Espresso vs. Drip Coffee

A common belief is that espresso has much more caffeine than standard drip coffee. Is that true? Kind of, but not really. A typical double shot of espresso contains 60-100 mg of caffeine, depending on how the barista grinds, the amount of coffee used, and how the shot is pulled. A typical 12 oz. cup of drip coffee contains 65-120 mg of caffeine, depending on how the coffee is ground, the coffee to water ratio used, and the brew temperature. So, the cup of coffee will usually have more caffeine than the double shot of espresso.

The big factor here is volume. If you compare the two-ounce for ounce, the picture is somewhat different. A single ounce of espresso holds 30-50 mg of caffeine, but a single ounce of drip coffee only has 8-15 mg of caffeine. In that sense, espresso has considerably more caffeine. However, unless you’re getting a triple shot, the drip coffee will deliver more total caffeine than the espresso.