Caffeine in Espresso Coffee. Is it too much for us?How much caffeine in espresso? Is it too much, enough, just right? Despite the strong taste there is not as much caffeine in espresso as one might think! I remember a trip to Miami and drinking Cuban Coffee in South Beach at a little open air coffee place right across from the beach. They seemed quite impressed when I ordered a large espresso and drank it down. Later I discovered I was probably drinking enough for 4 persons. But it tasted so good. And the café con leche – well that was to die for! So how much caffeine did I down? Well it kept me well stoked all morning but I digress. I did a little research and found varying results from different studies and this is because before a bean is roasted the amount of caffeine varies from bean to bean. About 1 to 1.5% of the weight of the bean is pure caffeine. The amount of caffeine in a brew varies greatly even when the same person using the same coffee ingredients and coffee maker every time it’s made. So it goes without saying that one will get a different result from different beans which is as well. Results vary from 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine per espresso shot which is less than than the 115-175 milligrams in an 8 ounce cup of regular drip coffee –so it’s not as strong as I thought it might be. And compared to a Starbucks Grande which weighs in at a staggering 330 milligrams even a double shot of espresso would be a caffeine bargain. For those interested in getting less caffeine the following study may interest you. A 7 oz cup of coffee has the following caffeine (mg) amounts, according to Bunker and McWilliams in J. Am. Diet. 74:28-32, 1979: Drip 115-175 The good think is that the many benefits of coffee may outweigh the negative of effects of caffeine in espresso. So unless it really keeps you up at night or makes your heart race like crazy – why not sit back and enjoy?
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