You love to drink real teas but you don’t want to consume too much caffeine?
Best decaf tea or decaffeinated tea can be your solution. Real teas have different amounts of caffeine; their quantity varies from the type.
People wanted them without too much caffeine so manufacturers provide quality decaf teas to satisfy their needs.
Green, black, white, oolong, and Pu-erh teas can be decaffeinated. Tea manufacturers decrease the amount of caffeine in real teas.
There is a major difference between decaf and caffeine-free tea that you should understand.
Decaf has reduced caffeine but it still has it. Caffeine-free tea is without the mentioned substance.
If you are avoiding caffeine then look at my top 5 picks.
Best Decaf Tea
  | Barry's Decaffeinated Tea | 80 Count X 6 | 4.7/5 |
  | Twinings Decaf Black Tea | 20 Count X 6 | 4.6/5 |
  | Twinings Decaf Earl Grey Black Tea | 20 Count X 6 | 4.7/5 |
  | Stash Tea Decaf Green Tea | 100 Count | 4.6/5 |
  | Davidson's Tea Decaf English Breakfast Tea | 16 Ounce | 4.2/5 |
Theine in tea
We could say that tea is a non-alcoholic drink that contains caffeine or theine.
Theine has been discovered in 1827. It turned out later that the compound is identical to caffeine in coffee, so the term theine almost died.
Theine in tea has the same shape as caffeine but has a different effect as it is absorbed more slowly.
It reaches the highlight somewhere around 45 minutes after ingestion but lasts for much more time than coffee.
Black tea contains a maximum caffeine amount among real teas (240 ml of tea contains between 14 and 61 mg of caffeine), which can be a substitute for coffee.
I am giving you information about caffeine drinks for general knowledge:
Black tea (cup, 240 ml) of 14 to 61 mg
Green tea (cup, 240 ml) of 24 to 40 mg
White tea (cup, 240 ml) of 30 to 55 mg
4 methods of decaffeinated tea
Decaffeination can be made by four methods, let’s see which.
Methylene chloride
In this process, molecules of caffeine bond to molecules of methylene chloride and a decaf tea is born.
Caffeine is removed either by directly soaking the herbs in methylene chloride or indirectly soaking the water.
The second option was used to remove it in methylene chloride and then returning the water to the tea. This made reabsorption of oils and flavors.
Because methylene chloride is widely believed to be unhealthy for consumption, a legal limit of 5 parts per million is placed on residual traces in the tea.
The US practice is that all imports with methylene chloride are banned.
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Tea that is decaf is essential “pressure cooked” with naturally occurring gas. At high pressures and high temperatures, carbon dioxide reaches a supercritical state.
The CO2 becomes a solvent with its small, nonpolar molecules attracting the small caffeine molecules.
This is the best decaffeination process because it obtains the flavor of the drink.
Ethyl acetate
Ethyl acetate is a chemical that can be found in tea naturally so this method is often referred to as “naturally decaffeinated”.
Caffeine is extracted in the same way as with methylene chloride processing, but ethyl acetate is the solvent.
However, the bad thing with ethyl acetate is the chemical taste that stays after the decaffeination process. It is very hard to remove.
Water
Not so many manufacturers use this method for decaffeination.
The water method is primarily used for coffee decaffeination. They soak tea in hot water for some time to remove caffeine.
It is finally removed with a carbon filter. They return water to the tea so that it will reabsorb oils and flavors.
This is a method that is described as “watering down” the flavor of the tea.
How do you reduce caffeine in tea?
This tip is for all you tea lovers that are sensitive to caffeine intake.
I recommend that you use fewer tea leaves with less hot water and soak it for a shorter time. White, green and lightly oxidized oolong teas are an excellent choice.
80% of caffeine is excreted in the first 30 seconds of soaking the leaves, so it can almost fully be avoided by following the instructions.
Let them soak in the hot water for 45 seconds and then pour it away. Pour water on the leaves again and let it stand for the recommended time depending on the type of tea.
If you want to avoid it completely, rather choose herbal teas. Avoid purely mate tea which also contains caffeine.
Decaffeinated tea as you like
Tea manufacturers are aware that people like to drink decaf tea. So they produce real teas that contain a reduced amount of caffeine.
I don’t know why you decided to drink it but I am sure you have a good reason.
We all know that caffeine raises our concentration. Many people want to drink a cup of delicious green or black tea in the evening when they relax after work.
But some are sensitive to the compound and they have trouble sleeping if they consume it too late.
Some cardiovascular patients also avoid caffeine drinks because they influence on their blood pressure.
Decaffeinated tea is an excellent drink to have in the morning, in the afternoon or in the evening.
You can also replace drinking coffee in the morning with a cup of decaf tea. Why not? It is even more advisable because it is healthier for you than coffee.
With it, you can enjoy your favorite drink throughout the day and you won’t have any negative consequences.
