# Which will keep you more awake - Tea or Coffee?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-will-keep-you-more-awake-tea-or-coffee/261110>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 23, 2004, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-will-keep-you-more-awake-tea-or-coffee/261110 "2004-08-23T17:34:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![adam\_neville16](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@adam\_neville16](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adam_neville16)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-will-keep-you-more-awake-tea-or-coffee/261110/1 "2004-08-23T17:34:00Z")

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I’ve heard that tea has more caffine than coffee but then why is coffee typically used to keep you awake? Does coffee have more energy value or something? Which is more effective tea or coffee?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-will-keep-you-more-awake-tea-or-coffee/261110/2 "2004-08-23T17:46:13Z")

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I don’t know where you heard that teas have more caffeine than coffee, but that is wrong:

```auto

**8-ounce Beverage milligrams**
Coffee, Drip 115-175
Coffee, Brewed 80-135
Coffee, Espresso (2 ounces) 100
Coffee, Instant 65-100
Tea, iced 47
Tea, brewed, imported brands (avg.)	60
Tea, brewed, U.S. brands (avg.) 40
Tea, instant 30
Tea, green 15
Hot cocoa 14
Coffee, Decaf, brewed 3-4
Coffee, Decaf, instant 2-3

```

From [here](http://wilstar.com/caffeine.htm).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-will-keep-you-more-awake-tea-or-coffee/261110/3 "2004-08-23T18:36:46Z")

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I believe the confusion comes in due to the fact that tea has more caffeine before being brewed. But in the finished beverage, coffee has more caffeine.

[Cite](http://www.newscientist.com/lastword/article.jsp?id=lw617)