Which Tea Has the Most Caffeine?

by Whittard of Chelsea8 Minute Read

This one’s for the caffeine-conscious tea lovers. Always
making a fresh cup, but not sure how much caffeine you’re consuming? We’ve got you covered.

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Published . Reviewed

Caffeine calculations: how much do you (actually) consume each day?

Caffeine is one of nature’s miracles. On a muddled morning when focus feels elusive, a caffeinated drink can bring you back to yourself. But monitoring your consumption can help you stay on the right side of energised.

So how do you calculate your caffeine intake if you’re only guessing the content in your go-to hot (and iced) drinks?

Caffeine consumption guidelines - what do the experts say?

Everyone experiences caffeine differently, but health organisations suggest that most can consume up to 300mg of caffeine per day. The NHS guidance is different for pregnant people, who shouldn’t exceed 200mg of caffeine each day.

Green tea vs. black tea

Believe it or not, green, white, yellow, puerh and oolong are all derived from the same plant. Each of these teas comes from Camellia sinensis, but the real magic is in how these leaves are handled once they’re picked. For green, black and oolong tea, it’s all about oxidation – how much the enzymes react to the air – a process controlled by steaming, firing or rolling the leaves. But that process doesn’t impact the level of caffeine.

Here's where we may ruffle a few feathers... it's a big misconception that green tea is lighter in caffeine than black, and white tea is the least caffeinated option available. Keep reading for more hot truths.

Spilling the tea on caffeine

Are you sitting down? Here are three controversial truths about tea in the UK.

A double-walled glass cup filled with light amber liquid, sitting on a countertop as more is poured from a glass carafe above.

Step 01

White tea is caffeine free - False

If it's made from tea leaves, it contains caffeine, since it comes from the same plant.

Loose-leaf tea steeping in a glass container against a bright orange background.

Step 02

Steeping for 3 seconds decaffeinates tea - False

The longer the brewing time, the more caffeinated your tea. If you prefer a more invigorating flavour, but worry about caffeine, try more leaves with a quicker brew.

Coffee pouring from a French press into a clear glass mug.

Step 03

Where does coffee fit into all this?

Coffee offers a stronger caffeine boost than tea. One cup of cafetière coffee contains about 140mg caffeine, while instant is more like 100mg. By contrast, a mug of strong tea is approximately 70mg.

Black Tea, Green Tea, Oolong Tea, and Tea Equipment

A rectangular white box of Earl Grey Loose Leaf Tea, featuring loose black tea leaves with visible blue and yellow flower petals and notes of bergamot, viewed from above against a white background.
Rectangular grey tin of Earl Grey Loose Leaf Tea featuring a silver botanical illustration of bergamot and a dark label with product details.
Bestseller

Citrus, floral & aromatic

Earl Grey Loose Leaf Tea

4.8
From $26.00 CAD
A white rectangular box of English Rose Loose Leaf Tea, featuring a blend of loose leaf tea with pink rose buds and petals, is viewed from above on a plain white background.
Rectangular box of English Rose Loose Leaf Tea featuring a silver botanical illustration, dark blue label text, and a net weight of 100g.
Bestseller

Delicate, floral & rose

English Rose Loose Leaf Tea

4.8
From $30.00 CAD
A rectangular box of English Breakfast Loose Leaf Tea, partially opened to reveal the tea leaves inside, pictured from above on a white background.
Rectangular box of English Breakfast Loose Leaf Tea with a grey cover featuring silver botanical illustrations and text detailing product information.
Bestseller

Smooth, malty & light

English Breakfast Loose Leaf Tea

4.5
From $26.00 CAD
A top-down view of an open, rectangular metal container filled with Chelsea Breakfast Loose Leaf Tea, set against a white background.
A rectangular box of Chelsea Breakfast Loose Leaf Tea on a grey background, featuring silver tea leaf illustrations and text identifying it as black tea.
Bestseller

Rich, strong and malty

Chelsea Breakfast Loose Leaf Tea

4.6
From $30.00 CAD
An open rectangular white box of Darjeeling Loose Leaf Tea, filled with loose black tea leaves and viewed from above on a plain white background.
Gray Darjeeling Loose Leaf Tea box featuring a silver botanical illustration, with text reading Darjeeling, Black Tea, and Loose Leaf Tea, net weight 100g.

Light, floral & delicate

Darjeeling Loose Leaf Tea

4.6
From $26.00 CAD
Open white box filled with Jasmine Loose Leaf Tea.
A grey box of Jasmine Loose Leaf Tea featuring a silver botanical illustration, with a label detailing the fragrant tea and a net weight of 100g.

Sweet, aromatic jasmine

Jasmine Loose Leaf Tea

4.7
$26.00 CAD
An open rectangular box of Mango & Bergamot Loose Leaf Tea, filled with vibrant green tea leaves blended with small blue and pink flower petals and a hint of mango bergamot, viewed from above against a plain white background.
A box of Mango & Bergamot Loose Leaf Tea with a grey and green design, featuring illustrations of tea leaves and product details on the front. This blend combines delicate Chinese green tea with vibrant mango and bergamot flavours, making it perfect for those who enjoy loose leaf green tea with a fragrant twist.
Bestseller

Fruity, citrus & floral

Mango & Bergamot Loose Leaf Tea

4.6
From $30.00 CAD
A white rectangular box filled with Passionfruit & Mango Loose Leaf Tea, showcasing a vibrant blend of dried tea leaves and colorful flower petals—yellow and pink—viewed from above against a plain white background. This inviting display highlights the premium loose leaf green tea, perfect for tea lovers.
Rectangular grey Passionfruit & Mango Loose Leaf Tea tin featuring a silver botanical illustration, containing a blend of smoky gunpowder green tea with mango, pineapple, and passionfruit flavours.
Bestseller

Citrus, earthy & juicy

Passionfruit & Mango Loose Leaf Tea

4.6
$30.00 CAD
Top-down view of an open box of Marrakech Mint Loose Leaf Tea, showing loose green tea leaves, herbs, and small blue flower petals.
A package of Marrakech Mint Loose Leaf Tea, adorned with botanical illustrations and text highlighting its blend of gunpowder green tea and peppermint. The green box features subtle floral graphics, evoking the tradition of Moroccan mint tea.

Minty, fresh & delicate

Marrakech Mint Loose Leaf Tea

4.6
$26.00 CAD
A top view of a box containing Cherry Blossom Loose Leaf Tea, with sencha green tea mixed with dried rose petals, set against a plain white background.
A rectangular box of Cherry Blossom Loose Leaf Tea, featuring floral illustrations and a white, gray, and green color scheme. Infused with delicate sencha and cherry blossom notes, the label reads Loose Leaf Tea and No. 791.

Cherry, fruity & floral

Cherry Blossom Loose Leaf Tea

4.6
From $30.00 CAD
A rectangular box of Garden Party Oolong Loose Leaf Tea, viewed from above on a white background, with the blend visible inside—dried black leaves mixed with colorful pieces like red and yellow petals.
A beautifully crafted box of Garden Party Oolong Loose Leaf Tea, featuring botanical illustrations and a minimalist gray and white packaging design—an elegant fruit-infused tea that offers the refreshing taste of oolong.

Fruity, floral & sweet

Garden Party Oolong Loose Leaf Tea

$30.00 CAD
A rectangular, open box filled with Jade Oolong Loose Leaf Tea, its rolled green leaves viewed from above on a white background.
A silver-grey box of Jade Oolong Loose Leaf Tea, adorned with botanical illustrations and branding, labeled as single origin tea crafted from Taiwan high mountain leaves.

Buttery, smooth & delicate

Jade Oolong Loose Leaf Tea

4.6
From $37.00 CAD
A white rectangular box with an open top, filled with Milk Oolong Loose Leaf Tea featuring dark green and brown leaves, viewed from above on a plain white background.
Rectangular box of Milk Oolong Loose Leaf Tea with a grey label, featuring a silver botanical illustration and text describing it as Taiwanese oolong tea.
Bestseller

Creamy, buttery & earthy

Milk Oolong Loose Leaf Tea

4.6
$47.00 CAD
An open rectangular box of Peach Oolong Loose Leaf Tea, viewed from above against a white background. The box features white sides with a dark blue edge and is filled with aromatic tea leaves inside.
A rectangular box of Peach Oolong Loose Leaf Tea with silver botanical illustrations, featuring a dark label that reads Peach Oolong, no. 766, and loose leaf tea with flavouring.

Juicy peaches & stone fruits

Peach Oolong Loose Leaf Tea

5.0
From $30.00 CAD
A clear glass mug with a metal infuser and black lid sits on top of a light gray box labeled Pao Glass Infuser Mug from Whittard of Chelsea. The background is plain white.
A clear glass mug with a handle, containing a metal tea infuser and covered by a lid, set against a plain white background.

Black Glass Pao Infuser Mug

4.7
$58.00 CAD
A Chelsea Glass Teapot with Infuser, featuring a clear borosilicate glass body and a metal infuser and lid, is displayed on a white box labeled "The Chelsea Teapot" from Whittard against a plain white background.
The Chelsea Glass Teapot with Infuser showcases a transparent borosilicate glass design, enhanced by a metal lid and an elegantly curved spout. Displayed on a plain white background, this teapot is completed with a round handle for comfortable pouring.
Bestseller

Chelsea Glass Teapot with Infuser

4.6
$81.00 CAD
A clear glass teapot with a metal infuser and lid sits on a white Whittard box labeled The Pimlico Teapot. The box features the Whittard logo and brief product details.
Clear glass teapot with a round body, metal infuser, and metal lid with a round handle, shown on a white background.
Bestseller

Pimlico Glass Teapot with Infuser

4.5
$70.00 CAD
A clear glass infuser mug with a metal strainer and a light green lid, placed on top of a white Whittard Pao packaging box.
Pistachio Glass Pao Infuser Mug made of clear borosilicate glass with a stainless steel tea infuser basket and a light green lid.

Pistachio Glass Pao Infuser Mug

$58.00 CAD
A stainless steel mug infuser with a black rim and handles is shown next to its packaging box, which has an image and description of the product on a light background.
A stainless steel tea infuser with perforated holes, black handles on each side, and a matching black lid, set against a white background.
Bestseller

Mug Infuser

4.6
$26.00 CAD
A clear glass teapot with a metal lid and infuser sits atop a gray box labeled The Greenwich Teapot by Whittard. The background is white and minimalistic.
A clear glass French press with a metal lid, plunger, and handle, shown on a white background.

The Greenwich Teapot

4.6
$58.00 CAD
Top-down view of a Nova Double-Walled Mug made from borosilicate glass, filled with dark tea or coffee on a white background. The handle is positioned on the right, and the liquid appears smooth with subtle reflections.
The Nova Double-Walled Mug, made of clear borosilicate glass with a handle, is displayed against a plain white background.
Bestseller

Nova Double-Walled Mug

4.6
$28.00 CAD

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