How much caffeine is in Portugal Bica Espresso?

Each 1–2 oz shot (30–60 ml) serving contains approximately 70 mg of caffeine. For comparison, a standard 8 oz cup of brewed drip coffee contains around 95 mg. Actual content varies with dose, water temperature, and contact time.

What temperature should I use for Portugal Bica Espresso?

Target 92°C (198°F). Below this range the cup tends toward sourness and thinness from under-extraction; above it, bitterness rises faster than sweetness.

How long should Portugal Bica Espresso be extracted?

Extract for 25–35 seconds using Espresso Machine, at a ratio of 90g per litre (espresso ratio), prepared at Very Fine. Time and ratio move together: a heavier dose generally wants a shorter contact time.

Why does my Portugal Bica Espresso taste bitter?

Bitterness almost always indicates over-extraction. Shorten the contact time, lower the water temperature slightly, or grind coarser. Change one variable at a time so you can tell which one was responsible.

Who should avoid Portugal Bica Espresso?

Caffeine sensitivity: moderate-high; one small bica is a standard serving. Sleep: avoid after 2 pm. Pregnancy: limit to one per day per EFSA 2015 guidance. This is general educational information, not medical advice — consult a qualified healthcare professional about your own circumstances.

Reviewed Aug 2026

Specialty Coffee · Lisbon, Portugal

Portugal Bica Espresso

Name: How to Brew Portugal Bica Espresso
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 1 min
Yield: 1–2 oz shot (30–60 ml)
Cuisine: Lisbon, Portugal
Ingredients: 4.1 g whole coffee beans, freshly roasted, ground fresh for espresso; Filtered water for the machine, ideally 75–150 ppm total hardness

A strong, rich, full-bodied Lisbon espresso with low acidity and natural sweetness, the iconic coffee of Portugal named after the Bica neighbourhood.

Bica is the quintessential Lisbon coffee: a strong, rich, full-bodied espresso served in a small, slightly tapered cup. The name comes from the Bica neighbourhood in Lisbon where the first espresso machine was installed.

Sensory profile

Comparative scale

sweetnessHigh

acidityModerate

bitternessHigh

bodyVery high

aromaVery high

You should taste

How it unfolds

Aroma → Palate → Finish

AromaBefore and as you sip

No distinct note recorded here — the aroma reads as pronounced rather than carrying a nameable character of its own.

pronounced aroma

PalateWhile it is in the mouth

Caramel

clear sweetness

FinishAfter you swallow

pronounced body

Where it sits

Stronger than 224 of the 345 other drinks in the catalogue, and weaker than 116.

That is 70 mg in a 1–2 oz shot (30–60 ml) serving — a concentration of 155.6 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.

CupCura editorial estimate. No public food database has measured this preparation, so this figure is our own and is not independently sourced.

What people say

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Gear for this drink

Fellow Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2

Direct-drive motor with 64mm stainless steel flat burrs engineered specifically for pour-over, drip, and cold brew clarity.

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Portugal Bica Espresso

Sensory profile

You should taste

How it unfolds

Where it sits

What people say

Fellow Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2

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