Mum Stuff

Do Decaf Tea and Coffee Have Caffeine in Them?

I love a brew. A hot cuppa is a daily ritual for me. I drink tea or coffee at various stages throughout my day.

I use it to kickstart my morning, unwind after a chaotic bedtime routine, or to have 5 minutes of peace away from my desk so I can think uninterrupted.

There’s just something comforting about holding a warm mug in your hands.

However, like most people I have had to cut back on caffeine as I have gotten older. I’m not alone. Thousands of people are trying to reduce their caffeine intake, whether because of pregnancy, anxiety, or to improve sleep quality, and the obvious solution seems to be decaf.

Makes sense, right?

Not quite. You see, ‘decaffeinated’ doesn’t mean ‘caffeine free’, it just means less caffeine than before. So decaf tea and coffee still contain caffeine, the question is, how much?

How the Decaffeination Process Works

It will be easier to understand this mildly irritating news if I briefly explain how the decaffeination process works.

Almost all decaf products are made using one of the following methods:

• Solvent Based Extraction – This is where the tea leaves or coffee beans are washed with chemicals to remove the caffeine. Sounds gross, right?
• Swiss Water Process – This method uses water and osmosis to draw out the caffeine and no chemicals are involved. It’s used for coffee mainly, and sounds much more appetising than the chemical option.
• CO₂ Method – This one is more expensive, but again, no chemicals. They use pressurised carbon dioxide to remove the caffeine.

None of these processes remove the flavour – although coffee bores will pretend to taste the difference – but they don’t remove all of the caffeine either.

So How Much Caffeine is in Decaf?

The good news is that although some caffeine will remain, most of it is removed by decaffeination.

The exact amount depends on the method used, but generally, decaf tea and coffee will contain between 1% and 3% of the original amount.

Here is a comparison table showing how much caffeine is in a regular cup of tea or coffee vs a decaf cup:

The amount left over is tiny, so you might be wondering why anyone would care. For most people it’s not enough to make a difference.

However, anyone who is particularly sensitive to caffeine or would just prefer to avoid it completely might need to stay away from decaf products.

Instead, they will need to look into caffeine free drinks.

Caffeine Free Alternatives

You might be wondering what’s the difference between decaf and caffeine free.

To be clear, decaf drinks once had lots of caffeine in them but most of it was taken out, whereas caffeine free drinks never had caffeine in them in the first place.

Water is caffeine free, for example, but it’s also very very boring, so what are some more interesting caffeine free alternatives?

There are loads, actually. We have never had so much choice.

A few favourites include:

• Rooibos Tea – Also known as Red Bush tea. It’s naturally caffeine free and has a smooth complexion and a sort of nutty flavour. Full of antioxidants, too.
• Chamomile Tea – You will have heard of this. It’s well known for its calming qualities, and is a popular choice before bedtime.
• Peppermint Tea – I like a cup of peppermint tea after my evening meal. It’s great for digestion but also fresh and soothing. Many women have found it useful during pregnancy, too.
• Lemon Balm – Another that is supposed to be good for relaxation. Lemon balm is quite mild, with a slightly citrusy flavour that isn’t overpowering.
• Fruit Teas – There are scores of these. The box will claim they work all sorts of wonders, but if you like the taste that’s all that matters.

You will notice I haven’t listed any caffeine free coffees. They do exist, but they aren’t coffee. And the few I tried were disgusting so I don’t want to recommend any.

Nevertheless, if you want to hunt them down coffee alternatives do exist. Chicory Coffee, Barley Coffee, Dandelion Coffee, Date Coffee – there are plenty out there, but none of them are made with coffee beans.

So they aren’t really coffees at all.

• Self Care and Health