Caffeine Content Calculator

Caffeine in the cup is dose times how much of the alkaloid you actually extract. Arabica sits near 1.2% by dry mass; robusta is roughly twice that. Espresso extracts a smaller share of a small dose; filter and cold brew pull longer. This is order-of-magnitude milligrams, not a blood test.

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Estimated caffeine: 151mg

Recommended gear

0.1 g coffee scale
Dose is the only input you fully control. A 18 g shot and a 12 g shot are different milligrams before species matters.
Typical range: $20–$80
AeroPress
A convenient way to brew a known dose as filter-ish coffee when you are counting milligrams, not café vibes.
Typical range: $30–$50
Airtight coffee canister
Stale coffee still has caffeine. Freshness changes flavour, not this estimate much.
Typical range: $20–$50

Calculation method

Milligrams are dry dose times milligrams of caffeine per gram of that species times how much of it the brew usually recovers. Robusta roughly doubles arabica. A regular espresso recovers about 65–70% of bean caffeine (Ludwig / Crozier); this page uses 0.70. Filter with more water and time recovers more of the same dose (0.85). A long cold steep of that same dose is treated the same as filter — papers do not show less caffeine ‘because it is cold’. 18 g arabica espresso is about 151 mg, the same dose as filter or cold brew about 184 mg. Decaf is not an option here — use zero if you know it is decaf.

Exact formula

caffeineMg = doseG × mgPerG × extraction. Arabica 12 mg/g (~1.2%), robusta 22 mg/g; filter 0.85, espresso 0.70, cold brew 0.85. Limits: Origin, roast, grind and steep time omitted; long cold steep is not weaker because it is cold (Fuller & Rao 2017). Not a laboratory assay.

Blends

A 20% robusta espresso blend sits between the two species. Weight the estimate; this select is 0 or 100%.

Daily total

Add shots and afternoon filter separately. The daily-limit tool is the population guideline; this page is one drink.

Frequently asked questions

Is a double shot more caffeine than a mug of filter?

Often no. Filter uses more dry coffee in the mug. Compare doses, not cup names.

Dark roast has less caffeine?

A little mass is lost to roast, but a gram of dark still has most of the alkaloid. Dose mass matters more than colour folklore.

Can I add milk?

Milk does not remove caffeine. It only changes the cup size you sip.

Disclaimer — no professional advice, no liability

This is not medical advice, a dosage recommendation or a substitute for a food-lab measurement. Sensitivity varies. If caffeine is a health question, ask a clinician — do not use this milligram guess to self-prescribe.

These calculators, pages and any related content are provided “as is” and “as available”, solely for general educational and informational purposes. They are simplified mathematical estimates, not a cupping score, a water lab report or a roasting profile, and they do not constitute professional barista, roasting, food-safety or medical advice.

Results can be wrong, incomplete or inapplicable to your grinder, brewer, beans, water or use case. You must independently verify every figure, assume all risk, and confirm on a test brew before you scale a recipe, descale a machine or change caffeine habits. Hot water, steam and espresso equipment can scald; caffeine calculators are not a substitute for medical care.

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Caffeine Content Calculator

Inputs

Results

Recommended gear

Calculation method

Exact formula

Blends

Daily total

Frequently asked questions

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