A cup of tea has only between 1/3 and 1/2 the caffeine content of a cup of coffee so if reduced caffeine intake is the aim then tea rather than coffee is a good start. The amount of caffeine in tea although small varies from cup to cup as it depends on a number of factors including the type of tea, where it is grown, the manufacturing process used and the method and length of brewing.

Extensive medical research on caffeine has identified a significant health hazard from normal caffeine intake as associated with average tea consumption. Decaffeinated tea is not entirely caffeine free as it generally contains a residual (about 3-10%) of the original caffeine content.

The longer tea leaves are fermented the greater the caffeine content, so green tea will naturally contain less caffeine than black teas. Also the shorter the brewing time the less caffeine is extracted.

Caffeine content can also be significantly reduced by infusing the tea for one minute and pouring the first infusion away.  The tea is then infused again and although the flavour and aroma is reduced so will the caffeine content.

Elmstock has a decaffeinated black and green tea in our range. It is a quality leaf tea decaffeinated through the CO2 high pressure process. No solvent is used and the flavour is very similar to the original tea.