While many people can enjoy higher amounts of caffeine, some people need to avoid it. Those looking to cut caffeine should evaluate their coffee choice first.

While decaf coffee contains much less caffeine than regular coffee, it’s not truly caffeine-free. To be safe, look up the caffeine content in your favorite coffee shop’s decaf coffee before drinking it, especially if you consume multiple cups of decaf per day. Here is a comparison of popular decaf coffees and their caffeine content ( 13, 14, 15, 16, 17): While the caffeine content is lower than that of regular coffee, it’s still present. The decaf espresso contained 3–15.8 mg per shot, while the decaf coffee had 12–13.4 mg of caffeine per 16-ounce (473-ml) serving. The researchers also purchased Starbucks decaffeinated espresso and brewed coffee and measured their caffeine content. In comparison, an average 16-ounce (473-ml) cup of regular coffee packs approximately 188 mg of caffeine ( 12). All but one contained 8.6–13.9 mg caffeine, with an average of 9.4 mg per 16-ounce (473-ml) cup ( 7). One study analyzed 16-ounce (473-ml) cups of drip-brewed decaf coffee from nine US chains or local coffee houses. Thus, those avoiding caffeine should be careful.

Researchers suggest that drinking 5–10 cups of decaf coffee could accumulate the amount of caffeine in 1–2 cups of regular, caffeinated coffee ( 8). While even 7 mg of caffeine may seem low, it could be of concern for those who have been advised to cut their intake due to kidney disease, anxiety disorders or caffeine sensitivity.įor susceptible individuals, even small amounts of caffeine could increase agitation, anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure ( 9, 10, 11). On average, an 8-ounce (236-ml) cup of decaf coffee contains up to 7 mg of caffeine, whereas a cup of regular coffee provides 70–140 mg ( 8). Studies have shown that virtually all types of decaf coffee contain caffeine ( 7, 8). The caffeine content of your decaf coffee likely depends on where your coffee is from. There are three methods of decaffeinating the beans and all result in a milder product compared to regular coffee. Summaryĭecaf coffee means that the coffee beans are at least 97% decaffeinated. However, the decaffeination process does alter the smell and taste of coffee, resulting in a milder flavor and different color ( 6). Overall, the type of roasted coffee you buy will affect the flavor more than the decaffeination method. Carbon dioxide process: The newest method uses carbon dioxide, a compound naturally found in coffee as a gas, to remove the caffeine and leave other flavor compounds intact.It relies on osmosis to extract caffeine and guarantees a 99.9% decaffeinated product. Swiss water process: This is the only organic method of decaffeinating coffee.

Neither chemical is found in coffee as they evaporate. Solvent-based process: This method uses a combination of methylene chloride, ethyl acetate and water to create a solvent that extracts the caffeine.Here is a brief description of each method and how caffeine is extracted ( 6): To put this into perspective, an average 12-ounce (354-ml) cup of coffee containing 180 mg of caffeine would have about 5.4 mg of caffeine in a decaffeinated state.Ĭaffeine content in decaf coffee depends on the type of bean and the decaffeination process.ĭecaf coffee beans are typically made by one of three methods, using either water, organic solvents or carbon dioxide to draw caffeine out of the coffee beans ( 6).Īll methods soak or steam green, unroasted coffee beans until the caffeine is dissolved or until the pores of the beans are opened. While USDA regulations stipulate that decaf should not exceed 0.10 percent caffeine on a dry basis in the package, comparison between brewed regular and decaf coffee shows that decaf appears to have at least 97% of caffeine removed ( 3, 4, 5). Decaf coffee is not completely caffeine-free.

Folgers decaf coffee caffeine content