Shoutout to the barista who told me espresso has less caffeine than drip coffee

I was at this shop in Portland last Tuesday waiting for my order and the barista just casually drops that a standard double shot has about 60-80mg of caffeine while a 12oz drip has around 200mg. Blew my mind because I always thought espresso was the rocket fuel. How did I go 15 years not knowing this basic fact?

4 comments

4 Comments

kimr7422h agoProlific Poster

Wait, hold on. I had to read that twice because I've been running on the same lie for 20 years. I used to buy those tiny little espresso cups thinking I was getting jacked up on caffeine. Turns out I was just paying three bucks for a sip of brown water while the guy next to me with the big mug was basically mainlining jet fuel. That 200mg number is wild. My brain just did a full system reboot.

anderson.piper16h ago

@kimr74 the 200mg thing is only true for some places. A lot of coffee shops water down their drip something fierce. Plus espresso still hits way faster when you actually need it.

charles_mitchell21h ago

Yeah exactly! I still order espresso drinks because I like the taste and the quick hit. But the math is brutal when you think about it. Drip coffee is like a IV drip of caffeine over 45 minutes. Espresso is a quick slap in the face that fades fast. I actually switched to drinking a small drip at home now. Saves me money and keeps me going way longer than those tiny shots ever did.

patricia_gonzalez2m ago

No kidding, I had the exact same wake up call a few months ago lol. I used to be that person ordering a double espresso thinking I was being all efficient and hardcore. Then I actually measured out my caffeine one day and realized my little $4 shot had like 120mg while my roommate's huge cup of diner coffee had over 300mg. I felt so dumb. Now I make a big thermos of drip at home and sip it over like three hours and it's way better. The crash is way less intense too. Espresso is still fun for the taste but for actual staying awake purposes drip is the real deal.