**Earl Grey Tea Caffeine — How Much in a Cup? · CoffeeLog**

> Discover the exact caffeine in a 240 ml cup of Earl Grey (47 mg), how it compares to coffee and other teas, what affects levels, and safe daily limits.

Source: https://trackcaffeine.com/guides/earl-grey-tea-caffeine-levels/ · updated: 2026-08-02

![An open paper packet of loose-leaf tea spilling onto a dark table, a glass of brewed tea behind it.](https://trackcaffeine.com/images/covers/earl-grey-tea-caffeine-levels.webp)

Guides

# Earl Grey Tea: Complete Caffeine Content Guide

By

- [Merey Tleugazin](https://trackcaffeine.com/about/) Published April 27, 2026 Updated August 2, 2026 7 min read

1. [Home](https://trackcaffeine.com/)

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3. Earl Grey Tea: Complete Caffeine Content Guide

A 240 ml cup of Earl Grey tea contains **47 mg** of caffeine.

- 240 ml Earl Grey = **47 mg** caffeine per the dataset.
- After 6 hours about **23 mg** remains from a 47 mg cup (population half-life ~5.7 h).
- Drip coffee (240 ml) has **96 mg**, roughly double Earl Grey.
- FDA recommends healthy adults limit caffeine to ≤ **400 mg/day**; pregnancy guidance ~**200 mg/day**.

*Earl Grey tea starts at 47 mg. About 23 mg is still circulating six hours later and 11 mg after twelve — the long tail is why an afternoon drink can still be measurable at bedtime. Free to reuse with a link to this page.*

On this page

1. Caffeine levels in standard Earl Grey tea

2. Bigelow and branded Earl Grey variations

3. Factors that change Earl Grey caffeine

4. How long caffeine from Earl Grey stays in your system (decay math)

5. Health context and safe limits

6. When timing matters: sleep, medication, pregnancy

7. Practical tips and tracking

8. Sources and authority

9. Does adding milk, lemon or sugar change how much caffeine you get from Earl Grey?

10. How should I add up caffeine if I drink Earl Grey plus coffee or an energy drink?

11. Can drinking Earl Grey every day cause dependence or withdrawal?

12. How do I estimate caffeine in a custom drink like an Earl Grey latte or a mixed tea-and-espresso drink?

13. Bottom line

## Caffeine levels in standard Earl Grey tea

Earl Grey is a black-tea base scented with bergamot oil. The dataset lists a 240 ml serving of Earl Grey at **47 mg** (19.6 mg/100 ml), the same numeric entry given for generic black tea. That number is a practical reference point: a typical teacup (240 ml) prepared from a standard black-tea bag will contain about 47 mg of caffeine.

### How that compares to other common drinks

Below is a compact comparison using dataset values so you can see where Earl Grey sits relative to coffees, other teas, and energy drinks.

| Drink | Serving | Caffeine (mg) | mg/100 ml |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Earl Grey tea | 240 ml | 47 mg | 19.6 mg/100 ml |
| Black tea | 240 ml | 47 mg | 19.6 mg/100 ml |
| Green tea | 240 ml | 28 mg | 11.7 mg/100 ml |
| Matcha (1 tsp) | 240 ml | 70 mg | — |
| Drip coffee | 240 ml | 96 mg | 40 mg/100 ml |
| Cold brew | 240 ml | 200 mg | 83.3 mg/100 ml |
| Espresso (single) | 30 ml | 63 mg | — |

## Bigelow and branded Earl Grey variations

Manufacturers like Bigelow usually do not print precise caffeine per-bag values because leaf strength, bag weight and infusion time vary. The dataset does not list a Bigelow-specific mg value; however, if a Bigelow Earl Grey uses a standard black-tea base its caffeine will be in the neighborhood of **47 mg per 240 ml**. If you prepare a stronger brew (longer steep, more leaves) expect higher caffeine.

### When branded values differ

Some brands sell decaffeinated Earl Grey—decaf tea commonly contains trace caffeine but is not zero. If a company lists "decaf" and you need near-zero caffeine, check packaging or contact the manufacturer for laboratory-verified numbers.

## Factors that change Earl Grey caffeine

Key variables that change the caffeine dose per cup:

- Leaf amount and bag weight: more leaf = more caffeine.
- Steep time and water temperature: longer steep and hotter water extract more caffeine; most black teas extract rapidly in the first minute and more gradually afterward.
- Leaf grade and blend: fannings/CTC (smaller particles) release caffeine faster than whole-leaf blends.
- Serving size: smaller cup or stronger concentrate changes mg per serving.

*Caffeine per serving for the drinks this page discusses, on one scale, with the 100 mg sleep threshold and the 400 mg daily guidance marked. Free to reuse with a link to this page.*

## How long caffeine from Earl Grey stays in your system (decay math)

Use the population-average half-life of **5.7 hours** to estimate remaining caffeine. The exponential model is Remaining = Initial × (1/2)^(t/5.7). For practical scanning, use the conventional checkpoints: after 3, 6, 9, and 12 hours roughly 69%, 48%, 33%, and 23% remain respectively.

| Time after a 47 mg dose | % remaining | Approx. mg remaining |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0 hours (immediately) | 100% | 47 mg |
| 3 hours | ~69% | ~32 mg |
| 6 hours | ~48% | ~23 mg |
| 9 hours | ~33% | ~16 mg |
| 12 hours | ~23% | ~11 mg |

Example: if you drink a cup of Earl Grey at 8 am (47 mg), expect about 23 mg remaining near 2 pm and ~11 mg by 8 pm on average. Individual metabolism varies; factors such as liver function, medications, pregnancy, smoking and genetics change half-life.

## Health context and safe limits

Authoritative guidance: the FDA suggests healthy adults limit caffeine to about **400 mg/day**. For pregnancy most guidance (including some from the FDA and EFSA interpretations) recommends keeping intake near or below **200 mg/day**. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages caffeine for adolescents. These are public-health limits; symptom sensitivity varies widely.

Practical comparisons: four 240 ml cups of Earl Grey (~47 mg each) total ~188 mg, below the 400 mg limit but near pregnancy guidance if you add other caffeine sources. Very high intakes (several hundred mg above limits) raise the risk of palpitations, insomnia, and in extreme cases toxic effects—seek medical care for suspected overdose.

## When timing matters: sleep, medication, pregnancy

To avoid sleep disruption, stop caffeine intake several half-lives before bed; with a 5.7 h half-life, caffeine taken 6–8 hours before bedtime can still be noticeable. Certain medications (some antidepressants, oral contraceptives) slow clearance and effectively lengthen half-life; discuss with your clinician.

## Practical tips and tracking

To reduce caffeine from Earl Grey: shorten steep time, use cooler water, choose decaffeinated Earl Grey or a green/white alternative. If you rely on multiple sources—tea, coffee, cola, energy drinks—track total intake: for example, a 240 ml Earl Grey (47 mg) plus a 240 ml drip coffee (96 mg) equals 143 mg.

Tools such as CoffeeLog can automate logging across drinks and calculate remaining caffeine using half-life estimates so you can time consumption around sleep or workouts.

## Sources and authority

Values in this guide use our dataset and reflect common references such as USDA FoodData Central for tea baselines. Safety and intake limits reference FDA guidance, EFSA interpretations, Mayo Clinic summaries, and American Academy of Pediatrics position statements where relevant. This page is informational, not medical advice—consult a healthcare professional for personal recommendations.

## Does adding milk, lemon or sugar change how much caffeine you get from Earl Grey?

No—adding milk, lemon or sugar does not materially change the milligrams of caffeine you ingest; the brew’s caffeine content is set by the leaves, water and steeping. Extraction is the process by which caffeine and other soluble compounds move from tea leaves into water.

The dataset lists a 240 ml cup of Earl Grey at 47 mg, and adding milk or lemon does not change that recorded milligram value because those ingredients do not chemically remove caffeine from the infusion (dataset). Proteins in milk can alter perceived astringency but do not measurably lower caffeine mg in a prepared cup according to standard food-analysis practice; see USDA FoodData Central for baseline tea values (
- [USDA FoodData Central](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/)).

If you want to reduce caffeine in a milk-forward drink (for example a tea latte), control the tea dose and steep time rather than relying on milk; for guidance on tea caffeine baselines see our guide to
- [Black Tea Caffeine: Everything You Need to Know](https://trackcaffeine.com/guides/black-tea-caffeine-content/).

## How should I add up caffeine if I drink Earl Grey plus coffee or an energy drink?

Add the milligrams listed for each beverage from the dataset and compare the total to safety guidance; totals are what matter for daily limits. Acute intake is the total caffeine dose consumed in a short period and must be compared against public-health limits.

Example arithmetic using the dataset: a 240 ml Earl Grey (47 mg) plus a 240 ml drip coffee (96 mg) equals 143 mg total (dataset). The U.S. FDA recommends healthy adults limit caffeine to about 400 mg/day (
- [U.S. FDA](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much)), and the European Food Safety Authority sets pregnancy guidance near 200 mg/day (
- [EFSA 2015](https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4102)), so use those benchmarks when totaling items like Red Bull (250 ml, 80 mg, dataset) or a caffeine pill (200 mg, dataset).

For quick checks use our
- [caffeine half-life calculator](https://trackcaffeine.com/tools/caffeine-calculator/) to see how much remains now and our
- [safe daily limit by body weight](https://trackcaffeine.com/tools/safe-daily-limit/) tool to adjust the FDA/EFSA recommendations for your body size.

## Can drinking Earl Grey every day cause dependence or withdrawal?

Yes—regular caffeine consumption from any source, including daily Earl Grey, can lead to physiological dependence and withdrawal when intake stops. Caffeine withdrawal is a recognized clinical syndrome characterized by headache, fatigue and difficulty concentrating after abrupt cessation.

Practical numbers: four 240 ml cups of Earl Grey (4 × 47 mg = 188 mg) is enough daily exposure to produce mild dependence in some people because consistent daily doses around or above ~100–200 mg commonly trigger withdrawal on stopping (dataset). The Mayo Clinic documents that withdrawal symptoms can begin 12–24 hours after stopping and often peak within one to two days, with most people improving over several days to a week (
- [Mayo Clinic](https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678)).

If you plan to cut or quit, taper by reducing one serving every few days or substitute a low-caffeine alternative; our
- [Caffeine Withdrawal: Symptoms, Duration, and Management](https://trackcaffeine.com/guides/caffeine-withdrawal-guide/) guide shows stepwise taper plans and symptom timelines.

## How do I estimate caffeine in a custom drink like an Earl Grey latte or a mixed tea-and-espresso drink?

Estimate by summing the dataset milligrams for each component: use 47 mg for a 240 ml Earl Grey base and add the exact milligrams for any coffee shots or energy-drink portions you include. A composite drink is a beverage made by combining two or more caffeinated components and its caffeine equals the sum of those parts.

Example: if a café added a single espresso shot (30 ml, 63 mg) to a 240 ml Earl Grey base, the combined beverage would contain roughly 47 mg + 63 mg = 110 mg (dataset). If instead you are ordering a milk-forward drink where the café lists a standard latte (240 ml, 68 mg) that number refers to a coffee latte in the dataset and is not interchangeable with an Earl Grey latte unless the shop confirms they used tea instead of espresso; check our
- [Chai Latte](https://trackcaffeine.com/guides/chai-latte-caffeine-content/) and
- [Matcha Latte](https://trackcaffeine.com/guides/matcha-latte-caffeine/) guides for analogous composite calculations.

When in doubt, ask the café to list milligrams per component or use our
- [caffeine half-life calculator](https://trackcaffeine.com/tools/caffeine-calculator/) to model remaining caffeine after a mixed drink.

## Bottom line

A standard 240 ml cup of Earl Grey contains 47 mg of caffeine according to the dataset; that is the reference number to use when totaling daily intake (dataset). TrackCaffeine uses a population-average half-life of 5.7 hours to model clearance, so a single 47 mg cup will leave about 23 mg after 6 hours using Remaining = 47 × 0.5^(6/5.7) (47 × 0.5^(6/5.7) ≈ 22.7 mg). For practical checkpoints the dataset-based percentages give roughly 33 mg at 3 hours, 23 mg at 6 hours, 16 mg at 9 hours and 11 mg at 12 hours for a 47 mg dose.

Compare totals to public-health limits: the U.S. FDA recommends adults limit caffeine to about 400 mg/day (
- [U.S. FDA](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much)), and EFSA’s 2015 opinion supports pregnancy guidance near 200 mg/day (
- [EFSA 2015](https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4102)). If you combine Earl Grey (47 mg) with other items from the dataset—drip coffee (240 ml, 96 mg), Red Bull (250 ml, 80 mg) or a 200 mg caffeine pill—add the listed milligrams and keep the total under those benchmarks; our
- [safe daily limit](https://trackcaffeine.com/tools/safe-daily-limit/) and
- [latest-cup-before-bed](https://trackcaffeine.com/tools/last-cup-before-bed/) tools can help you plan timing and totals.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much caffeine is in a standard cup of Earl Grey?

A 240 ml cup of Earl Grey contains 47 mg of caffeine according to the dataset; smaller or stronger cups will change that amount.

### Is Earl Grey more caffeinated than regular black tea?

No—dataset values list both Earl Grey and generic black tea at 47 mg per 240 ml, because Earl Grey is typically a flavored black tea base.

### How long does caffeine from Earl Grey stay in your system?

Using the population half-life of 5.7 hours, a 47 mg dose leaves ~32 mg after 3 h, ~23 mg after 6 h, ~16 mg after 9 h, and ~11 mg after 12 h on average.

### Can pregnant people drink Earl Grey?

Pregnancy guidance recommends limiting caffeine to about 200 mg/day; one 240 ml cup of Earl Grey (47 mg) fits under that limit, but total daily intake from all sources should be monitored and discussed with a clinician.

### Is decaf Earl Grey caffeine-free?

Decaffeinated teas typically contain trace caffeine; they are not always zero. If you need almost no caffeine, check the brand’s lab-tested numbers or buy a herbal (caffeine-free) bergamot infusion.

### Does steeping time affect Earl Grey's caffeine?

Yes—longer steeping and hotter water extract more caffeine. Much of the caffeine is released in the first minute, but continued steeping increases total extraction.

### How many 240 ml cups of Earl Grey equal a 200 mg caffeine pill?

The dataset lists a 240 ml Earl Grey at 47 mg, so 200 mg ÷ 47 mg ≈ 4.25 cups; roughly four and a quarter 240 ml cups equal a 200 mg caffeine pill (dataset).

CoffeeLog · iOS

## Track this automatically with CoffeeLog

This site answers the question once. CoffeeLog answers it every day — logging what you drink, showing caffeine fade in real time, and telling you the last cup you can have before it reaches your sleep.

- [Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/caffeine-tracker-coffeelog/id6774424227)
- [Open the calculator](https://trackcaffeine.com/tools/caffeine-calculator/)

## Read next

1. [Coffee's Health Effects: Benefits and Potential Risks guide](https://trackcaffeine.com/guides/coffee-health-impacts/)
2. [Packaged Iced Coffee: Caffeine Content Comparison guide](https://trackcaffeine.com/guides/packaged-iced-coffee-caffeine-content/)
3. [15 Delicious Caffeine-Free Drinks at Starbucks listicle](https://trackcaffeine.com/guides/starbucks-caffeine-free-drinks/)
4. [How Much Caffeine Does It Take to Stay Awake? guide](https://trackcaffeine.com/guides/caffeine-wakefulness-guide/)
5. [Monster Energy Drink: Guarana, Taurine, and Ingredient Breakdown guide](https://trackcaffeine.com/guides/monster-energy-drink-ingredients/)
6. [Caffeine-Free Nespresso Pods: Complete Buyer's Guide guide](https://trackcaffeine.com/guides/nespresso-decaf-pods/)
7. [Earl Grey tea — 47 mg Drink](https://trackcaffeine.com/caffeine-in/earl-grey-tea/)
8. [Caffeine half-life calculator Calculator](https://trackcaffeine.com/tools/caffeine-calculator/)
9. [Last cup before bed Calculator](https://trackcaffeine.com/tools/last-cup-before-bed/)

TrackCaffeine provides general reference information about caffeine. It is not medical advice. Caffeine values are public-source estimates, not exact measurements.

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