Coffee myth: Espresso has the highest caffeine content

A kick for some, protection for others

Most coffee drinkers consume their morning coffee mainly because of its awakening effect. Caffeine is primarily known for its stimulating properties, which it owes to the active substance alkaloid (purine alkaloid) from the xanthine group, which belongs to the psychoactive substances.

Caffeine (also theine) is naturally found in some extremely popular foods, such as chocolate, coffee or tea. Coffee drinkers in particular know about its stimulating effect and appreciate caffeine for its many positive properties. The coffee tree, the origin of caffeine, does the same, because coffee trees use caffeine as an insecticide to numb or even kill pests. The coffee tree therefore produces the caffeine for its own protection, although the caffeine production varies from plant type to plant type. For example, the tree Coffea Arabica produces only half as much caffeine as the Coffea Canephora – better known as Robusta.

Espresso, filter coffee or lungo from the capsule

What exactly is the caffeine content of the various coffee specialities?

 The strong short: Espresso from the machine

An espresso usually has a beverage volume between 25 ml and 40 ml with a coffee quantity of approx. 10 g. After an extraction time of 24 to 30 seconds, the caffeine content is approx. 30 mg.

The intensive long: Filter coffee

The filter coffee usually has a beverage volume of up to 200 ml with a coffee quantity of approx. 12 to 15 g. After an extraction time of between 120 and 240 seconds, the caffeine content per coffee is approx. 160 mg.

From the capsule: Lungo

Lungo has a beverage volume of 110 ml with a coffee quantity of approx. 5.5 g. The caffeine content is 65 mg with an extraction time of 30 to 50 seconds.

The classic from the machine:  Coffee cream

A cup of coffee with 90 ml contains about 60 mg caffeine at a coffee quantity of about 6 g and an extraction time of approx. 20 to 30 seconds.

The amount is decisive

The amount of caffeine depends on various factors: the type of coffee plant, the quantity of coffee and the volume of the prepared beverage.

If we consume an espresso, we drink less caffeine than with a cup of filter coffee. The dose of caffeine depends entirely on how the drink is prepared: the longer the water and the coffee powder remain in contact, the more caffeine is washed out and the more caffeinated the drink becomes.

A coffee capsule always contains the same amount of coffee powder and therefore also caffeine. When an espresso is extracted from the coffee capsule, there is less caffeine in the cup than with a lungo.

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