The Short Answer:
Yes, kombucha does contain caffeine but fear not. Worried about your caffeine intake? Kombucha won’t tip the scale too much. While caffeine is naturally found in kombucha, it is extremely minute. The caffeine is hardly noticeable even to those sensitive to caffeine. This makes it safe for most children to enjoy!
A typical can of Cove Kombucha averages out to be around 10-15mg of caffeine, which is consistent with other kombucha brands. There isn’t a standard caffeine volume per can of kombucha as it can range from batch to batch to batch. In other words, it depends on the variety of tea brewed and how long the tea is steeped.
Let’s Break it Down:
Now, to put it into perspective, green tea has around 30-50mg of caffeine per serving. Furthermore, decaf coffee has around 2mg so kombucha falls somewhere in the middle.
- Coffee: 96 mg/cup
- Decaf Coffee: 2 mg/cup
- Black Tea: 47 mg/cup
- Cola: 22 mg
- Energy Drink: 86 mg
Where Does Caffeine Come from in Kombucha?
Normally when brewing kombucha, there isn’t a full cup of tea per can so the caffeine is much lower in kombucha rather than a cup of tea. As a result, caffeine in kombucha comes from the tea that it is brewed with. Although, kombuchas use a variety of teas that range in caffeine levels. For example:
- Black Tea: 45-70 mg/cup
- Oolong Tea: 10-60 mg/cup
- Green Tea: 30-50mg/cup
- Hibiscus Tea: 0mg
