Does steeping the same amount of tea in different volumes of water lead to the same or more caffeine? [duplicate]

If I were to steep the same amount of tea in two vessels of hot water: one 12oz cup and one 24oz carafe, would the 24oz carafe have more caffeine or the same amount? Assume steeping is the same amount of time.

tea caffeine

Best Answer

TLDR: Yes.

The amount of difference is a complicated question as there are many variables involved. There is an osmotic pressure differential and there is also an equilibrium that will be reached between the tea compounds in the leaves and the water, so technically speaking tea steeped in more water will have more caffeine and other compounds, but there are many factors that will affect how much more.

To do an experiment correctly you'd need to have two bags with the same concentration of tea per volume unit and the same surface area exposed to the water and two cups of the same size and material with the same amount of water at the same temperature. Putting a tea bag into a larger vessel will introduce other factors (such as fluid dynamics and temperature).

Here are some of the variables that would have to be taken into account:

volume of water
temperature of water
surface area of tea:water
turbulence of water
type of tea
pH and other chemical properties of water
infusion time
surface area of water:volume of water
permeability of tea bag (if any)
type of tea
loose leaves vs in a bag; stirred loose leaves vs. clumped loose leaves

Pictures about "Does steeping the same amount of tea in different volumes of water lead to the same or more caffeine? [duplicate]"

Does steeping the same amount of tea in different volumes of water lead to the same or more caffeine? [duplicate] - Top view composition of shells assorted sizes arranged randomly on beige surface

Does steeping the same amount of tea in different volumes of water lead to the same or more caffeine? [duplicate] - Closeup of red metal bottle cap placed on glass bottle with water droplets on white background

Does steeping the same amount of tea in different volumes of water lead to the same or more caffeine? [duplicate] - From above of anonymous female talking in boats against male with paddles sailing on lake during lantern festival in twilight

Quick Answer about "Does steeping the same amount of tea in different volumes of water lead to the same or more caffeine? [duplicate]"

Do larger cups of tea have more caffeine or is by the bag?

For loose leaf tea, caffeine was released more slowly, but the total amount of caffeine released over the three cups was larger than it was with tea bags.

Does steeping tea make a difference?

A hotter temperature or longer steeping time isn't necessarily better. For example, in studies, green tea brewed this way scored lower on color, flavor, aroma, and overall acceptability ( 4 ). On the other hand, if the steep time is too short, you won't extract enough flavors and antioxidants.

Can you double steep tea?

You can successfully re-steep almost any type of tea made with whole or unbroken leaves. It's always a good idea to re-steep your loose leaf teas for the best flavor and liquor, but if your tea bags or sachets contain whole tea leaves you can definitely steep them twice.

Does reusing tea bag reduce caffeine?

Steeping at a higher temperature will remove more caffeine. Steeping for longer will remove more caffeine. Doing either or both of these will leave less caffeine for a second or third (or more) steeping. Using whole leaves can slow down caffeine extraction, while using fannings (as in tea bags) can speed it up.

How to RE-STEEP YOUR TEA

More answers regarding does steeping the same amount of tea in different volumes of water lead to the same or more caffeine? [duplicate]

Answer 2

Sure, the caffeine in tea is bound to something in the tea leaves. It has a binding constant. Put the same amount of tea leaves in double the volume of water, and you'll roughly halve the rate at which free caffeine binds to whatever it sticks to in tea leaves. So you'll end up with more caffeine in solution. Play this game too hard, and you'll end up with very weak tea. Maybe even so weak that your digestive system won't absorb much of that "extra" caffeine you've released by brewing with too much water for a tasty cuppa.

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska, Quang Nguyen Vinh