Knowledge Base
Coffee & Tea Guides
Brew better and explore more — buying guides, how-tos, and explainers for every coffee and tea ritual.
Explainer
How Much Caffeine Is in Chai?
A cup of traditional spiced chai has a fairly modest amount of caffeine, very roughly 25 to 50 mg per 8 oz cup, less than coffee and often a little under plain black tea. Here is how much caffeine is in chai, what changes it, and how a cafe chai latte and a dirty chai compare.
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White Tea vs Oolong Tea: What's the Difference?
White tea vs oolong tea both come from one plant, but white is the least processed of all teas while oolong is partially oxidised. Here is how they differ in taste, caffeine, look and brewing.
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Oolong vs Pu-erh Tea: What's the Difference?
Oolong and pu-erh are both true teas, but oolong is partially oxidised and floral-to-roasty while pu-erh is a dark, fermented, aged tea from Yunnan. Here is how they compare on taste, colour, caffeine and brewing.
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Chamomile vs Peppermint Tea: Which to Choose?
Chamomile vs peppermint tea, compared: both are caffeine-free herbal tisanes, but chamomile is a soft, floral flower for winding down while peppermint is a cool, brisk leaf for after meals and refreshing daytime cups.
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Does Tea Dehydrate You? What Hydration Science Says
For almost everyone, tea does not dehydrate you. Caffeine is a mild diuretic, but the water in a cup far outweighs it — so your black, green, oolong and herbal teas all count toward your daily fluids. Here is what the hydration research actually says, with a tea-by-tea table.
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Americano vs Black Coffee: What's the Difference?
Americano vs black coffee: both are black and milk-free, but an americano is espresso lengthened with hot water, while black coffee is gravity-brewed drip or filter. Here's how they differ in body, crema, taste and caffeine — and which to choose.
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What Is a Coffee Puck? The Espresso Disc, Explained
The coffee puck is the disc of grounds packed into your portafilter before a shot — and the spent cake you knock out after. Here's how to prep it, what a wet puck really means, and why it's an espresso-only thing.
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What Is Oxidation in Tea? The Process Behind Every Tea Type
Oxidation in tea is the browning reaction that decides whether the same leaf becomes green, white, oolong or black. Here is what oxidation actually is, how tea makers control it, and the full spectrum from barely-oxidised to fully-oxidised tea.
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Rooibos vs Black Tea: What's the Difference?
Rooibos and black tea both pour a warm red-brown cup, but they aren't even the same plant. Here's the real difference between rooibos and black tea — caffeine, taste, tannins and how to brew each.
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Hojicha vs Sencha: Two Japanese Green Teas Compared
Hojicha and sencha are both Japanese green teas from the same plant, but hojicha is roasted while sencha is steamed. Here's how they differ in taste, caffeine, colour and brewing.
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Oolong vs Green Tea: What's the Difference?
Oolong and green tea come from the same plant — the difference is oxidation. Here is how they compare on taste, caffeine, brewing and which to choose.
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Flat White vs Cappuccino: What's the Difference?
Both start with espresso and steamed milk, but a cappuccino is bigger and foamier while a flat white is smaller, stronger and silkier. Here is the full difference, with a side-by-side table.
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Gyokuro vs Sencha: Japan's Two Great Green Teas
Gyokuro is shade-grown for sweetness and deep umami; sencha grows in full sun for a fresh, grassy brightness. Here's how Japan's two great green teas differ in taste, brewing and caffeine — and how to choose between them.
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Does Green Tea Break a Fast? A Clear Answer
Plain green tea brewed with just water has almost no calories, so it generally won't break a fast — including intermittent fasting. Add sugar, honey, milk or turn it into a latte, though, and it does. Here's what actually counts, and why it depends on your goal.
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Earl Grey vs English Breakfast Tea: What's the Difference?
Both are classic black teas, but Earl Grey is scented with bergamot for a citrusy, floral cup while English Breakfast is a bold, malty blend built for milk. Here is how they compare in taste, caffeine and brewing, and which to choose when.
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Pu-erh vs Black Tea: What's the Difference?
Pu-erh and black tea both come from Camellia sinensis, but pu-erh is fermented and aged while black tea is oxidised. Here's how they differ in taste, caffeine, brewing and ageing.
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The Best Water Temperature for Tea (by Type)
Cooler water for delicate greens and whites, near-boiling for black, oolong, pu-erh and herbal — here is the best water temperature for tea by type, plus how to hit it without a thermometer.
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How Much Caffeine Is in Black Tea?
Black tea has a moderate amount of caffeine — roughly 40 to 70 mg per 8 oz cup on average, more than green, white or oolong tea but about half of coffee. Here is what changes the number, whether decaf counts, and how to brew a lighter cup.
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What Is the Coffee Bloom? Blooming Coffee Explained
The bubbly foam when hot water hits fresh grounds is the coffee bloom — CO2 escaping the beans and signalling freshness. Here's what it means and how to bloom coffee for a cleaner, more even brew.
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Does Tea Expire? Shelf Life and Storage
Tea does not really expire the way food does — it slowly goes stale. Here is how long tea lasts by type, when it is genuinely unsafe, and how to store it so your leaves stay fresh.
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How Many Times Can You Steep Tea?
You can steep most whole-leaf tea more than once — usually 2 to 3 times for everyday greens and blacks, and 5 to 8 or beyond for oolong and pu-erh brewed gongfu style. Here is how many infusions each tea type gives, and how to re-steep well.
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Green Tea on an Empty Stomach: Good or Bad?
Drinking green tea on an empty stomach is fine for many people, but its tannins and caffeine can cause nausea or mild acidity in sensitive drinkers. Here is why it happens, whether morning tea is bad, and how to sip it gently.
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Is Black Coffee Good for Cholesterol? What Your Brew Method Changes
Black coffee contains no cholesterol, but how you brew it matters: unfiltered coffee's cafestol and kahweol can modestly raise LDL, while a paper filter traps most of them. Here's the filtered-vs-unfiltered story.
Explainer
Sencha vs Matcha: Two Japanese Green Teas
Sencha and matcha are both Japanese green teas from one plant, but sencha is a whole leaf you steep and strain while matcha is a shade-grown powder you whisk and drink whole. Here is how they differ in growing, taste, caffeine and effort.