Which coffee roast has the most caffeine?

Despite roasted coffee containing 10 – 15 percent less caffeine than unroasted green coffee, almost every coffee roast type contains near-identical amounts of caffeine.

This is because caffeine is stable at temperatures below 235°C (455°F). Few coffee roasters roast past this temperature due to the damaging effects the high temperatures have on the beans.

Saying this, there is a huge BUT.

A cup of dark roast coffee probably has more caffeine

As we’ve seen, the roasting process causes the coffee beans to lose moisture, which in turn causes the beans to lose mass. However, despite the beans becoming smaller, the caffeine content stays the same.

What this means is that the dark roast beans have a greater density of caffeine compared to light roast coffee.

Despite what some websites state, the way you measure your coffee doesn’t change things. Whether you measure your coffee beans by weight using a scale or by volume using a scoop, the result is the same. Let’s compare light vs dark beans.

Weighing your coffee beans on a scale means that more dark beans are needed to make up the weight compared to the larger, light roast beans.

For the same reason, if you measure your beans by volume using a scoop, more dark roast beans are needed to fill up the scoop.

In both instances, more dark roast beans are needed than the larger light roast beans. The fact that both beans contain the same amount of caffeine means the extra quantity of dark roast beans makes for a greater quantity of caffeine.

The difference isn’t negligible either. When using a scoop, the difference between the caffeine content is around nine percent. More incredibly, weighing the coffee beans on a scale causes a difference in caffeine levels of a whopping 32 percent.

Because most of the big coffee chains use dark roast coffee, it means you’re getting a higher dose of caffeine. To achieve the same caffeine levels as a 350ml (12oz) serving of light roast coffee, you would only need a 260ml (9oz) serving of dark coffee.

Given the fact that the big chains also use the more highly caffeinated robust variety of coffee bean means that you really need to keep an eye on how much caffeine you’re consuming each day for it to be within the recommended guideline of 400mg.

The extra caffeine in the robust variety is also another reason why your coffee is so bitter.

For a cup of coffee that has real flavor and doesn’t need vast amounts of calorie-laden sugar, look to buy 100% Arabica beans!