# How much caffeine in a coffee bean?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-caffeine-in-a-coffee-bean/379779>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 9, 2006, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-caffeine-in-a-coffee-bean/379779 "2006-11-09T22:57:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-caffeine-in-a-coffee-bean/379779/1 "2006-11-09T22:57:12Z")

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In percent by mass would be the best form of an answer.

Ever since I was a tyke, I’ve seen commercials for a certain brand of decaffeinated coffee. The commercials always trumpeted the fact that their coffee was 97% caffeine-free. But what does that mean, actually? Is 97% of the original caffeine load removed? Or does a coffee bean naturally have some significant percent of its mass in the form of caffeine, and after decaffeination, that percentage is down to 3%?

I’ve been meaning to ask this question for years, ever since I learned that 2% low fat milk is just like whole milk except with half the fat, not with 8% of the fat removed.

So, how much caffeine can one find in a single coffee bean?

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**Author:** ![daffyduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-caffeine-in-a-coffee-bean/379779/2 "2006-11-10T05:50:36Z")

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Caffeine Content in beans and blends, percentage by weight.

(Source: Newsletter–Mountanos Bros. Coffee Co., San Francisco)

Brazil Bourbons 1.20%  
Celebes Kalossi 1.22  
Colombia Excelso 1.37  
Colombia Supremo 1.37  
Ethiopian Harrar-Moka 1.13  
Guatemala Antigua 1.32  
Indian Mysore 1.37  
Jamaican Blue Mtn/Wallensford Estate 1.24  
Java Estate Kuyumas 1.20  
Kenya AA 1.36  
Kona Extra Prime 1.32  
Mexico Pluma Altura 1.17  
Mocha Mattari (Yemen) 1.01  
New Guinea 1.30  
Panama Organic 1.34  
Sumatra Mandheling-Lintong 1.30  
Tanzania Peaberry 1.42  
Zimbabwe 1.10

BLENDS & DARK ROASTS  
Colombia Supremo Dark 1.37%  
Espresso Roast 1.32  
French Roast 1.22  
Vienna Roast 1.27  
Mocha-Java 1.17

DECAFS–all @ .02% with Swiss Water Process

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-caffeine-in-a-coffee-bean/379779/3 "2006-11-10T16:48:16Z")

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Hey, thank you very much for that comprehensive list. Now I can sleep at night.

And before, I meant to say 98%, not 8% Preview is my friend, preview is my friend, preview is my friend, pre…