How much caffeine is in the average cup of Yerba Mate tea?

Question

And.. is there a difference in the caffeine content of Mate tea (teabag variety) versus the loose leaf material (say, brewed in a coffeemaker)?

I'm not going to all the bother of using it the traditional way (bombilla, gourd, metal straw etc) so what easy method of preparation would yield the most punch?

Answer 1

Excluding drinking mate tea from a gourd, I'd recommend loose leaf mate in a french press over a coffeemaker. Yerba mate needs to steep in order to maximize it's energizing and nutrional qualities. In a french press, the water can freely circulate through the grounds. Many coffeemakers simply pour hot water quickly through the mate, not giving it much of a chance to steep.

We've used Bodum french presses for years and find they work well for mate tea...You can check some out at http://www.matefactor.com/index.php/Bodu...

Tea bags are good for convenience, but they don't let the water circulate as well. I normally stir the tea bags with a spoon as they are steeping in the cup, but the flavor is not as intense with teabags.