PauseCafé › Caffeine content › Matcha
How much caffeine is in matcha?
60 to 80 mg
For a cup made with 2 g of powder. That is twice a brewed green tea, and almost as much as an espresso. PauseCafé uses 70 mg.
Why the figures vary
Three factors, one of which explains almost everything.
You consume the whole leaf. This is the decisive difference with ordinary green tea. A brewed tea extracts only part of the caffeine from leaves you then throw away. With matcha the leaf is ground to powder and drunk whole: nothing is lost.
Shade growing. Matcha bushes are shaded three to four weeks before harvest. The plant responds by producing more chlorophyll, amino acids and caffeine. That is what gives matcha its vivid colour and umami taste — and its high content.
The dose of powder. A heaped spoon rather than a level one takes the cup from 60 to 100 mg. Matcha is the drink where dosing varies most between people, because there is no bag or capsule to standardise it.
By preparation
| Size | Volume | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional matcha (2 g) | 240 ml | 70 mg |
| Light matcha (1 g) | 240 ml | 35 mg |
| Matcha latte | 300 ml | 70 mg |
| Ceremonial, heavily dosed (3 g) | 240 ml | 105 mg |
A matcha latte holds the same caffeine as a plain matcha: milk adds volume, not caffeine. A frequent confusion, since the drink tastes gentler.
A well-dosed ceremonial matcha therefore approaches an espresso. That is what surprises people who switch to matcha « to cut down on coffee »: at usual doses, the reduction is small.
Matcha, green tea or coffee?
Matcha sits between green tea and coffee, closer to coffee than people assume.
Swapping an espresso for a matcha cuts caffeine by only about 10 %. Swapping a green tea for a matcha doubles it. The idea that matcha is a gentle alternative comes from the felt effect, not the dose.
| Drink | Volume | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Matcha | 240 ml | 70 mg |
| Brewed green tea | 240 ml | 30 mg |
| Black tea | 240 ml | 50 mg |
| Espresso | 30 ml | 77 mg |
Matcha also holds a good deal of L-theanine, an amino acid that modulates caffeine's effect. That is what produces the calm-energy sensation, without coffee's spike and crash. The caffeine dose itself stays high.
And at bedtime, how much is left?
A 70 mg matcha at 4 pm leaves about 32 mg at 11 pm bedtime. Comparable to an espresso at the same hour.
Afternoon matcha therefore deserves the same attention as coffee. L-theanine softens the feel; it does not speed up elimination.
The caffeine at bedtime calculator runs this for every drink of your day.
Frequently asked
Does matcha have more caffeine than green tea?
Yes, about twice as much: 70 mg against 30 for an equivalent cup. The reason is simple: with matcha you consume the whole leaf ground to powder, whereas a brewed tea extracts only part of the caffeine before the leaves are discarded.
Does a matcha latte have less caffeine?
No, exactly the same. Milk adds volume and softens the taste, but not a milligram of caffeine is removed. A frequent confusion, since the drink seems lighter.
Is matcha a good alternative to coffee?
In taste and in feel, yes. In caffeine, barely: a well-dosed matcha approaches an espresso. What really changes is L-theanine, which modulates the effect and gives that steadier energy.
What is L-theanine?
An amino acid abundant in tea, and especially in matcha thanks to shade growing. It modulates caffeine's effect and produces the characteristic calm-energy sensation. It does not reduce the caffeine you take in.
Can you drink matcha in the evening?
Like coffee, it depends on the hour and your sensitivity. A matcha at 4 pm leaves about 32 mg at bedtime. The gentler feel should not obscure the fact that caffeine clears at the same rate.
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.
Count your matchas
PauseCafé adds matchas, teas and coffees together, and shows their combined effect on your evening.
