'Tis the season to be...stressed out. With finals fast approaching, students are flocking to any campus coffee shop, nearby Starbucks, and internet cafe with the intention of getting as much caffeine in their systems as possible to try to finish months of school work in a single night. So here's a helpful guide to understanding your coffee and how much caffeine you're actually getting:
Drip Coffee: Surprisingly, your average cup o' Joe offers the greatest caffeine content, ranging from 115-175 mg (depending on the strength of the grounds). Your classic brew is often thought to take a second seat to the espresso due to the drip coffee's weaker flavor. This is because drip coffee (also commonly known as "filtered" or "brewed") is made by passing almost boiling water through a filter paper which holds the coffee grounds. It then utilizes gravity to, you guessed it, drip the coffee into the pot below. This filter paper traps a lot of the coffee extracts which give it its rich flavor. However, the filter paper does not trap any of the caffeine. So if you're a "pot a day" drinker, be careful. You are intaking about double the recommended 400 mg per day.
Espresso: A typical 2 oz espresso shot is made by pushing hot water at a high pressure through a layer of finely ground coffee. It not only extracts a high content of caffeine, but also a rich flavor. This bitter little guy contains about 100 mg of caffeine, which is more than an entire Red Bull (80 mg), and almost twice as much as most teas (40-60 mg)! Most of your common coffee drinks incorporate an espresso shot. Be careful if you get a Doppio (double shot), because in that one power-packed shot you're intaking half of your daily recommended caffeine.
Macchiato: A macchiato, meaning "stained coffee" in Italian, is simply an espresso shot with a dollop of steamed milk added to soften the espresso's harsh flavor. A "short" macchiato contains a single espresso shot, so 100 mg of caffeine, and a "long" macchiato contains two. However, nowadays people think of a macchiato as being something similar to Starbucks' Iced Caramel Macchiato, which is made by adding vanilla syrup, milk, ice, 2 shots of espresso, and finally a caramel drizzle. (So basically, nothing like an actual macchiato). So when ordering this drink, make sure that both you and the barista are on the same page.
Americano: This bitter black coffee is simply made by filling a cup 2/3 with hot water, and then adding an espresso shot. Often you can add cream to make it a little sweeter. 100 mg.
Cafe Latte: Or "latte" for short is a sweeter espresso-based drink made by adding steamed milk to an espresso shot with about 1 cm of foam. It may have a fancy design, depending on how hipster you are. It is common to add different syrups and flavors to a latte, such as chocolate (mocha), vanilla, caramel, Irish cream, and, of course, pumpkin spice. 100 mg.
Cappuccino: This popular morning drink is similar to its cousin, the latte. The major difference is that the cappuccino has about 2-3 cm of foam. Imagine this drink in thirds: 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, and 1/3 milk foam. The extra foam also provides an excellent opportunity to practice your foam art! 100 mg.
Mocha: A mocha is basically just a chocolate cappuccino. It is made the same way as its close relative with the simple addition of chocolate syrup or powder added to the espresso shot. Often there is an additional chocolate topping on the foam. 100 mg.
So once you understand your basic coffee drinks and how much caffeine you can count on, those finals (and those coffee shops) are yours to conquer!
