Caffeine - Comparing Espresso to Coffee and Coca-Cola

Comparison of Caffeine in Espresso Versus Coffee or Coke

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There is a high probability that you have heard the rumor that an espresso shot is filled to the brim with caffeine. It is true that many people are simply referring to the beverage as "caffeine shots."

Have you ever wanted to find out more about espresso and how much caffeine it contains? Is there any such thing as caffeine-free espresso, a term primarily used for "decaf" coffee? How unhealthy for you is espresso, really? And if espresso is so unhealthy then why hasn't it been taken off the market? All of these are great questions that could come from anyone who would like to know more about the myths surrounding espresso shots and their caffeine content. But there is one thing for sure - that espresso shots are definitely not as unhealthy for you as alcohol shots are.

The whole problem surrounding espresso is the fact that most people have heard that espresso contains so much more caffeine than other beverages that it is deemed almost dangerous to consume. This is a myth and simply isn't true! Even though espresso does contain quite a lot of caffeine in one shot, here is how the caffeine content of espresso compares to other popular beverages:

How Much Caffeine in Espresso and Coffee

When comparing the amount of caffeine in an espresso shot as compared to a cup of coffee, there are many things you should consider. When it comes to espresso, there are as many varieties of espresso as there are of coffee. We will user the term "espresso" to means one plain shot of espresso that has no extra flavor of frills, and for "coffee" we mean a regular black cup of coffee that most people drink at their breakfast table in the morning.

You may be surprised to find this out that a regular black cup of coffee actually has more caffeine than one shot of espresso. It's true that espresso does contain more milligrams of caffeine per ounce, but espresso shots are typically only consumed in 1-ounce shot glasses. Espresso contains about 67 milligrams of caffeine per ounce and coffee contains around 148 milligrams in an average full cup. Most people only consume one shot of espresso at a time, but most people consume multiple cups of coffee throughout their day. If a person only consumes 2 shots of espresso, he/she will take in 14 milligrams more coffee if only one 8 ounce cup of coffee is consumed.

How Much Caffeine in Espresso and Coca-Cola

So what would be the better choice: having a can of Coca-Cola in the morning to jump start your day, or continuing with your espresso routine? As mentioned above, espresso shots usually contain about 67 milligrams per 1-ounce shot glass. On the other hand, a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains only about 35 milligrams of caffeine. It is obvious which beverage has less caffeine. On the other hand, Coca-Cola has sugar or NutraSweet to sweeten it, neither of which is really very healthy for you. In fact, NutraSweet had over 50 things wrong with it when it was released, and the medical profession is advising less consumption of sugar and other refined carbohydrates. So if you are drinking unsweetened espresso, the best "morning boost" would be the espresso shot.

Based on this information, you can see an espresso shot is really doesn't appear to be all that bad for you when compared to a can of soda pop or even a regular cup of coffee. In the whole scheme of things one can probably say that espresso is about average when it comes to the amount of caffeine in a single serving, and now you know just how espresso shots stack up!

Additional Web Resources:

mayoclinic.com Caffeine
FDA 92 symptoms - aspartame
321 Recipes - Aspartame