I just found out dark roast has less caffeine than light roast and I feel cheated

Saw it on a coffee science blog from some lab in Seattle. Always thought dark roast was stronger cause of the bold taste. Turns out the roasting process burns off some caffeine. Been drinking dark roast for 10 years thinking I was getting more kick. Anyone else catch this way later than they should have?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace_allen5d ago

Wait, does that mean espresso's less strong than drip coffee then?

the_adam5d ago

Yeah exactly, people overcomplicate it. That little shot of espresso packs way more caffeine per ounce than a typical mug of drip. Made the switch myself a few years back and now a regular coffee tastes like water to me.

phoenix_thompson45d ago

Wait but doesn't the whole brewing method change things? Espresso uses pressure and packs way more coffee grounds per ounce of water than drip does. So even if the beans have less caffeine per gram, you're using a lot more coffee to make that little shot. Plus dark roast might have less caffeine by weight but the beans are lighter and more porous, so if you're scooping by volume you're actually getting more beans in your scoop. I did the math once and a typical dark roast espresso shot still hits harder than a standard cup of light drip coffee lol.