Tea vs. Coffee: Which Is the Superior Beverage?

As long as there has been the cats vs. dogs debate, there has also been the tea vs. coffee argument. There are a lot of factors that go into this, and there are fanatics on both sides. Coffee snobs will shun you for a week if they catch you drinking anything with sugar in it. Tea nuts know the exact temperature that their tea should be at. So, let’s settle this, once and for all.

Caffeine

We wish there was a simple answer as to which drink has more caffeine. The truth is that it depends on a few factors. On average though, a cup of coffee will have more caffeine in it than a same-sized cup of tea.

There’s also absolutely the placebo effect that happens when you drink coffee, just thinking that it has more caffeine in it than tea will likely give you a bigger boost than a cup of tea will. However, don’t think that sipping an espresso will give you the caffeine boost you’re after. Espressos have a surprisingly low amount of caffeine in them, even compared to a cup of tea.

Varieties

While you can go nuts trying to choose between coffee beans from around the world and the slightly different notes they offer, tea has a staggering amount of variety to it. It’s much easier to flavor, and an overall simpler process than making coffee. Granted, coffee offers a lot of variety in its preparation.

You get French Presses, Drip machines, capsules, coffee grounds, and, of course, instant. All of these give you vastly different results, and so coffee can be made exactly to the taster’s choice. Tea, on the other hand, is prepared with a tea bag or loose leaves, and that’s about it.

Cold Alternatives

This is where the snobs need to leave the conversation, because with the cold versions of tea and coffee, they really act as the basis and not the main event. Everyone knows iced tea. It’s tried and true, and comes in a variety of fruity flavors. But recently, iced coffee has taken over the world.

What was once hailed as the basic white girl’s drink is now a staple for most people (including the basic white girls). Iced coffee is a gateway to drinking coffee for many people, whereas tea has always been easier on the palate.

What’s Your Order?

The truth is, we can all live in harmony. Whether you only drink vanilla caramel frappe iced coffees, source your beans yourself from somewhere in South America, or live by green tea as the cure-all for everything, your feelings are valid. There’s enough flavor for everyone, and if you really can’t decide, go for a hot chocolate.