Are you torn between blonde and espresso when it comes to caffeine content? Lighter roasted coffees are believed to have a little more caffeine than the medium-dark or dark espresso roast coffees. Beware that coffee seeds do have a uniform coffee amount per serving; it might be close but not uniform.
According to popular belief, very dark coffee usually contains less caffeine, while very light roasted coffee is likely to have more coffee. Generally, the longer a coffee bean is roasted, the less amount of caffeine remains. It depends on how coffee beans are brewed and other variables. Espresso contains less caffeine per shot and takes 3-4 shots to the large serving of drip coffee’s caffeine level.
This post will reveal what factors affect the amount of coffee in a drink, the difference between light and dark roast coffees, the effects of the brewing method on caffeine, and more. So, let’s get started!
What Affects the Amount of Caffeine In Coffee?
Coffee is one of the top drink options in the world. It is also one of the most popular sources of caffeine. According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, over 95% of adults in the US consume foods and beverages that contain caffeine. They consume between 110 to 260 mg of caffeine daily on average.
Bear in mind that the coffee’s caffeine content varies depending on factors, such as coffee type, coffee bean type, roasting style, and amount per serving. The Food and Drug estimates that an 8-oz cup of coffee contains roughly 80-100 mg of caffeine.
Coffee Type
Different coffee types contain varying caffeine amounts. To give you a bigger picture, take a look at some of the most common coffee types below:
Espresso
Espresso is made by forcing steam or hot water through very fine coffee grounds. The use of a stovetop Moka pot or a machine is involved in making this strong coffee drink. Generally, the serving sizes are much smaller than brewed coffee due to the high caffeine content.
Brewed Coffee
This type of coffee is made in various ways, such as using a French press, a percolator, or a filter. Generally, it sits in plastic, metal, or paper filter separating the brewed coffee from the grounds.
Cold Brew
In this coffee type, serving the brewed coffee over ice is involved. The coffee grounds are steeped in water for 8-24 hours at room temperature.
Coffee Bean Type
A cup of coffee’s caffeine content is affected by several factors, and the type of coffee bean is one of these critical factors.
You can find many different coffee plant species. Keep in mind that coffee beans from varying plants have different caffeine content. Below are two of the many popular plant species that produce coffee beans:
- Coffee Canephora, also known as “Robusta.”
- Coffee Arabica, popularly known as “Arabica.”
According to a study in 2016, robusta coffee beans contain twice as much caffeine as Arabica coffee beans. Robusta beans contain between 68.6 and 81.6 g of caffeine per dry coffee kilo, while Arabica beans typically contain 34.1-38.5 g of caffeine per dry coffee kilo.
Roasting Style
Lighter roasted coffees contain more caffeine content than darker roasts have. The caffeine content of coffee beans changes slightly during the roasting process—however, darker roasted coffees come with a deeper flavor.
While there is no standard coffee roast chart, there are categories to separate the varying coffee roast profiles. These categories include light, medium, medium-dark, and medium roasts. The roasting time, the bean’s color, and time to crack can determine the different coffee roasts.
Amount Per Serving
A cup of coffee ranges anywhere from 1-14 oz. Keep in mind that the serving size can primarily affect the total caffeine content. A single serving of espresso contains 63 mg of caffeine.
The Caffeine Content of Dark Roast Coffee and Light Roast Coffee
Does dark roast coffee contain more caffeine than light roast coffee? The answer to this question is “it depends.” The caffeine content in dark roast and light roast coffees is virtually similar.
Bear in mind that the caffeine level changes slightly during the roast process. However, the coffee bean’s caffeine per weight and per volume is altered considerably. That is because of the beans’ weight and size change.
For instance, the longer you held the coffee beans in the roaster, the larger in size, lighter in weight, and darker in color they become. The caffeine content differences come into play when the roasted beans are measured for packaging or brewing.
During the roasting process, the caffeine content by volume decreases while it increases by weight. That is because coffee beans lose weight, primarily water.
Roasting Methods and Caffeine: Dark Vs. Light
Generally, dark roasted coffees measured with a scoop by volume contain fewer coffee beans. That is because of the larger size, and it results in less caffeine per cup and weaker brew in light-roasted coffees measured in the same way. In other words, if you measure the dark-roast coffee by volume, you will not get the most from it.
However, if you measure the dark roasted coffees by weight, you will need more coffee beans for the brewing process. That is because each coffee bean weighs less than a lighter roasted bean. As a result, you can achieve a full-flavored brew. Plus, you can enjoy more caffeine amount per cup than light roasted coffee means.
Most people measure coffee beans by weight. A larger pile of dark roast is produced if you weigh 50 grams of light roasted and dark roasted coffee. It happens because dark roast coffee loses more water during the roasting process than the light roasted one.
On the other hand, dark roast coffees have not lost their caffeine content. In other words, it takes a higher dark roast’s bean volume or count to equal the similar weight as a light roast when you are dosing to brew coffee beans.
How Roasting Determines The Amount of Caffeine In Coffee
A roast level can affect the caffeine content. For instance, dark roasted coffees are associated with a lot of coffee and bold, which is not the case.
If you roast the coffee beans longer, more caffeine is being burned off during the process. So, lighter roasted coffees have caffeine content than darker roasted coffees. Dark roasted coffees are commonly used for making espresso. So, it affects or lowers the caffeine content.
Besides roast level, the length of brew time also affects the caffeine content in a drink. Typically, a drip brew coffee has more caffeine content than espresso. That is because hot water continues to drip through a coffee grounds bed for three minutes with the drip-brew.
Beware that one shot of espresso is pulled anywhere from 20-30 seconds. A drip brew where coffee grounds are in contact with hot water for about six longer than the hot water in contact with the coffees during the espresso extraction has more caffeine content.
How Much Caffeine Is In A Regular Cup Of Coffee?
Beware that the key caffeine content determinant is the coffee type you are drinking.
Espresso
Generally, a single shot of espresso is about 1-1.75 oz and contains roughly 63 mg of caffeine, while a double shot contains about 125 mg of caffeine.
Brewed Coffee
On average, a cup of brewed coffee (8 oz) contains about 95 mg of caffeine. The caffeine content is usually between 70 and 140 mg of caffeine.
FAQS
Q: Is Blonde Roast Coffee Stronger?
A: Blonde roast coffee is just lighter roasted than the Starbucks Full City roast. Traditional espresso comes from Africa and Latin America, while blonde roasts are from East Asia and Latin America. So, a little different bean is equivalent to a little different flavor.
Q: Which Coffee Is Stronger At Starbucks?
A: Blonde espresso comes in a little higher caffeine content than what you can get from Starbucks’ signature espresso. Beware that your favorite flat white is made with signature espresso and is a milk-based espresso drink. In other words, blonde espresso offers a stronger coffee taste than a flat white. It also provides more amount of caffeine in smaller doses.
Q: What does a blonde do for a taste that makes it different from just base caffeine and espresso?
A: Blonde is a little lighter roast than the regular dark roast necessary for espresso. If you drink it with no sugar, milk, or cream, it will taste less bitter. However, if you add sugar and milk or cream, you will find it hard to tell the difference between dark roast and blonde.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, you can control your caffeine intake by how little or much of the coffee type you enjoy drinking. Plus, if you consume blonde roast, it does not necessarily mean that you will get more caffeine than espresso.
Table Of Content
- Is Blonde Roast Coffee Stronger?
- Which Coffee Is Stronger At Starbucks?
- What Affects the Amount of Caffeine In Coffee?
- How Much Caffeine Is In A Regular Cup Of Coffee?
- How Roasting Determines The Amount of Caffeine In Coffee?
- What does a blonde do for a taste that makes it different from just base caffeine and espresso?