Energy.
Caffeine, arriving at a different speed.
Tea and coffee both carry caffeine. What differs is the rest of what comes with it, and how quickly you get through a cup. Most people who move from one to the other describe the difference as pacing rather than power.
What goes in the pot
Caffeine in tea varies more than the category names suggest — growing conditions, leaf age, how much leaf you use and how long you steep all move it. The figures below are the usual ranges for a standard cup, not promises.
Matcha
Stone-ground whole leaf, whisked rather than steeped, so you drink everything in it. Thick, sweet-savoury and vividly green. The highest caffeine per cup of anything here.
Assam black
Malty, brisk and built for milk. The breakfast cup in most of the English-speaking world, and the backbone of a good chai.
Sencha
Japan’s everyday green — grassy, clean, faintly marine. Lighter than matcha in every sense, and more forgiving across the morning.
Pu-erh
Dark, earthy and smooth, fermented rather than merely oxidised. Holds up to many infusions, which makes it the practical choice for a long morning at a desk.
Getting the brew right
Black teas and pu-erh want properly hot water — 95–100°C, or a full boil for the dark ones. Greens do not: 70–80°C, and shorter. Water that is too hot is the most common reason a good tea tastes bitter, and bitterness is what most people mistake for strength.
If you are moving off coffee, the honest advice is to start with matcha or a strong Assam rather than a delicate green. The gap is smaller and you are less likely to conclude that tea simply doesn’t do anything.
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