PauseCafé › Caffeine content › Filter coffee
How much caffeine is in filter coffee?
65 to 120 mg
For a 240 ml mug. That is more than an espresso, contrary to what many assume: filter is less concentrated, but the volume is eight times larger. PauseCafé uses 108 mg.
Why such a wide range?
Four factors explain almost all of it.
The coffee-to-water ratio. One more spoonful in the basket and the mug gains 15 to 20 mg. It is the most direct factor, and the only one you fully control.
Brew time. Percolation runs three to five minutes. The longer the water sits on the grounds, the more caffeine it pulls — up to a ceiling beyond which it pulls only bitterness.
The grind. Too fine and it clogs the filter and over-extracts. Too coarse and the water runs straight through, leaving a weak cup in taste and in caffeine.
The size of the mug. A 350 ml mug is not a cup. It is a cup and a half, and the caffeine follows.
By cup size
| Size | Volume | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Small cup | 150 ml | 68 mg |
| Standard mug | 240 ml | 108 mg |
| Large mug | 350 ml | 158 mg |
| Decaf filter | 240 ml | 5 mg |
Values used by the PauseCafé app. Slow percolation extracts more than espresso: the water sits on the grounds for minutes, against 25 seconds.
Filter coffee is often drunk in large mugs without counting: a 350 ml mug is almost as much as a double espresso, and many people log it as « one coffee ».
Filter coffee or espresso: which has more?
The answer runs against intuition: filter coffee, in most cases.
Espresso is far more concentrated — around 250 mg per 100 ml against 45 for a filter. But you drink 30 ml of it, against 240. In total, the filter wins comfortably.
| Drink | Volume | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 30 ml | 77 mg |
| Filter coffee | 240 ml | 108 mg |
| Cappuccino | 250 ml | 77 mg |
| Green tea | 240 ml | 30 mg |
| Energy drink | 250 ml | 80 mg |
The confusion comes from a sound intuition applied to the wrong thing: espresso has the strongest taste and the highest concentration. But what matters for your body is the total amount swallowed.
And at bedtime, how much is left?
A 108 mg filter coffee at 3 pm still leaves about 37 mg in your system at 11 pm. The same mug at 6 pm leaves close to 56.
This decline follows caffeine's half-life, on average 5 hours in a healthy adult. EFSA uses 100 mg as the mark above which caffeine, taken near bedtime, may lengthen the time it takes to fall asleep.
The caffeine at bedtime calculator runs this for every drink of your day.
Frequently asked
Does filter coffee have more caffeine than espresso?
Yes, in most cases. A 240 ml mug delivers about 108 mg, against 77 mg for a 30 ml espresso. Espresso is more concentrated, but the volume is far smaller. Total amount is what counts.
How much is in a large mug?
About 158 mg for 350 ml. That is nearly a double espresso, and it is often what a office mug filled to the brim contains.
Does instant coffee have as much?
No, rather less: around 60 to 80 mg per 240 ml cup, against 108 for filter. Freeze-drying and the usual dosing explain the gap.
How many mugs a day is reasonable?
EFSA considers 400 mg a day raises no concern for a healthy adult, roughly three to four mugs of filter. For a single dose the mark is 200 mg. These are population figures, not individual limits.
Why do figures vary so much between sites?
Because « a cup » means nothing without its volume. North American sources often measure on 8 oz, or 237 ml, European ones on 150 or 200 ml. For the same dose of coffee, the number changes twofold depending on the cup chosen.
Other drinks
⚕️ Wellbeing information. The figures on this page are typical orders of magnitude, not individual measurements. They are not medical advice or a diagnosis. If you have questions about your intake, trouble sleeping, or any concern about pregnancy or medical treatment, speak to a healthcare professional.
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