White tea: caffeine, brewing and taste

A cup of white tea (237 ml) usually has 6–31 mg of caffeine, about 19 mg on average (20% of a cup of filter coffee).

At a glance

Type	Minimally processed tea
Caffeine per cup	6–31 mg
mg / 100 ml	8
Cups to reach 400 mg a day	more than 20
Water temperature	75–85 °C
Steeping time	1–2 min

How it is made

Mostly buds and young leaves that are only withered and gently dried, neither rolled nor oxidised. It is mainly produced in China, especially Fujian.

Taste

Lighter than most green or black teas, with a pale yellow cup.

How to brew

About 75–85 °C for roughly 1–2 minutes.

For caffeine figures we assume 2 g of dry tea per cup (237 ml).

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Steeping time and caffeine

Longer steeping releases more caffeine. Calculated for 2 g of tea per cup.

Time	Caffeine per cup
2 min	4–20 mg
3 min	5–26 mg
4 min	6–29 mg
5 min	6–31 mg

When to drink it

Caffeine's half-life is usually 3–7 hours (we use about 5), so after 5 hours roughly half a cup's caffeine can still be in the body. About 100 mg before bed may affect sleep (EUFIC).

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Brands and products

Caffeine stated by manufacturers for products of this type (official data only):

Pfanner20–30 mg/lPure Tea White Tea The Republic of Tea10 mgWhite tea (average)

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Frequently asked questions

How much caffeine is in white tea?

A cup of white tea (237 ml) usually has 6–31 mg of caffeine, about 19 mg on average (20% of a cup of filter coffee).

How do you brew white tea?

About 75–85 °C for roughly 1–2 minutes. For caffeine figures we assume 2 g of dry tea per cup (237 ml).

Is white tea good in the evening?

A cup has about 19 mg of caffeine. After 5 hours roughly half can remain, so sensitive people may prefer earlier in the day. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others.