Let the coffee wars begin. Contrary to popular belief, there is actually less caffeine in the average espresso coffee drink than there is in regular drip-brewed coffee.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the typical serving of espresso -- which is equal to 2 ounces -- has only about 60 to 80 milligrams of caffeine compared to the standard 8-ounce serving of drip-brewed coffee, which has 150 milligrams.

That information is based on the fact that most people are typically only served 2 ounces of espresso and consequently only get 60 to 80 milligrams of caffeine, said Elaine McDonnell, staff nutritionist at the University's Nutrition Center. Therefore, a person would need to drink at least two cups of espresso to get the equivalent of one cup of coffee.

That is surprising news for people like Tiffany Leu. Leu (senior-broadcast-cable) prefers espresso to regular American coffee because it has a stronger taste and seems to give her more energy.

"A cup of coffee just doesn't hit you like a good cup of espresso," she said. "It's hard to believe that espresso has less caffeine."

Diane Kolata (junior-elementary education) said she drinks more regular coffee than espresso, "But I can see why people think espresso has more caffeine. It tastes a lot stronger."

As Leu and Kolata noticed, espresso does have a stronger taste, but according to a health letter from the Mayo Health Clinic in Rochester, Minn., strong taste does not necessarily mean more caffeine.

The caffeine is determined by the type of bean used, how finely the beans are ground and how long the coffee is brewed. Espresso and cappuccino, according to the information, are made from arabica coffee beans, which contain less caffeine but produce a stronger taste than the robusta beans used in American coffee.

Gina Russo (junior-wildlife and fisheries science) notices a distinct difference between the coffees.

"I drink a lot of cappuccino and I would say that it affects me a lot more than regular coffee," she said.

Kelly Peters, owner of Cafe Gourmet Ltd., 123 W. Beaver Ave., said espresso is not marketed as more potent than regular coffee, but "people in our country think that espresso has more caffeine."