Hey, Answer Girl -

I thought I'd read somewhere that espresso coffee has less caffeine in it than brewed coffee because it is quickly pressed through a strainer. I know people think they're getting an extra punch with espresso, but maybe all they're getting is extra flavor. Which has more caffeine?

- Kathy S.

Saying espresso has more or less caffeine than coffee is, of course, too easy. Lots of factors play into the caffeine content of oh-so-yummy coffee.

Per milliliter, espresso has more caffeine than regular coffee.

But a major factor in how much caffeine you'll actually get is the usual serving size of the different coffees. While two ounces of espresso has about the same amount of caffeine as 7 ounces of regular brewed coffee, brewed coffee is almost never served in such a small cup. Two ounces of espresso is a pretty normal serving size, but a small cup of coffee is usually between 12 and 16 ounces, thus giving a regular cup of coffee more caffeine than a regular espresso drink.

Another factor is the way the beans were roasted and the way the coffee was brewed. Lighter roasts have more caffeine to begin with, and the longer a roast is steeped in the water, the more caffeine it will have. Also, robusta beans have about twice as much caffeine as arabica beans, but are used much less often. In an average coffee roast, about 4 to 8 percent of the beans are robusta beans.

Brewed coffee, depending on its roast, the amount of time it seeped, and the kind of coffee, has between 80 and 135 milligrams of caffeine per seven-ounce serving. Espresso, which is much more consistent than coffee, has about 100 milligrams per two-ounce serving.

Want an incredible caffeine buzz? Have your regular coffee, but also drink a glass of grapefruit juice right afterward. Grapefruit juice keeps your blood from discarding the caffeine, thus keeping the effects of the caffeine in your body longer.

Hey, Answer Girl -

'Grape-Nuts' cereal contains neither grapes, nor nuts. Discuss.

- Loves your column (and 'SNL')

This question, asked in true style of Linda Richmond (from the Jersey-esque "Coffee Talk" segment of "Saturday Night Live"), actually has an answer steeped in history that makes some sense.

Actually called "Grape-Nuts brand natural wheat and barley cereal," "Grape-Nuts" got their name from Mr. C.W. Post himself, inventor of many now-famous cereals.

The cereal contains maltose, which, in 1897 when the cereal was invented, was called "grape sugar." And the cereal itself has a distinctly nutty taste.

So, in the days before the Federal Trade Commission was there to slap down misleading product names, Post got away with the "Grape-Nuts" name fiasco, to which the General Foods corporation (owner of the cereal and tons of other brands) later added the part about wheat and barley for clarification.

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Answer Girl tackles questions about Casper, the universe and everything else. Submit your questions by e-mail to megan.lee@trib.com, or call Megan Lee at (307) 266-0616. You can also write to Answer Girl, P.O. Box 80, Casper, 82602. Join the AnswerLabs Blog Place at tribtown.trib.com/groups/AnswerLabs_Blog_Place. Also read Megan's DogBlog at tribtown.trib.com/MeganLee/blog.