Coffee lovers often enjoy a regular shot of espresso. But exactly how many shots of espresso are too much?
Espresso shots have around 60 to 100 milligrams of caffeine. While the FDA recommends not to have more than 400 milligrams per day, you should be fine drinking no more than 4 of the strongest espressos a day.
We’ll have a look at just how many espressos you should actually drink!
How Much Caffeine Does An Espresso Shot Have?
The key thing when trying to figure out how many espresso shots you can have is the caffeine content of the espresso.
It’s the caffeine that’s the key thing in espresso, the reason that it has that potent kick that wakes you up!
When people talk about a strong coffee, they’re not just talking about flavor, but the caffeine content too.
A coffee that has a lot of caffeine is considered to be really strong!
The truth is, however, that it’s hard to determine the exact caffeine content of espresso.
This is simply because there are so many different strengths of coffee beans out there! It’s a little similar to asking the question “how strong is a glass of beer” – it depends on the beer!
There are so many different types of coffee out there, and you could be using any one of them in your espresso.
Each different type of coffee bean comes from a different plant, grown in a different place – so there can be massive differences between them!
Not only in terms of the caffeine content, but each type of coffee has its own unique flavor too.
Not to mention, of course, that espresso shots can sometimes vary in size.
Some places might make a larger or smaller espresso shot than others. This can again affect how strong the shot is!
Does Espresso Have More Caffeine Than Regular Coffee?
Again, the answer to this question isn’t as simple as it may seem!
First of all, as previously mentioned, this depends a lot on the coffee bean used.
As some coffee beans are of course stronger than others, a regular coffee made with a strong bean could well end up having a higher caffeine content than an espresso made with a weaker bean.
Likewise, the size of the serving comes into play too.
Those of us who make a lot of coffee will know that sometimes, a small cup or mug just isn’t enough!
If you’re the type to make a giant cup of coffee, then again, this can end up having a higher caffeine content than an espresso.
So, even though espresso coffee has a reputation for high strength, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t make a cup of regular coffee that’s much stronger than an espresso shot.
Of course, one of the key differences between an espresso shot and a regular cup of coffee is the immediate strength of an espresso shot.
As you’re downing the whole thing at once, all that caffeine enters your body at the same time, instead of being spaced out over time.
Coffee drinkers can sometimes take seemingly forever over a coffee, but an espresso shot is sunk in one.
So, that immediate caffeine hit can certainly feel a lot stronger than with a regular coffee, as it hits you all at once.
So, it definitely follows that, even though you can definitely make a regular coffee with more caffeine than an espresso shot, drinking espresso will make you feel the effects of the caffeine much more rapidly, and with greater potency.
How Many Espresso Shots Can You Safely Have?
Although we can’t tell you exactly how much caffeine is in an individual espresso shot, or indeed in a regular cup of coffee, we can give you some ballpark estimates to help you find out how much caffeine is safe for you to consume per day.
An average shot of espresso might contain anywhere between 60 to 100 milligrams of coffee, depending on the strength of the bean and the exact size of the shot.
A cup of coffee can actually easily be twice this number or more, coming in at anywhere between 100 and 300 milligrams of caffeine in an 8 ounce cup.
So, as we can see, a cup of coffee actually does contain more caffeine than a shot of espresso!
And, as the FDA recommends no more than 400 milligrams per day of caffeine as a safe amount, we can work out that, for some coffees, you probably shouldn’t have more than a single cup per day!
And so, with the strongest espressos, you should be ok drinking no more than 4 shots per day.
Of course, these are only estimates, and your caffeine tolerance might be lower or higher than this. Use these figures as guidelines, but listen to your own body.
If you’re not feeling good about the amount of caffeine in your body, it’s time to start thinking about reducing the amount of coffee or espresso that you drink!
Are There Any Health Benefits To Espresso?
There are purported claims of health benefits to drinking espresso, but they should always be taken with a pinch of salt.
It’s certainly true that many people use coffee as part of their morning routine, relying upon it to give them a kickstart.
However, many people also drink far too much coffee for their own good!
If you really want to know whether your coffee habits are good or bad for you, the only way of really finding out is by consulting a doctor.
Don’t rely on articles you read online to make decisions about your body – especially if you’re really trying to convince yourself that drinking more coffee is a good thing!
Drinking an occasional cup of coffee or a shot of espresso every now and then probably isn’t going to do any harm for most people, but drinking too much certainly won’t do anything to make you feel better.
If you’re drinking a lot of coffee or many shots of espresso every day, it might be a good idea to cut down on your caffeine intake!
Conclusion
A shot of espresso is generally going to have a lower caffeine content than a regular cup of coffee, but drinking espresso gives you all of that caffeine at once.
Make sure not to exceed a safe daily limit of 400 milligrams of caffeine!