Decaf coffee has caffeine? Believe it or not, yes
Believe it or not, but decaf coffee has caffeine. This might sound shocking and disappointing, but the reality is that decaf has much less caffeine than regular caffeine, around 20 times less.
Some coffee lovers who can't drink caffeine, they found in decaf coffee their solution. This article is created for them and everyone who is interested in this topic.
In this article you will learn about the amount of caffeine in decaf coffee, which factors can have influence in this, the amount of caffeine in decaf drinks in the most popular coffee shops and some recommendations of who should avoid caffeine.
Article index:
Decaf coffee has caffeine? Seriously?
How much caffeine does decaf have?
How much caffeine do the most popular decaf coffees have?
Is decaf coffee safe?
Who should avoid caffeine?
Decaf coffee has caffeine? Seriously?
Yes. It might disappoint you but decaf coffee has caffeine in it. But do not rush into conclusions, decaf coffee has way less caffeine than regular coffee but it is never a 0% decaffeinated drink.
How much caffeine does decaf have?
An 8 ounce cup of regular coffee has between 90 to 200 mg of caffeine, depending on the brewing system, type of bean and grind you use. Decaf coffee only has between 2 and 15 milligrams per 8 ounce, also depending on the factors we named before.
Although decaf coffee is not complete decaf, it has way less caffeine than regular coffee. In the process of decaffeination, beans are exposed to a treatment that takes up to 97% of the caffeine content.
In the US there is no regulation of how much caffeine a decaf coffee has, but you can call a coffee decaf if it has lost at least 97% of its original caffeine. That's the reason we find some variants in decaf coffee, because normal coffee beans also have some natural variations in caffeine.
A good way to find the less caffeinated decaf coffee is knowing which kind of roast and type of bean have less caffeine naturally. You can find all this information in these two articles: The ultimate coffee beans guide & 5 types of coffee roast you must know.
How much caffeine do the most popular decaf coffees have?
Now we know that decaf coffee has some caffeine, the amounts and the factors that can have influence in this. But, how much caffeine does your favorite decaf drink have?
We made a list of the most popular decaf drinks in big coffee shops, so you can easily see and compare how much caffeine they have.
All of these beverages are measured in a medium drink that contains 14 to 16 oz each one to see the amount of mg of caffeine they have. Also, we will be comparing it with standard brewed decaf coffee.
- Standard brew: 9.8 to 11.2 mg
- Dunkin´Donuts: 10 mg
- Mc Donald´s: 11 mg
- Starbucks: 25 mg
Although decaf has some caffeine and that might disappoint you, remember that in 14 oz of normal coffee you can easily find more than 150 mg of caffeine. In comparison, decaf coffee has much less caffeine than regular one.
Is decaf coffee safe?
Decaf coffee is certainly safe to consume. There are plenty of regulations in the US and around the world that ensure that the decaf process does not generate any problems while drinking it.
In terms of caffeine, it is estimated that on average people can drink up to 400 mg of it every day. This amount changes in every human, so we don't have to take it for guarantied and probably drink less than 400 mg of caffeine per day.
If we are talking about decaf coffee it is almost impossible to reach the maximum amount of caffeine recommended per day. You would need to drink up to 40 coffees of Dunkin Donuts, which is over 16 liters of coffee.
Who should avoid caffeine?
Decaf coffee is an excellent option for those people who enjoy drinking coffee but they can not have caffeine.
Insomnia, high blood pressure, anxiety and litters are some of the most popular problems in which caffeine is contraindicated. On many occasions, people with any of these problems can drink decaf coffee but to others the small amount of caffeine in decaf can also harm them. We recommend asking your doctor if you can drink decaf and its low amount of caffeine without any problem.
Final thoughts
Decaf coffee has caffeine and there is nothing we can do about it. But it is true that it is incredibly lower than regular coffee. This is important information that will be useful for everyone, but even more for those people who can have some troubles if they consume caffeine.
Now you know why decaf coffee has caffeine, the amount of it in the decaf drinks of the most popular coffee shops and who should avoid caffeine. Did you know this information before? Are you a decaf fan?