A great cup of coffee can vary widely depending on how it's made and which roast is used. Getting that caffeine fix you need in the morning can be done in so many ways.
But there are two preparation styles that are all too popular: the traditional drip-style brew and the quick-fix espresso. If you've been wondering which might be the right fit for you, here's a useful breakdown to help you understand how much caffeine you might be consuming -- and where to draw the line.
Espresso packs more caffeine despite its small size
Espresso shots may be small but ounce-for-ounce they pack a bigger punch of caffeine than drip coffee. Getty Images
The simple answer is that espresso contains more caffeine per ounce than a standard drip coffee, which means you'll get a much bigger burst of energy from sucking down a shot of the stuff.
The difference between drip coffee and espresso beans comes down to how each is brewed. Espresso beans are brewed using intense pressure to force out a couple of ounces of concentrated coffee. Drip coffee results from hot water moving through ground beans at the speed of gravity. The slower brewing process creates a more diluted drink, but one that is often consumed in higher volumes.
On average, an espresso contains around 63 milligrams of caffeine per ounce. Starbucks serves 75 milligrams of caffeine in each of its .75-ounce espresso shots. Dunkin Donuts claims a hefty 118 milligrams per shot. In comparison, drip coffee ranges from around 12 to 16 milligrams of caffeine per ounce.
How much caffeine is in your morning cup is more complex. After all, when was the last time you sipped a thimble-sized cup of java?
Caffeine content depends on the volume and style of bean
Arabica coffee has roughly half the amount of caffeine as robusta. Tyler Lizenby/CNET
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