What Determines the Calories in Coffee and Tea?

Plain brewed coffee or tea has almost zero calories; one cup of plain drip coffee or weakly brewed tea contains around 1–2 calories because the only calorie-bearing ingredient is the very small amount of organic matter dissolved in the water. Calories are determined mainly by milk, sugar, or syrup added to the cup. One 5 ml measure of sugar adds about 39 calories, while one 5 ml measure of whole milk adds only a few calories; coffee made with syrup, cream, or clotted cream can add up quickly.

Why are plain coffee and tea low in calories?
When coffee beans or tea leaves steep in boiling water, calorie-bearing components such as fat and sugar do not dissolve in the water; only caffeine, tannins, and volatile flavor compounds pass into it. So drip coffee and brewed tea have almost no effect on calorie intake unless milk or sugar is added. With Turkish coffee, the grounds are boiled with the water and partly settle at the bottom, so the calories are still very low as long as the grounds themselves are not consumed.

What happens when milk and sugar are added?
One 5 ml measure of sugar adds about 39 calories to a cup; this is why tea with 2 spoonfuls of sugar can approach 80 calories. With milk, the amount and fat content make the difference: one 15 ml measure of whole milk adds about 10 calories, while a large glass of milk used in a milky coffee raises the total considerably.

Why can syrup and creamy coffees be so high in calories?
A large coffee with caramel or vanilla syrup and a topping of whipped cream can easily contain 250–400 calories, compared with plain coffee, because syrup is a concentrated sugary liquid and cream contains sugar as well as fat. Such coffees should be considered more like desserts than drinks.

How many calories are in herbal tea and iced tea?
Herbal teas such as linden, sage, and mint, like black tea, have almost no calories; calories are added only when honey or sugar is added. These teas differ in their contents because they are caffeine-free, but they have no calorie difference from brewed black tea. Ready-to-drink bottled or canned iced teas are different: they are usually presweetened, and one glass can contain 90–120 calories. Tea brewed at home without sugar and chilled with ice stays as low in calories as plain hot tea.

Is there a calorie difference among espresso, drip coffee, and Turkish coffee?
The calorie difference among espresso, drip coffee, and Turkish coffee comes from serving size, not brewing method: an espresso shot is about 30 ml, while a cup of drip coffee can be 150–200 ml. Both are low in calories when served plain, but adding sugar to a large cup of drip coffee raises the total faster than adding it to a small espresso shot. Turkish coffee is generally served in small cups and often sweetened; a cup of sweetened Turkish coffee contains 20–40 calories depending on the amount of sugar used. Plain Turkish coffee, like other plain coffees, has almost zero calories. Drinking more than one cup in a day also affects total calorie intake; someone who drinks 3 sweetened cups per day can accumulate a noticeable difference from sugar alone compared with someone who drinks them plain. So what matters most is not the type of coffee, but the total number of cups and amount of sugar consumed per day.

Quick summary
Plain coffee and tea have almost zero calories; added sugar, milk, or syrup is what mainly determines the calories. One 5 ml measure of sugar adds about 39 calories, while syrupy, creamy coffees can easily contain as many calories as a dessert.