Short answer: a cup of filter coffee has around 96 mg of caffeine, an espresso around 63 mg, a can of Red Bull 80 mg, a big can of Monster 150–160 mg, Coca-Cola 33 mg and a can of Stride 120 mg. Healthy adults can safely have up to 400 mg of caffeine a day[1].
Caffeine is in coffee, tea, energy drinks, cola and chocolate, but every label lists it differently. So we put it all in one place: how much each drink has, how much is safe per day and how late you can have it without wrecking your sleep.
Chart: how much caffeine is in popular drinks
| Drink | Serving | Caffeine | Sugar-free? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 30 ml | ~63 mg[2] | ✓ (if you don't sweeten it) |
| Filter coffee | 240 ml | ~96 mg[2] | ✓ (if you don't sweeten it) |
| Decaf coffee | 240 ml | 2–15 mg | ✓ |
| Black tea | 240 ml | ~48 mg[2] | ✓ |
| Green tea | 240 ml | ~29 mg[2] | ✓ |
| Matcha | 1 g powder (half a teaspoon) | 19–44 mg[3] | ✓ |
| Yerba mate, tereré (cold) | 500 ml | ~85 mg[4] | ✓ |
| Yerba mate, chimarrão (hot, from a gourd) | 500 ml | ~135 mg[4] | ✓ |
| Coca-Cola | 330 ml | 33 mg[5] | ✕ |
| Red Bull | 250 ml | 80 mg[6] | ✕ (27 g sugar)[7] |
| Hell Classic | 250 ml | 80 mg[8] | ✕ |
| Monster Energy | 500 ml | 150–160 mg[9] | ✕ |
| Stride | 330 ml | 120 mg | ✓ |
Values for coffee, tea, matcha and yerba mate are averages and depend on the beans, leaves, amount and preparation. Energy drink values are for the classic sugared versions.
How much caffeine is in coffee?
A cup of filter coffee (240 ml) has around 96 mg of caffeine on average, an espresso (30 ml) around 63 mg[2]. Espresso is more concentrated, but because the serving is small you get less per cup than from a big filter coffee. A double espresso or a large coffee to go can easily pass 120 mg.
How much you actually get depends on the beans, roast, grind and brewing time, so two cups of coffee can be very different even if they look the same.
How much caffeine is in Red Bull, Monster or Hell?
Classic energy drinks have around 32 mg of caffeine per 100 ml. A can of Red Bull or Hell (250 ml) has 80 mg[6][8], which is less than a cup of filter coffee. A big can of Monster (500 ml) has 150–160 mg depending on the country[9], almost twice as much.
With energy drinks, the caffeine isn't the main problem, it's what comes with it. A can of Red Bull has 27 g of sugar[7]. The “sugar-free” versions are usually sweetened with artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, with colours and flavourings on top.
How much caffeine is in Coca-Cola?
A can of Coca-Cola (330 ml) has 33 mg of caffeine[5], about a third of a cup of coffee. So if you drink cola for energy, you get a little caffeine and a lot of sugar.
How much caffeine is in matcha?
One gram of matcha has 19 to 44 mg of caffeine, depending on quality and cultivar[3]. A cup usually takes 1–2 g, so you get roughly 20 to 90 mg. Because you drink the whole leaf, matcha also gives you L-theanine, an amino acid from tea that, combined with caffeine, improved attention in a study[10].
How much caffeine is in yerba mate?
With yerba mate, it depends on how you make it. One study measured around 135 mg of caffeine in a gourd (500 ml) of traditionally prepared hot chimarrão, and around 85 mg in cold tereré[4]. Top it up with water a few times and the number climbs.
Besides caffeine, yerba mate also contains theobromine, the same compound found in dark chocolate, and plenty of polyphenols[11]. That combination is why South Americans drink it instead of coffee.
Is “mateine” different from caffeine?
No. “Mateine” is just another name for the caffeine in yerba mate, the same way “theine” is used for the caffeine in tea. Chemically it's the same molecule. Anyone who says mate “has no caffeine, just mateine” is wrong.
How much caffeine a day is safe?
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has set clear limits[1]:
- up to 400 mg a day from all sources combined for healthy adults,
- up to 200 mg at once,
- up to 200 mg a day for pregnant and breastfeeding women,
- 3 mg per kilogram of body weight a day for children and teenagers.
In practice, 400 mg is about 4 cups of filter coffee, 6 espressos, 5 cans of Red Bull or 3 cans of Stride. Everything counts: your morning coffee, afternoon tea, a piece of chocolate and the can.
How late can you have caffeine without ruining your sleep?
Caffeine lasts longer than most people think. In one study, 400 mg of caffeine taken six hours before bed cut sleep by more than an hour, and participants didn't even notice[12]. A 2023 review of 24 studies found that caffeine shortens sleep by about 45 minutes on average and lowers sleep efficiency by 7%. The authors advise having a cup of coffee (about 107 mg) at least 8.8 hours before bed[13].
Rule of thumb: if you go to bed at 11 pm, make your last caffeine around 2 pm. If you're more sensitive to caffeine, set the cut-off even earlier.
How much caffeine is in Stride?
A can of Stride (330 ml) has 120 mg of caffeine from more than 4 g of real organic yerba mate. That's more than a can of Red Bull and less than a big Monster, but without any of the stuff that makes energy drinks a problem:
- no sugar, artificial sweeteners, colours or preservatives,
- sweetened with stevia, 3–4 kcal per 100 ml,
- 300 mg of adaptogens: maca and ginseng, which in a study reduced mental fatigue during long stretches of mental work[14],
- vitamins B3 and B5 at 100% of the daily reference intake, which contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue,
- three flavours with real teas: Mint Lime, Peach Iced Tea and Berry Lemonade.
One can is under the 200 mg single-dose limit, and two (240 mg) are still comfortably under the daily 400 mg, as long as you're not also drinking a lot of coffee. With a can you know exactly how much caffeine you're getting, which you never do with coffee or a gourd of yerba mate.
👉 Not sure which flavour to pick? Start with the mixed pack of all three. If you don't love it, you're covered by our 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
FAQ
How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee?
A cup of filter coffee (240 ml) has around 96 mg of caffeine, an espresso (30 ml) around 63 mg. The numbers depend on the beans and how it's made.
How much caffeine is in Red Bull?
A can of Red Bull (250 ml) has 80 mg of caffeine and 27 g of sugar.
Does Monster have more caffeine than Red Bull?
Per 100 ml they're similar, around 32 mg. Because a can of Monster is twice the size (500 ml), you get 150–160 mg of caffeine from it, versus 80 mg from a Red Bull.
Does yerba mate have more caffeine than coffee?
Not much more per cup. But because it's traditionally drunk from a gourd that gets topped up again and again, one session can add up to one or two coffees' worth.
How much caffeine is in matcha?
One gram of matcha has 19 to 44 mg of caffeine, so a cup made with 1–2 g has roughly 20–90 mg.
How much caffeine a day is too much?
For healthy adults the limit is 400 mg a day and 200 mg at once. For pregnant and breastfeeding women it's 200 mg a day. Because of its high caffeine content, Stride is not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Sources
- EFSA NDA Panel. Scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine. EFSA Journal. 2015;13(5):4102. EFSA
- International Food Information Council (USDA FoodData Central data). Caffeine: sources and amounts. IFIC
- Koláčková T, et al. Matcha tea: analysis of nutritional composition, phenolics and antioxidant activity. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2020;75(1):48–53. DOI
- Bastos DHM, Fornari AC, Queiroz YS, Soares RAM, Torres EAFS. Contenido de ácido 5-cafeoilquínico y cafeína en bebidas de yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis). Acta Farm Bonaerense. 2005;24(1):91–5. SEDICI
- Coca-Cola. How much caffeine is in a Coca-Cola? coca-cola.com
- Red Bull. How much caffeine is in a can of Red Bull Energy Drink? redbull.com
- Red Bull. Red Bull Energy Drink nutrition facts. redbull.com
- HELL Energy. Products (HELL Classic, 32 mg caffeine/100 ml). hellenergy.com
- Caffeine and sugar content of some leading UK energy drinks. The Scotsman. scotsman.com
- Owen GN, Parnell H, De Bruin EA, Rycroft JA. The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood. Nutr Neurosci. 2008;11(4):193–8. PubMed
- Heck CI, de Mejia EG. Yerba Mate Tea (Ilex paraguariensis): a comprehensive review on chemistry, health implications, and technological considerations. J Food Sci. 2007;72(9):R138–51. PubMed
- Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T. Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. J Clin Sleep Med. 2013;9(11):1195–200. PMC
- Gardiner C, Weakley J, et al. The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2023;69:101764. PDF
- Reay JL, Kennedy DO, Scholey AB. Single doses of Panax ginseng (G115) reduce blood glucose levels and improve cognitive performance during sustained mental activity. J Psychopharmacol. 2005;19(4):357–65. PubMed
