Matcha vs. coffee: how much caffeine is in a cup?

How much caffeine does matcha contain?

Matcha is a ground tea leaf. You drink the whole leaf, not just an infusion. So the caffeine depends directly on how much powder you use.

A 2020 review summarises published analyses: matcha contains 18.9 to 44.4mg of caffeine per gram. The official Japanese food composition table uses 3.2g of caffeine per 100g of matcha, which is 32mg per gram.

For our standard serving of 2g, that means roughly 40 to 90mg of caffeine. Using the Japanese table value, it would be about 64mg.

The range is wide because caffeine content varies from tea to tea. Only a lab analysis of a specific batch gives an exact figure for that pack. For how matcha compares with regular green tea, see Matcha vs. sencha.

How much caffeine does coffee contain?

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) gives these reference values:

• Espresso (60ml): about 80mg
• Filter coffee (200ml): about 90mg
• For comparison, black tea (220ml): about 50mg

These are averages too. Depending on the bean and the amount of ground coffee, a cup can be well above or below them.

In short, a serving of matcha usually sits a little below a cup of coffee or roughly level with it. Milk contains no caffeine, so adding it for a latte does not change the amount.

How much caffeine a day is considered safe?

In 2015, EFSA assessed which intake levels raise no safety concerns for adults in the general population:

• up to 200mg at one time, which is about 3mg per kilogram of body weight
• up to 400mg per day, spread over the day
• up to 200mg per day during pregnancy and breastfeeding

All sources count together, including cola or chocolate. EFSA also notes that in some adults, around 100mg shortly before bedtime may affect sleep.

A 2g serving of matcha, at around 90mg at most, stays well below the single amount of 200mg.

Why don't we make claims about effects?

Many articles online say matcha affects you differently from coffee. In Switzerland, no such claim is authorised, neither for matcha nor for components such as L-theanine.

L-theanine is an amino acid in tea that shapes its umami taste. That is a statement about taste. So we only compare what can be measured or tasted.

How do production and taste differ?

Coffee is made from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant. Hot water extracts aroma and caffeine from the ground coffee, and the grounds stay behind.

Matcha is made from tencha: the shaded, steamed and dried tea leaves that matcha is ground from. The powder is not filtered out but whisked into the water.

Coffee tastes mainly of roast, with acidity and bitterness depending on the bean. Good matcha tastes smooth and naturally a little sweet, with umami and little bitterness. For how matcha differs from roasted green tea, read Matcha vs. hojicha.

How long does it take to prepare?

For matcha you need a matcha bowl (chawan) and a bamboo whisk (chasen). The water should be no hotter than 80°C.

1. Moisten the bamboo whisk briefly in warm water.
2. Put 2g of matcha in the bowl and add 40ml of water.
3. Whisk for 10 to 15 seconds in a zigzag (an M or W motion) until a fine, dense foam forms.

Most of the time goes into heating the water. An espresso runs through in around 25 seconds depending on the machine, while filter coffee takes longer. The full guide, including lattes and iced matcha, is on our preparation page.

What does a serving cost?

• Matcha at home: with our organic matcha in the 60g pouch at CHF 49.90, a 2g serving costs about CHF 1.66.
• Coffee at home: at roughly 7g of ground coffee per single espresso, a kilo of beans makes about 140 cups. Divide your price per kilo by 140 to get your price per cup.
• In a café: a café crème cost CHF 4.65 on average in German-speaking Switzerland in 2025. A matcha latte usually costs around CHF 7.50 on Swiss menus.

To be fair: per cup, coffee at home is almost always cheaper than good matcha. Part of the reason is the raw material. In Japan in 2025, tencha cost almost five times as much as sencha, the everyday Japanese green tea, at the raw tea stage.