For so long, coffee and tea have engaged in this epic battle of "which is better". This has led the world to become divided into two groups: coffee drinkers and tea drinkers. 

The comparison between the two beverages has a wide scope ranging from its taste, color, health benefits, down to its caffeine content. 

But the question here is, when it comes to coffee and tea, is one really better than the other? 

Let's find out together in this blog post. 

Tea vs coffee taste 

When it comes to taste, both coffee and tea have exquisite characteristics. They share a similar ability to provide a complex burst of flavors that produce a wide range of sensory experiences. Funnily enough, both beverages will also draw you in first with their aroma, capturing your interest before your taste buds could even indulge in them. 

What does coffee taste like? 

Coffee may be literally defined as bittersweet, but it's so much more than that. Quality coffee is flavorful with a smooth and balanced sweetness, bitterness, and acidity. Some types of coffee have notes of floral, fruity, or earthy flavor. To be honest, its flavors are so beautifully complex that your taste buds would be able to provide you with a better description. 

What does tea taste like?

Meanwhile, the taste of tea may vary, depending on the type of tea you are drinking. Just like coffee, it can be quite a challenge to define the very essence of tea's taste. But just to give you an idea, most teas have flavors of bitterness and sourness, with delicious earthy, woody, floral, and fruity notes. 

One main difference that we can give you in terms of tea vs coffee taste would be that drinking coffee will give you an electrifying experience, while tea leans more toward a calming and soothing sensation. 

Tea vs coffee benefits

One of the reasons why coffee and tea are the most loved drinks in the world is because of their health benefits. Their taste is one thing, but it's amazing how many wonders they can do for our overall health. 

Funnily enough, both coffee and tea share nearly the same health benefits. So we'll be breaking them down and giving you a "taste" of which beverage gives the better kind of benefit. 

Coffee vs Tea: antioxidants 

Antioxidants are needed by the body to protect it from free radical damage. Free radicals are compounds that harm our cells and may lead to serious medical conditions such as hypertension, cancer, and diabetes.

Both coffee and tea are rich in antioxidants, specifically polyphenols. The polyphenols are the ones that contribute to their characteristic flavors and health-promoting properties. Many groups of polyphenols can be found in tea and coffee.

For instance, coffee is a powerhouse of flavonoids and chlorogenic acid. Studies (1, 2) have found that coffee may potentially help with the fight against cancer because of its CGA content that functions as a potent inhibitor of cell growth. Simply to say, drinking coffee may help protect us from health issues like gastrointestinal and liver cancer. 

However, tea is also considered a healthy beverage to help prevent cancer too. According to this study, black tea is rich in theaflavins and thearubigins, compounds that can inhibit the growth of lung and colon cancer cells. A study conducted on leukemia cells also discovered the anti-cancer properties of black tea, although more scientific evidence is needed to back this up. 

As you can see, both coffee and tea are considered to be protectors of our health. They are both filled with various kinds of antioxidants that we need to combat even the most fatal of diseases. 

Coffee vs Tea: weight loss 

When it comes to losing weight, both tea and coffee play a hand in it. 

Caffeine has been closely associated with weight loss due to the number of calories it can help burn. In fact, caffeine has the ability to increase the number of calories we burn by 3 to 13% and sustain this effect for 3 hours after intake. Both coffee and tea have caffeine content, so it's no wonder why these two beverages are recommended to drink whenever we're trying to lose a few pounds. 

Drinking coffee is believed by some to be a good way to burn some fats. It contains properties that may inhibit the production of fat cells. One research involving 455 adults even showed that drinking coffee regularly is related to having lower body fat tissues. 

On the other hand, tea is also a natural aid to weight loss because of the theaflavins in it. Apparently, this group of polyphenols doesn't just protect us from free radical damage, they also help increase our metabolism too. 

So, if you're thinking of going to the gym or grabbing that yoga mat to work your way out to fitness, maybe consider having a cup of tea or coffee every once in a while. Who knows? Maybe they can help speed up the process.

Coffee vs tea: boosting of energy levels

Tea may seem more like something that you'd drink to enjoy a pleasant, peaceful afternoon. But did you know that it can boost our energy levels the same way coffee can? Yes, both tea and coffee have energy-boosting abilities but they show it in different ways. 

How drinking coffee boosts energy levels

Coffee is spiked with caffeine. It's the type of caffeine that can increase our alertness while decreasing our fatigue. This happens by increasing our dopamine levels and blocking adenosine, a type of chemical with sleep-inducing effects. And you know what else is great about coffee's energy-boosting ability? The effect happens almost immediately. 

Once you've ingested coffee, you absorb 99% of its caffeine within a span of 45 minutes. It will easily keep you awake and alert by drinking even at least a cup of it. No wonder so many employees, big bosses, and students go to coffee for a fast energy boost.  

How drinking tea boosts energy levels 

Coffee might be unbeatable when it comes to the energy-boosting category, but let's not underestimate the power of tea. 

Tea may be lower in terms of caffeine content, but it's high in L-theanine. This is a powerful antioxidant that can stimulate our brains.

However, what makes tea better than coffee is that it can boost energy levels without the negative side effects of caffeine and that crash that coffee gives. It contains properties that leave anti-stress effects, helping us remain calm and relaxed. This gives you a chance of being mentally sharp and alert while at the same time being relaxed (but not drowsy). This is exactly why tea provides a more soothing energy boost compared to coffee. 

If you need an immediate and more powerful energy boost, drink coffee. But if you're looking to sustain your high energy levels for a longer period, it would be much better to drink tea. Coffee is fast and effective but tea provides a longer experience. 

Tea vs coffee caffeine content

Does tea have more caffeine than coffee? Or is it the other way around? 

Ah yes, the main course of this article's menu. When it comes to a comparison between coffee and tea, it wouldn't be complete without talking about the caffeine content. 

Coffee has undeniably more caffeine content compared to tea. In fact, a certain expert stated that coffee has 2 to 3 times more caffeine compared to a black tea of the same size. A cup of coffee usually contains about 80 to 100 mg of caffeine. 

However, the comparison of tea and coffee may also vary on several factors such as:

• the type of tea (e.g. black tea contains 48 mg of caffeine while green tea only has 29)
• amount of tea used in the brew
• water temperature
• how long the tea was steeped 

Caffeine is sometimes a need. However, too much caffeine intake is not healthy. It actually leads to certain health issues like headaches, migraines, hyperacidity, irregular heartbeat, shaking, bitterness, and anxiety. So you see, drinking tea or coffee is great since they provide so many benefits. But do control your caffeine ingestion just so that you can avoid experiencing unnecessary pain and discomfort. 

If you don't need the energy boost and are just there for the taste experience, you might wanna indulge in caffeine-free teas like chamomile, rooibos, hibiscus, and more. If you want to retain the coffee experience, you can try drinking dandelion root or chicory root tea, which is a known coffee alternative due to its robust earthy flavor profile. 

Should I drink tea or coffee? 

To our dear coffee drinkers and tea drinkers, there’s no telling if coffee is better than tea or vice versa. Both have unique and flavorful tastes as well as health benefits that will surely improve our lifestyle. 

Maybe the winner can be decided upon the preference of your taste, how frequently you drink it, and why you drink it. If you are after the buzz of caffeine, then coffee is a better match for you. However, if feeling energized with a hint of relaxation is what you need, then tea it is. We believe you can enjoy everything in life, just with moderation.

The important thing is you now know the difference between the two which gives you a better idea which one suits you more. 

If you want to know more about herbal teas or any kind of tea in that matter, you can check out our grand collection. Our teas are made from natural and organic ingredients that will give you that authentic tea experience.