How much caffeine is in tea?
Quick answer
It varies a lot, but as a rough guide: herbal tisanes have none, white tea is low, green is low-to-medium, oolong and puerh are medium, and black tea is the highest. Crucially, how you brew — leaf amount, water temperature, steep time, and number of steeps — changes the caffeine in your cup more than the tea type on the label does.
Relative caffeine by type
| Typical level | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Herbal (tisane) | None | Not from the tea plant — naturally caffeine-free |
| White | Low | Gentle; good later in the day |
| Green | Low–medium | Cooler water and short steeps keep it modest |
| Oolong | Medium | Rises with more leaf and longer steeps |
| Shu puerh | Medium | Smooth; a common afternoon choice |
| Black | High | The boldest everyday caffeine |
Brewing changes caffeine more than the type
More leaf, hotter water, and longer steeps all pull out more caffeine. So a strong, long-steeped green can out-caffeinate a quick, light black. If you want a gentler cup, use less leaf and steep shorter — and remember the first short steep extracts a large share of the caffeine.
Common questions
Which tea has the least caffeine? Herbal tisanes have none at all. Among true teas, white is usually the gentlest — but brewing choices matter.
Does decaffeinating tea at home work? The popular "rinse to remove caffeine" trick removes only a small amount; it's a myth that a quick rinse makes tea caffeine-free. For zero caffeine, choose a herbal tisane.
Not sure what to drink for the time of day? The Tea Picker lets you filter by caffeine and moment. Or read up on caffeine-free herbal teas and how steep time shifts the dose.