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Thanks to new data from several studies, the idea that tea leaves could be decaffeinated simply by rinsing prior to brewing is now both outdated and inaccurate. At Art of Tea we are dedicated to providing our customers with accurate information and pride ourselves on being on the leading edge of research. Here are the facts regarding home decaffeination and caffeine levels in different teas:

To begin with, it’s important to understand that decaf and caffeine-free are not the same thing. Caffeine free means that there was never any caffeine in the product to begin with, while decaf means that caffeine was removed from the product, leaving behind small amounts of residual caffeine.
According to tea experts, the “30-second decaf” theory has been officially debunked. Noted tea technologist Nigel Melican, founder and managing director of Teacraft, Ltd. says, “You cannot (despite what some notables in the tea industry believe) you just cannot significantly decaffeinate tea by using a 30 second hot water wash (in fact 30 seconds leaves 91 percent of the caffeine in place – and removes a lot of the antioxidants).”

A 1996 study at Auburn University backs Melican up. According to the study, only nine percent of the caffeine was removed during the first 30 seconds of infusion. The researchers also found that it took approximately three minutes to remove 50 percent of the caffeine, about nine minutes of infusion to remove 80 percent, and approximately 15 minutes to remove more than 96 percent.
A 2008 study conducted by Dr. Bruce Branan, Professor of Chemistry at Asbury College, found that a three-minute infusion removes 46-70% of the caffeine from a cup of tea and that it would take a six-minute infusion to remove 80% of the caffeine.
The conclusion to be reached on the “30-second decaf” theory is thus: it doesn’t work. If you want to enjoy a cup of tea that is truly caffeine-free a Tisane (a fusion of different botanicals) or stand alone herb is your best bet. Art of Tea has an entire section dedicated to delicious caffeine-free blends.

Now, on to tackle the caffeine levels of the four major tea families; white, green, oolong, and black. It’s a popular misconception that both white and green teas have lower caffeine levels than oolong or black teas. The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University conducts micronutrient research for optimum health. They suggest that the popular belief of low caffeine level in White Tea is misplaced: “Buds and young tea leaves have been found to contain higher levels of caffeine than older leaves, suggesting that the caffeine content of some white teas may be slightly higher than that of green teas.”

In 2008 a study at Asbury College corroborates this finding, concluding that white tea does not have less caffeine than green, oolong, or black teas. Likewise, an article in Food research International, Vol 29, 325-330 (1996), states that, “All teas have roughly similar caffeine contents, and one cannot rely on the belief that green tea has less caffeine, as asserted by many popular claims.” So now we know that the myth that both white and green teas have less caffeine than black or oolong teas is just that: a myth.

All teas contain caffeine, unless they are deliberately decaffeinated during processing. The caffeine content of different varieties of tea may vary considerably and is influenced by factors like brewing time, the amount of tea and water used for brewing, and whether the tea is loose or in teabags.

entropyembrace wrote:You can see the 1996 study at Auburn University and the 2008 study conducted by Dr. Bruce Branan have quite a bit of variation in how long it took to extract the caffeine but neither got anything close to most of the caffiene out in 30s

As for the link you gave there´s a little catch in their results...they prepared the tea according to directions on the package not with equal time, temperature, volumes and weights. Virtually every set of commercial brewing instructions I´ve seen says to use hotter water and longer infusions for black tea and cooler water and less time for green tea so if you follow the package instructions like the Linus Pauling Institute did you´d obviously extract more caffeine from the black tea than the green tea.

entropyembrace wrote:You can see the 1996 study at Auburn University and the 2008 study conducted by Dr. Bruce Branan have quite a bit of variation in how long it took to extract the caffeine but neither got anything close to most of the caffiene out in 30s.

entropyembrace wrote: so if you follow the package instructions like the Linus Pauling Institute did you´d obviously extract more caffeine from the black tea than the green tea.

If your doctor is asking you to cut caffeine completely out of your diet, you should switch to a commercially decaffeinated tea or a caffeine-free herbal.

Nigel knows how to manipulate the caffeine content of tea bushes–both in the field and in the factory. He claims that several factors help determine caffeine content in tea. It begins with the propagation of the bush. Plants grown from seeds can produce twice as much tea caffeine as clonals. The addition of nitrogen fertilizer can add another 10% to the normal caffeine level. Caffeine also varies by the picking season. Teas plucked in cooler weather might produce less caffeine than those harvested in the fast growing hot months. Even the location of the leaf on the stem can be an indicator of caffeine potential.

“Caffeine varies in the fresh green leaf depending on fineness of pluck,” Nigel says. “For any tea, be it black, green or white, the caffeine is highest in the bud. Silver needle (white tea) is 100% bud and has the highest caffeine content.”

wh&yel-apprentice wrote: I would not rely on the notion that other chemical/compounds in tea will "counteract" the caffeine, without seeing peer reviewed medical research studies. As in, caffeine is a myth in 'counteracting' the effects of alcohol. It may help in stimulating from the depressive effect of alcohol, but as far as reversing the effects of impairment of coordination skills needed to operate motor vehicles...that's another matter all together.

^...or you could risk it for better flavor, and estimate amounts of caffeine, and just drink the later infusions, give the 1-3rd infusion to someone else, or dump those on some plants .