Caffeine in Tea Bags by Brand: Tetley, Lipton, Twinings, Yorkshire & More

Figures are per cup (one bag) as each brand publishes them. Where a brand gives no number, the row says so.

*Lipton's 55 mg figure for its standard black tea bags appears in Lipton's US product copy as carried by grocers; the English Breakfast range is from Lipton's own product page.

Green tea bags usually carry less caffeine than black, but the ranges overlap. The brand figures show it clearly: Tetley USA gives 50 mg for black and 33 mg for green; Twinings gives 40 to 76 mg for black and 19 to 45 mg for green; Bigelow gives 30 to 60 mg and 25 to 50 mg. USDA FoodData Central averages are about 47 mg for brewed black tea and about 28 mg for green. Interestingly, Tetley Canada rates its black and green teas the same, about 35 mg per 250 ml cup, a reminder that the leaf amount in the bag and your steep time can matter as much as the tea type. For the full picture by tea type, see our tea caffeine chart and does green tea have caffeine.

Yes. Red Rose Original is a black tea, and Red Rose's own site puts an 8 oz cup of black tea at 40 to 70 mg of caffeine, with decaf black tea at around 2 to 5 mg. Those are category figures Red Rose publishes for black tea in general, not a lab number for its own box. Red Rose also sells a naturally decaffeinated black tea and caffeine-free herbals. See our Red Rose review.

Yes, regular Luzianne iced tea bags are black tea and contain caffeine. Luzianne does not publish a milligram figure on the pages we checked, but it sells a Decaffeinated version and a Half Caff version that it says has 50% less caffeine than regular black tea. In a pitcher, each bag's caffeine is spread across however many cups it makes, so a glass of iced tea usually carries less than a hot mug brewed from one bag. Our Luzianne review covers the range.

Most do not. Pukka is primarily an organic herbal brand, and herbal blends of herbs, spices, and flowers contain no tea leaf, so no caffeine. The exceptions are Pukka blends that include green tea, black tea, white tea, or matcha, which do contain caffeine; check the ingredient list for any of those. Pukka does not give a milligram figure that we could verify, so if a Pukka blend contains green tea, the green tea range above (roughly 20 to 45 mg per cup from the brands that publish) is the fair guide. See our Pukka review.

Yogi labels every carton in one of three ways: Contains Caffeine (with the amount in the Supplement Facts panel), Caffeine Free, or Decaffeinated; the label is on the bottom left of the box and on each tea envelope. Celestial Seasonings says its herbal teas are naturally caffeine-free and lists the milligrams for each caffeinated tea on a Caffeine Meter on its product pages. With both brands, the box answers the question better than any general table. See our Yogi and Celestial Seasonings reviews.

Brands measure differently: Twinings uses one bag in 200 ml, Bigelow and Lipton quote 8 oz servings, and Tetley Canada uses a 250 ml cup. Bag weight also varies, and Tetley's global FAQ notes that caffeine depends on the blend, the origin of the tea, and the drop weight of the bag. Steep time is the lever you control: Tetley says caffeine release is highest in the first minute and then diminishes, so a longer steep keeps adding caffeine, but at a slowing rate.