Compared by the same amount, espresso is far more concentrated. Compared cup by cup, one serving of drip coffee usually has more caffeine. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) FoodData Central lists espresso at 212 mg of caffeine per 100 g and brewed coffee made with tap water at 40 mg per 100 g. Because espresso is served in small amounts, one shot (about 30 mL) comes to about 63 mg, while an 8 oz (237 g) cup of drip is about 95 mg. The sections below show how these numbers were worked out.
How much stronger is espresso by the same amount?
Comparing the two USDA FoodData Central entries directly, espresso (restaurant-prepared) has 212 mg per 100 g and brewed coffee has 40 mg per 100 g. Dividing 212 by 40 gives about 5.3, so by weight espresso is a little over 5 times more concentrated. Espresso is pulled by pushing a small amount of water quickly through the grounds, so a lot of material ends up in little liquid. These numbers are averages for one data entry, and an actual cup varies with the bean, the roast, and the brew ratio.
Why does it flip when you compare one cup each?
Because the amount in the cup is different. The USDA serving size is 1 fluid ounce (29.6 g) for espresso and 8 fluid ounces (237 g) for brewed coffee. The calculation is:
- One espresso shot (1 oz): 212 x 0.296 = about 63 mg
- Double espresso (2 oz): about 125 mg
- Drip coffee, 8 oz: 40 x 2.37 = about 95 mg
A double shot is a little above or close to a cup of drip, and a single shot is less than a cup of drip. Shot counts and cup sizes differ from cafe to cafe, so treat these figures as a reference.
How do you work out what you drank?
If you know how much you drank, you can calculate it the same way. The steps are below. To compare with a daily limit, see our guide to the daily caffeine limit.
For example, 300 mL of drip coffee, counting 1 mL as 1 g, is 40 x 3 = about 120 mg. This is a rough estimate, not a measurement, so use it only for everyday comparison.
Frequently asked questions
If espresso is stronger, does it have more caffeine?
Gram for gram, yes. But you drink much less of it at once, so one single shot has less caffeine than one cup of drip.
Which one is closer to an Americano?
An Americano is espresso with water added, so the caffeine often depends on the number of shots. Even in the same cup size, one shot and two shots give different amounts. For how the order of making differs, see our Americano and long black guide.
Is decaf completely free of caffeine?
In the same USDA data, decaffeinated drip coffee is listed at 1 mg per 100 g, so a small amount remains. It is not exactly zero, so be careful if you are sensitive to caffeine.
At Soruru Cafe
Soruru Cafe brews its hand drip coffee slowly, one drop at a time, from beans roasted every morning - see the menu. You can check which drinks are available on the menu page. Visit us in Mangu - see getting here - and enjoy a slow cup in the wooden space.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, “Beverages, coffee, brewed, espresso, restaurant-prepared” (FDC ID 171891): caffeine 212 mg/100 g, 1 fl oz = 29.6 g - fdc.nal.usda.gov
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, “Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water” (FDC ID 171890): caffeine 40 mg/100 g, 8 fl oz = 237 g - fdc.nal.usda.gov
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, “Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water, decaffeinated” (FDC ID 171889): caffeine 1 mg/100 g - fdc.nal.usda.gov