Yerba mate: caffeine, brewing and taste

A cup of yerba mate (237 ml) usually has 54–80 mg of caffeine, about 67 mg on average (70% of a cup of filter coffee).

At a glance

Type	Not tea: leaves of Ilex paraguariensis
Caffeine per cup	54–80 mg
mg / 100 ml	28.3
Cups to reach 400 mg a day	5
Water temperature	70–80 °C
Steeping time	to taste and recipe

How it is made

Made from the leaves of a South American holly, Ilex paraguariensis, not from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). Traditionally drunk from a gourd through a bombilla (a metal or wooden straw); the cold version is called tereré.

Taste

Like an infusion of vegetables, herbs and grass, somewhat like some green teas; often bitter when steeped in hot water.

How to brew

Hot but not boiling water, about 70–80 °C; the gourd is filled about three-quarters with leaves and topped up repeatedly.

For caffeine figures we assume 5 g of dry tea per cup (237 ml).

Brewing timer →

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).

Last cup tool →

Frequently asked questions

How much caffeine is in yerba mate?

A cup of yerba mate (237 ml) usually has 54–80 mg of caffeine, about 67 mg on average (70% of a cup of filter coffee).

How do you brew yerba mate?

Hot but not boiling water, about 70–80 °C; the gourd is filled about three-quarters with leaves and topped up repeatedly. For caffeine figures we assume 5 g of dry tea per cup (237 ml).

Is yerba mate good in the evening?

A cup has about 67 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.