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 that a first short steep can extract a meaningful share of caffeine, though not as much as folk wisdom suggests and not enough to make the tea decaf.
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. If the question is specifically about tonight, use the Caffeine & Evening Planner before brewing. Or read up on caffeine-free herbal teas and how steep time shifts the dose.