When you think of coffee, you imagine a strong beverage that gives out a rich aroma. Weak coffee is not desirable. But there are people who embrace weak coffee, on purpose. For these coffee lovers(?), less caffeine is better. This naturally brings up the question.
What is the weakest coffee? An espresso shot is the weakest coffee you can get in terms of caffeine content. One shot of espresso comes with 60 to 100mg of caffeine while other coffee drinks start with at least 80 to 100mg of caffeine. Though espresso has the most caffeine per volume, it still gives you the least caffeine per drink.
Weakest Coffee By Caffeine Content
A weak coffee has multiple definitions.
Mostly, it is a cup of coffee that is extracted poorly and tastes watery. I’ve written a post on watery tasting coffee and how to fix it, read it to fix and avoid watery coffee.
In this section, we are going to take a look at coffees that are weak because of the amount of caffeine in them.
Let me be clear here. They are done right but are weaker (or stronger) because of the caffeine content.
Let’s take a look at the weakest coffee based on their caffeine levels.
| Coffee | Size | Caffeine (mg) |
| Espresso | 2 oz. | 75 mg |
| Regular Brewed Coffee | 8 oz. | 100 mg |
| Latte | 16 oz. | 150 mg |
| Cappuccino | 16 oz. | 150 mg |
| Mocha | 16 oz. | 175 mg |
| Flat White | 16 oz. | 195 mg |
| Cold Brew Coffee | 16 oz. | 200 mg |
| Nitro Cold Brew | 16 oz. | 280 mg |
From a pure caffeine standpoint, it is clear that espresso is the weakest coffee of all.
This might sound pretty weird for a lot of you. Especially considering how strong a shot is espresso is.
Espresso comes with a heavy concentration of caffeine considering it has around 60 to 100 mg of caffeine in a 2 fluid ounce shot glass. But you will consume more caffeine when drinking something like a cold brew or a mochaccino.
Both the cold brew and mocha do not have a reputation of being very strong. But in reality, these drinks are a lot stronger when compared to an espresso.
So if you’re looking to take the least caffeinated coffee, then a shot of espresso is the best choice for you.
Is Decaf Coffee Weak?
Wait, where is the decaf coffee on the above table?
I hear you.
Decaf coffee is a great way to avoid caffeine. If you’re having health issues or caffeine-vigilant, then decaf coffee is the way to go.
As a coffee lover, it is hard for me to consider decaf coffee as mainstream coffee. For the same reason, I’ve not included decaf coffee in the above table.
But if you’re looking for a weak coffee, then decaf coffee surely fits the bill.
But do note that decaf is not caffeine-free.
Every cup of decaffeinated coffee comes with at least 2 to 3 grams of caffeine in it. This is way less when compared with the caffeine amounts found in other regular coffee beverages.
What Is Starbucks’ Weakest Coffee?
The Decaf Pike’s Place Roast is the weakest coffee you can get at Starbucks. The short serving of the beverage comes with a caffeine content of 15mg while the tall serve comes with 20mg of caffeine. The second weakest Starbucks coffee is an espresso shot that comes with 75mg of caffeine (short serving size).
Starbucks’ menu is versatile and you can get a variety of coffee drinks. Whether you’re in the mood for a drip coffee or caramel macchiato or a simple iced coffee, Starbucks has you covered.
Although the place serves a super-weak coffee, its strongest coffee (Iced Cafe Americano) comes with 225mg of caffeine in the grande serve size. You can say that it has something for every coffee drinker.
So if you’re going to Starbucks to get a caffeine-deficit cup of coffee, then the decaf is your choice. If you want real coffee, then take an espresso shot as it gives you the least caffeine per drink.
Elements Of A Weak Coffee
There is no one factor that leads to a weak coffee.
If you’re looking for a weak coffee in terms of caffeine content, you can make that happen on several levels. Let’s discuss them below.
Coffee Content
When have weak coffee in your hands, the amount of coffee is usually the main culprit.
Not following the coffee to water ratio will always result in a weak coffee. Make sure there is enough coffee so that you don’t end up with a weak cup of joe.
Do keep in mind, when I’m talking about weak coffee, it is not under-extracted coffee. We are talking about a cuppa joe that has little caffeine content in it.
So do keep in mind to maintain a good coffee to water ratio so that you don’t end with a watery cup of coffee.
Brewing Methods
The brewing method used also decides the strength of your coffee.
If you’re a fan of espresso, then you’re going to end up with a dense shot of coffee but the caffeine content in it isn’t going to be the highest.
On the other hand, if you’re going to cold brew your coffee, there is going to be more caffeine content in your drink. It might look like a weaker drink when compared to an espresso shot, but it packs more caffeine and will have a long-lasting effect on the drinker.
Likewise, different brewing methods will give you beverages with different caffeine levels. For the lowest caffeine level, an espresso shot is the way to go.
Beans and Roasting
The amount of caffeine content in your coffee also depends on the roast and the type of your beans.
Light roast coffee beans have the most caffeine content. The coffee brewed with lightly roasted beans is more acidic and will have more caffeine making it a much stronger drink.
A dark-roasted coffee bean loses most of its compounds in the roasting process and retains very little caffeine. This doesn’t mean every cup of coffee made from dark roast beans is weak.
The final strength of your coffee depends on the brewing method more than anything.
In addition to the roast of the beans, the type of beans also plays a role in the strength of your coffee.
Arabica coffee beans are the coffee beans of choice. It is more expensive and comes with a decent amount of caffeine.
The Robusta coffee beans are a bit cheaper and come with a harsher note. These beans have more caffeine in them and are preferred when you are looking for a strong cup of coffee.
That’s all we have when it comes to the weakest coffee. Don’t worry, we’ll update this post as and when we find more information on this subject. If you have any questions, do let us know and we’ll get back to you asap.
