A “pot” of coffee is “12 cups.” This is usually about 64oz, meaning each of those “cups” is about 5.3 oz or 156 mL. However, most “coffee cups” or “mugs” are 10 oz, with some being much larger. So … it all depends!
Cutting Down on Caffeine
- Thread starter Boris Bachmann
- Start date
Ben Strong
Level 6 Valued Member
I just measured my coffee mug that I am drinking out of here at work. That holds 12 fluid oz of coffee at full pour. That would account for about 140 mg of caffeine for a mug of brewed coffee. A shot of espresso typically contains about 60 mg of caffeine in my understanding.
The confusing part is that a standard cup measurement would refer to 8 oz. This is often used interchangeably when talking about coffe. So if you were to google "a cup of coffee" this is likely the answer you would get. However, I don't think anyone actually drinks only 8 oz. of coffee at a time.
mvalenti
Level 3 Valued Member
I got the flu back in October, and as I usually do when I'm sick, I quit coffee cold turkey. By the time I was over the flu, I was also over the caffeine withdrawal.
I've done this before (quit coffee while I'm sick and stay off of it for a while), but i think this time it's going to stick. I still drink decaf, which I'll do once a day or every other day. Not going to give up morning coffee with my wife on the weekends.
However, now a single cup of caffeinated coffee zoots me up for the whole day. It's great to be able to use is medicinally now and not NEED it.
I think to be in control of it and not have it control you is a great place to be. Best of luck!
I've done this before (quit coffee while I'm sick and stay off of it for a while), but i think this time it's going to stick. I still drink decaf, which I'll do once a day or every other day. Not going to give up morning coffee with my wife on the weekends.
However, now a single cup of caffeinated coffee zoots me up for the whole day. It's great to be able to use is medicinally now and not NEED it.
I think to be in control of it and not have it control you is a great place to be. Best of luck!
Ben Strong
Level 6 Valued Member
Personally, I try to keep my coffee consumption to under 300 mg a day. That's where I find that I sleep and operate best. Sometime I do take a tolerance break every once and a while when I feel like I need it and then ramp up slowly to a single cup a day for a while.
Wes Yeary
Level 5 Valued Member
I do love my coffee. I used to drink it basically all day. Now, I have some in the morning, usually a cup right after lunch, and that's pretty much it. I didn't notice it affecting my sleep or anything, I just stopped drinking it in the afternoon. No conscious decision.
Last time I was digging around I came up with 60-75 mg. of caffeine per espresso shot, depending.
General recommendations for caffeine consumption per day, 400mg or less.
3letterslong
Level 6 Valued Member
I've never been much of a coffee drinker, but had energy drinks now and then. I got some caffeine pills that were 180mg and if I take one (or even half of one) I don't sleep for 24 hours. I have to cut them into quarters before they enhance my productivity instead of ruining my life.
My gf tosses them back like tic tacs. I'm pretty sure her pre-workout drink would send me into cardiac arrest.
bluejeff
Level 7 Valued Member
I wanted to add a little tip if anyone in the thread wants to quit caffeine.
There's an amino acid called L-Phenylalanine, or DL-phenylalanine (DLPA). There are lots of articles you can read online about how and why it works to mitigate caffeine withdrawal symptoms.
The TLDR is:
Go get a bottle of 500mg capsules. Where I live they cost around $20-30, but imo it's worth it if you really want to go this route. Either form is fine but some seem to recommend the D-form (I think it's easier for the body to use or something, IIRC).
For the first 1-3 days, you take 1000mg in the morning and 1000mg around lunch time.
Then, you reduce to 1000mg in the morning and 500mg at lunch, then 500mg in the morning and 500mg at lunch, then just 500mg in the morning.
Each phase is about 2-3 days. Most sites recommending this technique give a schedule similar to that. If you take the 1000 in the morning and 1000 at lunch for a day or two and still feel crummy, do it one more day before starting to reduce the dosage.
I used this method to quite caffeine a couple years back and it worked like a charm. I was only mildly fatigued the first couple days, then I just followed the protocol and all went well. I didn't have any "high" parts of the day, which felt odd at first, but then I noticed that I didn't need naps in the afternoon anymore.
The phenylalanine trick is only meant to be used if you are QUITTING caffeine, or reducing it to a very negligible amount (like in decaf coffee). I don't think there's a danger of taking it alongside some caffeine, but the idea is to use it in place of caffeine.
Some notes*: it is best to replace a habit you want to get rid of with a similar habit. So if coffee is your poison, either go strict decaf or find some coffee substitutes that you like the taste of.
Also, even when using DPLA, you might benefit from a short 15-20 minute nap in the early afternoon, if your schedule allows. I think I did this for a couple days.
Some coffee substitues I like are Teechino blends, and an instant blend called "Dandy Blend"
teeccino.com
dandyblend.com
As I said before, now I drink half-caff. I only need my afternoon naps when my day has been extra hectic.
There's an amino acid called L-Phenylalanine, or DL-phenylalanine (DLPA). There are lots of articles you can read online about how and why it works to mitigate caffeine withdrawal symptoms.
The TLDR is:
Go get a bottle of 500mg capsules. Where I live they cost around $20-30, but imo it's worth it if you really want to go this route. Either form is fine but some seem to recommend the D-form (I think it's easier for the body to use or something, IIRC).
For the first 1-3 days, you take 1000mg in the morning and 1000mg around lunch time.
Then, you reduce to 1000mg in the morning and 500mg at lunch, then 500mg in the morning and 500mg at lunch, then just 500mg in the morning.
Each phase is about 2-3 days. Most sites recommending this technique give a schedule similar to that. If you take the 1000 in the morning and 1000 at lunch for a day or two and still feel crummy, do it one more day before starting to reduce the dosage.
I used this method to quite caffeine a couple years back and it worked like a charm. I was only mildly fatigued the first couple days, then I just followed the protocol and all went well. I didn't have any "high" parts of the day, which felt odd at first, but then I noticed that I didn't need naps in the afternoon anymore.
The phenylalanine trick is only meant to be used if you are QUITTING caffeine, or reducing it to a very negligible amount (like in decaf coffee). I don't think there's a danger of taking it alongside some caffeine, but the idea is to use it in place of caffeine.
Some notes*: it is best to replace a habit you want to get rid of with a similar habit. So if coffee is your poison, either go strict decaf or find some coffee substitutes that you like the taste of.
Also, even when using DPLA, you might benefit from a short 15-20 minute nap in the early afternoon, if your schedule allows. I think I did this for a couple days.
Some coffee substitues I like are Teechino blends, and an instant blend called "Dandy Blend"
Teeccino Herbal Coffee & Herbal Tea Coffee Alternatives
Teeccino offers a variety of caffeine-free and acid-free herbal coffees and teas. Discover America's #1 coffee alternative today.
teeccino.com
Home Page with Tiki
dandyblend.com
As I said before, now I drink half-caff. I only need my afternoon naps when my day has been extra hectic.
Tyrosine can also help here.I wanted to add a little tip if anyone in the thread wants to quit caffeine.
There's an amino acid called L-Phenylalanine, or DL-phenylalanine (DLPA). There are lots of articles you can read online about how and why it works to mitigate caffeine withdrawal symptoms.
The TLDR is:
Go get a bottle of 500mg capsules. Where I live they cost around $20-30, but imo it's worth it if you really want to go this route. Either form is fine but some seem to recommend the D-form (I think it's easier for the body to use or something, IIRC).
For the first 1-3 days, you take 1000mg in the morning and 1000mg around lunch time.
Then, you reduce to 1000mg in the morning and 500mg at lunch, then 500mg in the morning and 500mg at lunch, then just 500mg in the morning.
Each phase is about 2-3 days. Most sites recommending this technique give a schedule similar to that. If you take the 1000 in the morning and 1000 at lunch for a day or two and still feel crummy, do it one more day before starting to reduce the dosage.
I used this method to quite caffeine a couple years back and it worked like a charm. I was only mildly fatigued the first couple days, then I just followed the protocol and all went well. I didn't have any "high" parts of the day, which felt odd at first, but then I noticed that I didn't need naps in the afternoon anymore.
The phenylalanine trick is only meant to be used if you are QUITTING caffeine, or reducing it to a very negligible amount (like in decaf coffee). I don't think there's a danger of taking it alongside some caffeine, but the idea is to use it in place of caffeine.
Some notes*: it is best to replace a habit you want to get rid of with a similar habit. So if coffee is your poison, either go strict decaf or find some coffee substitutes that you like the taste of.
Also, even when using DPLA, you might benefit from a short 15-20 minute nap in the early afternoon, if your schedule allows. I think I did this for a couple days.
Some coffee substitues I like are Teechino blends, and an instant blend called "Dandy Blend"
Teeccino Herbal Coffee & Herbal Tea Coffee Alternatives
Teeccino offers a variety of caffeine-free and acid-free herbal coffees and teas. Discover America's #1 coffee alternative today.
Home Page with Tiki
As I said before, now I drink half-caff. I only need my afternoon naps when my day has been extra hectic.
Halfakneecap
Level 6 Valued Member
Don’t laugh, but decaf is much better than it used to be. I try to do a decaf detox every few months. I dont sleep longer but I’m sure I slept better. And then my dirty water mistress tempts me back to her open arms and I’m her slave again
Haha. If I stick to one a day I’m fine, but I creep back up again.
mfbunch
Level 5 Valued Member
Nobody likes a quitter.
Seriously, concur with recommendations to stay around 300-400 mg or less. I have found that the way I process caffeine has changed over the years. In my teens I could drink coffee or soda before bedtime with no issues. Now at 50 I keep it under 400 and closer to 300mg per day, and never after lunch or I'm not sleeping well. My Mom now only drinks half caf. Everyone is different to the point, so figure out what works for you and adjust from there.
Seriously, concur with recommendations to stay around 300-400 mg or less. I have found that the way I process caffeine has changed over the years. In my teens I could drink coffee or soda before bedtime with no issues. Now at 50 I keep it under 400 and closer to 300mg per day, and never after lunch or I'm not sleeping well. My Mom now only drinks half caf. Everyone is different to the point, so figure out what works for you and adjust from there.
Brickwork
Level 2 Valued Member
I’ve found Huberman’s recommendation to delay caffeine consumption for 90-120 minutes upon waking up (on non-training days) to be effective for me. I don’t really understand the mechanism (something to do with adenosine receptors) but it prevents the mid-afternoon crash.
Apparently this doesn’t apply for those who train first thing in the morning - so I’ve been pleased to be able to continue my ritual coffee before working out, given I’m usually finished by 6am.
Apparently this doesn’t apply for those who train first thing in the morning - so I’ve been pleased to be able to continue my ritual coffee before working out, given I’m usually finished by 6am.
Pete L
Level 6 Valued Member
I heard an interesting interview with Michael Pollan when he released his book; This Is Your Mind On Plants: Opium—Caffeine—Mescaline.
I have not yet read it but he purposefully stopped consuming caffeine for a period and he described how inexplicably his conscious awareness of himself was significantly affected by caffeine.
Personally I was two double espressos on waking for a few years.
Now I am delaying my first and having the odd espresso in the afternoon to maintain focus. Ironically it takes a coffee break interruption to achieve that.
I have not yet read it but he purposefully stopped consuming caffeine for a period and he described how inexplicably his conscious awareness of himself was significantly affected by caffeine.
Personally I was two double espressos on waking for a few years.
Now I am delaying my first and having the odd espresso in the afternoon to maintain focus. Ironically it takes a coffee break interruption to achieve that.
Boris Bachmann
Level 8 Valued Member
Exactly.
TedM
Level 6 Valued Member
yeah!
Really, the discussion needs to be on the amount of ground beans, not the amount of water.
A European single espresso will always have 6 - 8 grams of coffee in it (BTW, a Nespresso is 5 or so.) Whatever you do with that drink - make a short macchiato or toss on a dollop of cream onto a regular espresso or make an "Americano" ... it's the same amount of caffeine.
What makes more of a difference is the bean itself. Arabica beans are generally gentler and have lower caffeine levels than Robusta. But most coffee in any reputable place (even Starbucks) will be all Arabica. The better the bean, usually the less caffeine.
Also, the roasting profile AFAIK does not impact the caffeine amount. So a typical french-roasted Starbucks blend will taste "stronger" than an artisan Viennese, but the actual caffeine content may be the same.
Anecdotally, I fresh grind coffee and use an Aeropress. My wife just has instant. She says my coffee keeps her calm while the instant revs her up....
For financial reasons...I've cut my consumption down from 80 grams a day (5 double espresso equivalent) to 50 over the last few months. So, only 5 espressos a day.
But, less than that and what's the point??? Aren't we here to enjoy life some....
offwidth
Level 10 Valued Member
Correct… very little difference from roast profiles…
Caffeine Myths: Dark vs. Light | Kicking Horse Coffee
Does the type of roast affect how much caffeine is in coffee?
www.kickinghorsecoffee.com