Coffee: A Little Really Does Go a Long Way

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A cup of coffee

Experts say a small amount of caffeine can give many people the lift they want without producing the jitters. Simon Marcus/Corbis hide caption

itoggle caption Simon Marcus/Corbis

How Much Pick-Me-Up Is in Your Cup?


Researchers Laura Juliano and Roland Griffiths conducted an extensive survey of caffeine content. Here, a chart describing how much caffeine to expect in a selection of popular products.


Chart reprinted from "Substance Abuse: A Comprehensive Textbook," Fourth Edition. Reprinted with permission by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

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Tailoring Your Coffee Drink


Caffeine content varies from brew to brew, so it's hard to know how much you're getting. It depends on everything from the roast and grind to your barista's technique – and the rain in Kenya.


Here, tips on how to make sure your java jumps, from Joseph DeRupo of the National Coffee Association:


Serving Size: The industry standard for a cup is six ounces, but most people super-size their coffee to at least 16 ounces (that's a "grande" at Starbucks). That amount of coffee could deliver as much as 400 milligrams of caffeine. Studies suggest just 100 milligrams of caffeine (the amount in a six-ounce cup) are needed for the average person to get a lift — so watch out for buzz overload.


Type of Bean: Of the two commonly used coffee plant varieties, arabica beans have half the caffeine of robusto beans. How do you know which you're drinking? Some companies, like Starbucks, advertise that they use only the more expensive and flavorful arabica. It's not a point of pride if your coffee is made with robusto, but it will give you a bigger buzz, ounce for ounce. Plant growing conditions, such as soil moisture, also affect caffeine content, but that's out of your hands.


Roast: Darker roasts actually have less caffeine than light roasts, even though the flavor is stronger. Roasting burns off some of the caffeine, so opt for a dark French or Italian roast for a less jolting cup.


Grind: Rougher grinds create more tiny surfaces on each grain of coffee. This allows more caffeine to seep out of the bean and into your brew. If you're buying your own grinder, a "burr" grinder yields more caffeine, while a "blade" grinder leads to a more laid-back cup.


Brewing: In general, the longer you brew, the more caffeine you get out of the beans. So a long steep in a French press yields more juice than a drip maker.


Espresso vs. Coffee: Despite its eye-opening reputation, espresso actually contains less caffeine than brewed coffee, due to its deep roast and quick brewing. You can actually drink three shots of Starbucks espresso and get about the same 195-milligram dose as a 12-ounce coffee. — Erika Engelhaupt








Juliano says age is another factor.


As a general rule of thumb, most caffeine users need a surprisingly small amount of the stimulant to enjoy its pleasant effects. Studies show that 100 milligrams — just a 6-ounce cup of a typical automatic-drip coffee — produces a lift.


But a higher dose can cause problems.

"Above 200 milligrams — and certainly by 400 milligrams — many people report anxious, jittery feelings of uneasiness," Juliano says.











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Substance Abuse

A Comprehensive Textbook

by Joyce H. Lowinson, Pedro Ruiz, Robert B. Millman and John G., Ph.D. Langrod

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