Caffeine
On average, a cup of tea contains 1/2 to 1/3 as much caffeine as a cup of coffee, though the actual tea leaf has more caffeine than coffee in raw form. Coffee beans are dissolved in water so more of the caffeine is transferred to the brewed cup of coffee. Several variables contribute to the caffeine content in tea including the variety of tea leaf, where the tea is grown, particle size used (the tea leaf cut), and the method and length of brewing or steeping.
Decaffeinated tea (true tea can only be made from the Camellia Sinensis plant) is not "caffeine free". It still contains up to 0.4% by dry weight caffeine content. There are two primary decaffeinating processes: the first uses a solution of ethyl acetate to extract caffeine, and the second uses carbon dioxide (and is usually referred to as "natural" decaffeination). Our herbal blends contain only tea therefore- no caffeine. For teas to be labeled decaffeinated, the caffeine content should not exceed 0.4% by dry weight, which is equivalent to approximately 4 mg of caffeine per 170 ml serving.
The longer the tea leaves have fermented, the greater their caffeine content and the smaller the tea leaf, the stronger the extraction of caffeine. The first and second leaves of the tea plant are believed to contain the largest amount of caffeine. One can eliminate most of the caffeine if you brew the tea once for about a half a minute and discard the extract and brew the tea again for a naturally decaffeinated version. The longer you brew and the higher the water temperatures the more caffeine you will have in the cup.
For those of you who would like great flavor, but prefer to keep the caffeine levels low, here is a selection of low caffeine/caffeine-free teas. Green tea has less caffeine than black tea; approximately 20 mg per cup as opposed to black tea which has approximately 40mg, depending on strength and steep time. (Coffee, by comparison, has 80 - 100.)
