English Breakfast tea typically contains around 30 to 60 mg of caffeine per 8-ounce cup, with many common brands hovering in the 40–50 mg range depending on steep time and preparation. The exact amount varies by tea blend, leaf size, and how long the tea is steeped. Key points
- General range: approximately 30–60 mg caffeine per 8 oz cup.
- Factors that affect caffeine:
- Steeping time: longer steeping increases caffeine extraction.
- Tea form: loose-leaf generally yields more caffeine than sachets for the same weight of leaves.
- Brand and blend: different English Breakfast blends use varying black tea bases and caffeine levels.
- Comparisons:
- Coffee typically provides about 80–100 mg per 8 oz cup, so English Breakfast tea usually has less caffeine than coffee.
- Green tea tends to have about 20–35 mg per 8 oz, so English Breakfast tea is higher in caffeine than green tea but still lower than most coffee.
Practical tips
- If you want to reduce caffeine, steep for a shorter time (e.g., 1–2 minutes) or use a decaffeinated English Breakfast variant.
- If you want a stronger caffeine boost, allow a longer steep (3–5 minutes) or use a higher leaf-to-water ratio, bearing in mind flavor can become more astringent.
If you’d like, specify a particular brand (e.g., Twinings, Bigelow) and your typical steep time, and it can give a closer estimate for that product.
