Matcha vs Coffee Caffeine Calculator

Matcha vs coffee: which has more caffeine?

Per typical serving, brewed coffee usually has more. USDA FoodData Central lists brewed coffee at 40 mg of caffeine per 100 g, which is about 95 mg in an 8 fl oz cup. A standard 2 g serving of matcha contains about 38 to 89 mg, based on a published range of 18.9 to 44.4 mg per gram. A good ceremonial matcha lands around 70 mg, about three-quarters of a cup of coffee.

Gram for gram, though, matcha powder is far more concentrated than coffee beans: the same review that reported matcha's range notes most coffee beans contain about 10 to 12 mg per gram. Coffee ends up stronger per cup because a cup uses much more ground coffee than a bowl uses matcha.

Side by side

• Matcha, 2 g usucha: about 38–89 mg (around 70 mg for ceremonial)
• Matcha, 3 g latte: about 57–133 mg
• Matcha, 4 g koicha: about 76–178 mg
• Brewed coffee, 8 fl oz: about 95 mg (USDA)
• Espresso, 1 fl oz: about 63 mg (USDA)
• Brewed black tea, 8 fl oz: about 47 mg (USDA)
• Brewed green tea, 8 fl oz: about 28 mg (USDA)

The FDA's own consumer table, which uses 12 oz servings, gives a wide 113 to 247 mg for regular brewed coffee, a reminder that a big café coffee can carry double the USDA 8 oz average. Our matcha vs coffee caffeine article adds cost and what the studies show.

Does matcha caffeine feel different?

Many people describe matcha as a smoother lift than coffee. A plausible contributor is L-theanine, an amino acid abundant in shade-grown tea. In a 2008 placebo-controlled study of 27 adults, 50 mg caffeine plus 100 mg L-theanine improved speed and accuracy on an attention-switching task and reduced distractibility, a broader effect than caffeine alone showed. That is a small study with modest effects, and the dose of theanine in a cup of matcha varies by grade, so treat it as a likely factor, not a guarantee.

What theanine does not do is change how fast caffeine leaves your body. The half-life of caffeine is about five hours on average whether it comes from coffee or matcha.

Switching from coffee to matcha

If you drink two 8 oz coffees (about 190 mg), two 2 g bowls of ceremonial matcha (about 140 mg) will cut your intake by roughly a quarter. Two 3 g lattes will be closer to even. Use the calculator to match your current intake and taper gradually if you are prone to caffeine-withdrawal headaches.

Sources

• Kochman et al. (2020), Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea, Molecules
• USDA FoodData Central — brewed coffee (FDC 171890)
• USDA FoodData Central — espresso (FDC 171891)
• USDA FoodData Central — brewed black tea (FDC 173227)
• USDA FoodData Central — brewed green tea (FDC 171917)
• FDA — Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?
• Owen et al. (2008), The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood, Nutritional Neuroscience
• Institute of Medicine (2001), Pharmacology of Caffeine — NCBI Bookshelf