Caffeine in tea
How Much Caffeine Is in Tea?
Tea is often considered the "low caffeine" alternative. Sometimes that's true. Sometimes it isn't. This guide compares black tea, green tea, white tea, matcha, oolong, and herbal teas, and covers which ones actually contain caffeine.
All true tea comes from the same plant
Black, green, white, and oolong tea all come from Camellia sinensis. The difference is processing and oxidation, not different plants. Herbal "teas" like chamomile, peppermint, and rooibos come from entirely different plants and don't contain caffeine at all, since they were never part of the tea plant to begin with.
Oxidation changes flavor, caffeine barely moves
Black tea is fully oxidized, green tea barely is, and oolong sits in between - that's why they taste so different. Oxidation has a much smaller effect on caffeine than it does on flavor. Leaf age, brew time, and water temperature move the caffeine number far more than oxidation level does.
Matcha isn't just strong green tea
Matcha is ground into a powder and the whole leaf is consumed, not steeped and discarded like loose-leaf green tea. That's why matcha carries noticeably more caffeine than a cup of brewed green tea, even though both come from the same plant.
White tea isn't automatically the lowest
White tea is minimally processed and often assumed to be the gentlest option, but young tea buds, which is what white tea is made from, can carry a similar amount of caffeine to green tea. Processing level and caffeine content don't track together as cleanly as people assume.
Herbal tea is the only genuinely caffeine-free category
Chamomile, peppermint, rooibos, and hibiscus are infusions, not tea in the botanical sense. They contain zero caffeine because they never touch the tea plant. If a bedtime drink needs to be caffeine-free, herbal is the only category here that reliably qualifies.
Caffeine by tea
| Tea | Serving | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Matcha | 240 ml (8 oz) | ~70 mg |
| Black tea | 240 ml (8 oz) | ~47 mg |
| Oolong tea | 240 ml (8 oz) | ~38 mg |
| Green tea | 240 ml (8 oz) | ~28 mg |
| White tea | 240 ml (8 oz) | ~28 mg |
| Herbal tea (chamomile, peppermint, rooibos) | 240 ml (8 oz) | 0 mg |
Frequently asked questions
Does green tea have less caffeine than black tea?
Usually, yes, though the plant is identical. Oxidation level correlates loosely with caffeine, but brew time and leaf age matter more.
Is matcha stronger than regular green tea?
In caffeine, yes. You're consuming the whole ground leaf instead of steeping and discarding it, so more caffeine ends up in the cup.
Does herbal tea have any caffeine?
No. Herbal teas like chamomile, peppermint, and rooibos aren't made from the tea plant at all, so they contain none.
Is white tea caffeine-free?
No, that's a common myth. White tea can carry a similar amount of caffeine to green tea, not zero.
Does steeping tea longer increase caffeine?
Yes. Longer steep time and hotter water both pull more caffeine out of the leaves, regardless of tea type.