Caffeine Calculator for Your Daily Intake
Use this caffeine calculator to add up the caffeine in a day’s coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks and chocolate, using the milligrams on each label or brand website.
Tally your caffeine for the day
Drinks and foods (example drinks with typical NHS values shown; caffeine varies by brand and brewing, so replace them with your own)
How the caffeine calculator works
The caffeine calculator multiplies the servings of each drink or food by the caffeine in one serving, then adds the results to give the day’s total. It also shows how much each item contributes and compares the total with a published reference amount:
caffeine from an item = servings × caffeine per serving (mg)
daily total = caffeine from all items added together
share of an item = caffeine from the item ÷ daily total × 100
Servings can be decimals, so half a can of energy drink is 0.5 and a mug and a half of tea is 1.5. The comparison is plain arithmetic: the total minus the reference, shown as milligrams below or above it. It is not a verdict on whether your intake suits you.
Worked example: coffee, tea and cola
This example uses the typical amounts the NHS gives for a cup of instant coffee, a cup of tea and a can of cola:
| Item | Servings | Caffeine per serving | Caffeine | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instant coffee (cup) | 2 | 100 mg | 200 mg | 56.7% |
| Black or green tea (cup) | 1.5 | 75 mg | 112.5 mg | 31.9% |
| Cola (can) | 1 | 40 mg | 40 mg | 11.3% |
| Total | 352.5 mg |
The day adds up to 352.5 mg. That is 47.5 mg below the FDA’s 400 mg a day reference for healthy adults, or 88.1% of it. Compared with the NHS 200 mg a day limit in pregnancy, the same drinks are 152.5 mg above it, or 176.3% of it. The shares are rounded to 0.1%, which is why they add up to 99.9%.
Where do I find caffeine values?
The best figure is the one for the exact product you drink. Many energy drinks and some soft drinks print the caffeine content on the can, and coffee shop chains often publish it for each size. When there is no label, a typical value is a reasonable start, as long as you remember it is an estimate.
Typical values vary a lot. The FDA lists 113 to 247 mg for 12 fluid ounces of brewed coffee, 71 mg for black tea, 37 mg for green tea, 23 to 83 mg for caffeinated soft drinks and 41 to 246 mg for energy drinks. The NHS gives about 100 mg for a cup of instant coffee, 75 mg for a cup of tea, 40 mg for a can of cola and 80 mg for a 250 mL can of energy drink. Check the cup size too: a large mug or takeaway cup can hold far more than a standard cup.
For packaged food and drink, our nutrition label calculator helps you scale a per 100 mL or per serving figure to the amount you actually have.
How much caffeine is too much?
There is no single answer, which is why this caffeine calculator compares rather than judges. The FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most healthy adults. It adds that the amount that is too much varies with body weight, medicines, health conditions and individual sensitivity.
In pregnancy, the NHS advises no more than 200 mg of caffeine a day. The FDA recommends talking to a health care provider if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you are concerned about a condition or medicine. The FDA also notes that medical experts advise against energy drinks for children and teens, and warns that pure and highly concentrated caffeine powders can cause toxic effects. For advice about your own intake, speak to your doctor, midwife or a registered dietitian.
Tips for an accurate daily tally
- Count every source. Cola, energy drinks, iced tea and chocolate all add caffeine. The NHS gives less than 25 mg for a 50 g bar of plain dark chocolate and less than 10 mg for plain milk chocolate.
- Match the serving to the label. If the figure is per 250 mL can and you drank a 500 mL can, enter 2 servings.
- Include decaf if you drink a lot of it. The FDA says decaf coffee typically has 2 to 15 mg in an 8-fluid-ounce cup.
- Use the same day. The reference amounts are per day, so enter what you have from morning to night.
To learn more about the drinks themselves, read our guides to coffee health benefits and green tea benefits, or cacao nibs for a chocolate-based option.
What this tally cannot tell you
- Exact caffeine. The caffeine calculator is only as accurate as the values you enter. Typical figures are estimates; brand, bean, leaf, cup size and brewing time all change the real amount.
- How caffeine affects you. The tool does not account for timing, sleep, medicines, health conditions or sensitivity.
- Medical advice. The reference amounts apply to the groups named, and the comparison is not a diagnosis or a recommendation. If you feel tired and rely on caffeine, our fatigue and energy diet guide may help, and a doctor can look at the cause.
Used with your own label values, the caffeine calculator gives a clear picture of where a day’s caffeine comes from in under a minute.
Sources for these figures
- US Food and Drug Administration: Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much? (400 mg a day reference, typical caffeine ranges, decaf, sensitivity and pregnancy advice).
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy (200 mg a day limit in pregnancy and typical caffeine in coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks and chocolate).
Frequently Asked Questions
For most healthy adults, the US FDA cites 400 mg a day, about two to three 12-fluid-ounce cups of coffee, as an amount not generally associated with negative effects. The FDA also says that “too much” varies from person to person with body weight, medicines, health conditions and individual sensitivity. If you are unsure about your own intake, ask a doctor or pharmacist.
The NHS advises no more than 200 mg of caffeine a day in pregnancy. The FDA recommends that anyone who is pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding talks to a health care provider about whether to limit caffeine. Advice can differ between countries, so follow your own midwife or doctor. The pregnancy setting in this caffeine calculator compares your total with the NHS figure.
The NHS gives about 100 mg for a cup of instant coffee and 75 mg for a cup of black or green tea, and says filter coffee can contain more. The FDA lists 113 to 247 mg for 12 fluid ounces of brewed coffee, 71 mg for black tea and 37 mg for green tea. Brand, cup size and brewing all change the amount.
Yes, a little. The FDA says decaf coffee typically has 2 to 15 mg of caffeine in an 8-fluid-ounce cup. That is far less than regular coffee, but it is not zero. If you drink several cups of decaf, add it as its own row with the figure from your brand, or use 15 mg per cup as the upper end of the FDA range.
Divide the caffeine from one item by the day’s total and multiply by 100. In the example, two cups of instant coffee give 200 mg of a 352.5 mg total, so coffee supplies 200 ÷ 352.5 × 100 = 56.7% of the day’s caffeine. Shares are rounded to 0.1%, so together they can show 99.9% or 100.1%.