caffeine is in Der Hoffskeller coffee?
It is a normal arabica coffee and lands in the ordinary range for brewed coffee. We have not had it lab-tested, so we have no measured milligram figure for it. How strong you brew it and how big your cup is will decide most of what is in your mug.
The short version
Count the ounces, watch the scoop, and do not worry much about the roast. Robusta carries roughly double the caffeine of arabica, and decaf is the answer if you need very little. For brewing, buying and the farm behind our coffee, browse more coffee guides.