How much caffeine is in a shot of espresso?

A single shot of espresso (about 1 oz) has roughly 63 mg of caffeine. It's concentrated, so per ounce it's much stronger than brewed coffee. But a shot is small, so a single often has less total caffeine than a full cup of drip.

Lattes, cappuccinos, and Americanos get their caffeine from the shots inside them: a drink with two shots is about 126 mg regardless of size. Count your espresso drinks in the Caffeine Calculator, or compare with a cup of brewed coffee and cold brew, or see how much caffeine is in decaf espresso. Ordering at Starbucks? See the Starbucks caffeine chart or the Dunkin' caffeine chart.

Caffeine in espresso drinks (it's all about the shots)

Caffeine in an espresso drink comes from the espresso shots, not the milk or foam. A standard shot is about 63 mg, so the whole question is how many shots are in the cup. A latte and a cappuccino with the same number of shots have the same caffeine, even though they taste different.

Espresso at the major chains

The chains differ mostly in how strong their shot is, and how many shots go in each size. Here's the quick picture.

For every espresso drink and size, see our coffee chain caffeine comparison and each chain's chart (Starbucks, Dunkin, and more).

Is espresso stronger than coffee?

Short answer: per ounce, yes. Per serving, usually no. A single 1 oz shot (~63 mg) is far more concentrated than drip coffee, but a standard 8 oz mug of drip (~95 mg) often has more total caffeine than one shot. Espresso feels stronger because it is concentrated, not because it always delivers more caffeine. A double-shot latte, though, passes a regular cup.

Add up your real daily total in the free Caffeine Calculator.