A typical 8 oz (240 ml) cup of traditional tea has roughly 20–60 mg of caffeine , depending mostly on the type of tea and how it’s brewed.

Quick Scoop: Key Ranges

  • Black tea: about 40–70 mg per 8 oz cup.
  • Oolong tea: about 30–75 mg per cup.
  • Green tea: about 20–50 mg per cup.
  • White tea: about 15–55 mg per cup.
  • Herbal “teas” (chamomile, rooibos, peppermint): naturally caffeine‑free unless blended with real tea.

Why It Varies So Much

  • Type of tea: Black and oolong usually sit at the higher end; green and white tend to be lower, but there is a lot of overlap.
  • Brewing time: Longer steeping pulls more caffeine into the cup; several minutes can extract most of the available caffeine.
  • Water temperature: Hotter water (near boiling) extracts caffeine more efficiently than cooler water.
  • Leaf form and amount: More leaf and smaller, broken leaves (like in many tea bags) release more caffeine than larger, whole leaves.

Tea vs. Coffee At A Glance

Most people drink tea because it gives a gentler lift than coffee, not a massive jolt.

[7][5][3] [5][7][3] [3] [5][3]
Drink (8 oz) Typical caffeine
Black tea ~50 mg per cup, often 40–70 mg.
Green tea ~30–45 mg per cup.
Herbal tea 0 mg (naturally caffeine‑free).
Brewed coffee ~95 mg per cup on average, often higher.

Little Context For Daily Intake

  • Many guidelines suggest keeping daily caffeine around 200–400 mg for most healthy adults, so one cup of tea is usually a relatively modest dose.
  • If you’re very caffeine‑sensitive or drinking tea late in the day, herbal or decaf options keep things calmer while still giving the “cup of tea” ritual.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.