As you might have guessed, Greek Coffee is the traditional coffee of The Hellenic Republic. However, Greek Coffee differs from other types because it’s boiled instead of brewed. To make Greek Coffee, Arabica coffee beans are roasted and finely ground into a powder. The powder is then boiled in a special coffee pot called a briki, ibrik, or cezve.
Greek Coffee contains about 25 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per fluid ounce. That means a typical serving of Greek coffee contains 50 mg of caffeine. You may be wondering how that compares to other types of coffee; below, we’ve compared Greek Coffee to other types to answer that very question.
Greek Coffee Caffeine Vs. Other Types of Coffee
| Greek Coffee (2 oz): | 50 mg of caffeine or 25 mg per fl oz |
| Turkish Coffee (2 oz): | 50 mg of caffeine or 25 mg per fl oz |
| Cappuccino (6 oz): | 80 mg of caffeine or 13 mg per fl oz |
| Espresso (1 oz): | 53 mg of caffeine or 53 mg per fl oz |
| Filter Coffee (8 oz): | 96 mg of caffeine or 12 mg per fl oz |
| Instant coffee (8 oz): | 61.6 mg of caffeine or 7.7 mg per fl oz |
| Decaf (8 oz): | 5.6 mg of caffeine or 0.7 mg per fl oz |
As you can see, due to its small serving size, Greek Coffee is low in caffeine compared to other types of coffee.
History of Greek Coffee
The story of how traditional Greek Coffee came to be is widely disputed, but the accepted story is that Turkey controlled Greece from 1423 until 1821. During this time, the Turks brought over their Turkish Coffee, and in 1475, the first Greek coffee shop called Kiva Han Coffee Shop opened.
In the 1960s, Turkey invaded Cyprus leading to a breakdown of the relationship between Greece and Turkey; this led to Greece referring to their Coffee as Greek Coffee instead of Turkish Coffee.
Side Effects of Caffeine
Consuming too much caffeine in one sitting can cause serious side effects, including death. Caffeine-sensitive people need to be careful since even a moderate amount of caffeine can cause side effects. If you experience side effects, consider consuming less caffeine.
While coffee is the number one drink in America, and there are many different kinds, the fact remains that too much of a good thing is bad for you.
Anxiety
Caffeine causes our body to release adrenaline, which leads to increased alertness. However, if you consume too much caffeine, your body will create too much adrenaline making you feel nervous and jittery.
Insomnia
Caffeine is beloved for its ability to keep people awake by blocking the brain from releasing adenosine, the drug that makes us tired. This, however, has the side effect of keeping us awake when we’d rather not be. Not only can too much caffeine keep you from falling asleep, but it can reduce the amount of time you can stay asleep.
Rhabdomyolysis
Rhabdomyolysis leads to muscle fibers breaking down and entering the bloodstream; this can cause kidney failure. Drink no more than 250 mg of caffeine daily to avoid a caffeine overdose.
Final Thoughts
Greek Coffee contains about 50 mg of caffeine in a serving, which is a relatively small amount when compared to other cups of coffee. Although Greek Coffee is delicious, you need to be careful not to drink too much of it to ensure you avoid the side effects of caffeine.
Featured Image Credit By: RUBEN M RAMOS, Shutterstock
