I think the people who say this to me either A) Haven’t tried drinking it without a pre-existing caffeine addiction, or B) Don’t understand the placebo effect. Nine times out of ten, I’d bet on the latter. An 8oz cup of half caff. coffee has caffeine content roughly equivalent to two or three cans of Coca-Cola, and nearly as much as a 2oz shot of espresso. I don’t know very many people who say they aren’t waken up by a shot of espresso.

I love the taste of coffee and the boost is nice too, especially during a long coding session. However, I prefer half caff because I can drink more of it before experiencing the effects of caffeine intoxication (read: the jitters) that I normally get after a big cup of regular coffee. Maybe I’m over sensitive to caffeine. But what do I know, I’m just another coffee slave with stockholm syndrome.

Source(s): Caffeine Content of Beverages, Foods, & Medications