By the serve
Caffeine in matcha is set by one thing more than any other: how many grams go into the cup. Matcha is the whole leaf, ground and suspended in water, so every milligram in the leaf ends up in you. Double the scoop and you double the dose.
| Serve | Matcha | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Usucha, a standard bowl | 2 g in 70 ml water | 60 to 70 mg |
| Matcha latte | 3 g with 150 ml milk | 90 to 105 mg |
| Strong bowl or koicha | 4 g | 120 to 140 mg |
| Half serve | 1 g | 30 to 35 mg |
| Teafy Ceremonial Grade, lab measured at 2 g. The 1 g, 3 g and 4 g rows are the 2 g figure scaled. | ||
Green is matcha and hojicha from our lab results. Brown is coffee from the USDA food database and common espresso doses. The midpoint of each range is plotted.
Every Teafy tea, measured
We do not estimate. Every batch is tested in Victoria by Agrifood Technology, and the caffeine figure on each product page comes from that report. Here is the range.
| Tea | Serve | Caffeine | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyoto Uji Matcha | 2 g bowl | Highest of our matcha | High |
| Ceremonial Grade Matcha | 2 g bowl | 60 to 70 mg | Medium |
| Superior Culinary Matcha | 2 g | 55 to 65 mg | Medium |
| Asamushi Sencha | 2 g in 180 ml | Medium | Medium |
| Fukamushi Sencha | 2 g in 180 ml | Low | Low |
| Hojicha Powder | 2 g | 16 to 30 mg | Low |
| Genmaicha | 2 g in 180 ml | 10 to 30 mg | Low |
| Steeped teas leave much of their caffeine in the leaf, which is why a pot of sencha is gentler than a bowl of matcha from the same plant. Exact sencha and Kyoto Uji milligrams are on their product pages. | |||
Compared with coffee and tea
Per serve, matcha has less caffeine than brewed coffee, but not dramatically less, and anyone calling matcha a low caffeine drink is selling something. Gram for gram of dry product matcha is higher than coffee, which is why the dose matters so much.
| Drink | Serve | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Brewed coffee | 240 ml, 10 to 15 g of beans | about 95 mg |
| Single espresso | 30 ml, 7 to 9 g of beans | 60 to 75 mg |
| Double espresso, flat white | 60 ml, 16 to 20 g of beans | 125 to 150 mg |
| Matcha bowl | 2 g | 60 to 70 mg |
| Matcha latte | 3 g | 90 to 105 mg |
| Black tea | 240 ml steeped | about 40 to 70 mg |
| Steeped green tea | 240 ml | about 25 to 35 mg |
| Hojicha Powder | 2 g | 16 to 30 mg |
| Coffee from the USDA Standard Reference. Espresso doses are common café practice. Black and green tea are typical published ranges and vary with leaf and steep time. | ||
The full side by side, including cost, feel and a seven day swap plan, is in our matcha vs coffee guide.
Why 65 mg of matcha feels different from 65 mg of coffee
L theanine. Shaded tea is rich in this amino acid, and matcha is shaded for 20 to 25 days before harvest. In randomised trials from one research group, caffeine with L theanine improved accuracy on attention switching tasks and reduced distraction and self rated tiredness compared with caffeine alone. The effects were modest and the doses were capsules, not matcha, but the direction is consistent and it matches what many drinkers describe.
No acid. Much of what people call coffee jitters is a stomach reaction to black coffee on an empty stomach. Matcha is mild, which is why people who cannot drink coffee before food can usually drink a bowl of matcha.
Slower release. Matcha's caffeine is bound in leaf matter your gut releases over time. Coffee's caffeine is already dissolved and arrives at once. A coffee at 7 is gone by 9. A bowl at 7 is still there at 10.
How much is safe
| Who | Daily guidance | In bowls of matcha |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy adults | Up to about 400 mg a day | Five or six 2 g bowls |
| Pregnant or breastfeeding | Under 200 mg a day | About three 2 g bowls, or two lattes |
| Children | Not recommended as a regular drink | Hojicha is the family cup |
| Caffeine sensitive | Start low | 1 g, a half scoop, and see |
| Australian guidance from Food Standards Australia New Zealand and Pregnancy, Birth and Baby. Talk to your doctor or midwife about your own intake, and to your pharmacist if you take regular medication. | ||
When to drink it
- Morning. A 2 g bowl or a 3 g latte. Most people feel the caffeine for four to six hours.
- Before 3 pm. Caffeine halves roughly every five hours. A bowl at 4 pm is still a quarter there at 2 am.
- After 3 pm. Hojicha, 16 to 30 mg, roasted and gentle. That is what it is for.
- Before training. Matcha if you want it even and easy on the stomach, coffee if you want the sharp hit.
More questions
Does matcha have more caffeine than coffee?
Not at the usual dose. A 2 g bowl is 60 to 70 mg against about 95 mg for a brewed coffee. A 3 g latte is close to a brewed coffee and a 4 g bowl is level with a double espresso.
Does matcha have more caffeine than green tea?
Yes, about twice as much per cup. Steeped green tea leaves most of its caffeine in the leaf; matcha is the whole leaf.
Is there caffeine free matcha?
No. Matcha is ground green tea leaf and all tea leaf contains caffeine. Decaffeinated matcha exists but the process strips flavour and L theanine with it. The lowest caffeine cups we sell are genmaicha and hojicha.
Does hojicha have caffeine?
A little. Roasting drops it to 16 to 30 mg per 2 g serve of Hojicha Powder, about a quarter of a matcha bowl.
How long does matcha caffeine last?
Most people feel it for four to six hours. The half life in the body is about five hours, with a range of three to seven depending on the person, pregnancy and medication.
Does ceremonial matcha have more caffeine than culinary?
Slightly. Younger, shaded first flush leaf carries a little more caffeine and far more L theanine. Our Ceremonial is 60 to 70 mg and our Superior Culinary 55 to 65 mg per 2 g.
Sources
- Teafy product pages. Caffeine per Teafy tea.
- USDA FoodData Central, Standard Reference: coffee, brewed; coffee, espresso, restaurant prepared.
- Owen GN et al. Nutritional Neuroscience, 2008. Giesbrecht T et al. Nutritional Neuroscience, 2010. Einöther SJ et al. Appetite, 2010.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand, caffeine; Australian Government Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, caffeine in pregnancy.
Written and reviewed by the Teafy tea team in Melbourne, trained in Kyoto, who taste every batch before it is packed. Reviewed 9 October 2026. Tell us if a number here is wrong: info@teafy.com.au.