Is There More Caffeine in Espresso Than in Coffee?

That means that ounce for ounce, espresso has more caffeine. But who stops at 1 ounce of coffee? A more common scenario is downing at least eight times that much. If you drink 8 ounces of your home brew, you’re getting 96 to 128 mg of caffeine.

Those numbers are simply the USDA’s standard estimates, however. Complicating matters is that a number of factors can further vary the caffeine counts for both espresso and coffee. These include the brand, the type of bean, the type of roast, the amount of coffee used to make a cup, and the way it’s prepared (brewed, French press, cold brewed, espresso machine, etc.). At Starbucks, for example, a single shot of espresso—which, for the coffee giant, measures 0.75 ounces—has 75 mg of caffeine. An 8-ounce cup of Starbucks’ Pike Place medium-roast coffee has 155 mg.

So why do we feel as if espresso delivers a bigger jolt than a regular cup of coffee?

Stephen Schulman, who has worked in a variety of roles in the coffee industry for more than 35 years, says it may have to do with how quickly you down each beverage. The small serving size of an espresso means that you drink it faster than you would a cup of coffee, which you typically sip more slowly.

Espresso can actually be a good option if you’re looking to cut down your caffeine intake, as long as you limit the amount to one shot. You can enjoy the espresso in the Italian fashion and drink it on its own, or if you’re looking to linger over your beverage, order an espresso-based drink such as a cappuccino or latte.