It’s a widely known indisputable fact that the UK is a nation of tea lovers – and there’s stats to back this up. In line with the newest figures, annually we get by means of a formidable 61 billion tea baggage, and because the begin of the UK’s first lockdown in March 2020, 27 per cent of us are drinking even more of the stuff.
Tea leaves – particularly black tea blends like English breakfast tea – naturally include caffeine. Usually talking, within the common cup of black tea with milk you’ll look forward to finding round 30-47mg of caffeine.
However after all this depends upon the mix of the tea, how lengthy you permit your cuppa to brew, the temperature of the water and the way a lot milk you employ.
Totally different tea makers use completely different decaffeination processes. By legislation, tea labelled as “decaffeinated” will need to have lower than 2.5 per cent of its unique caffeine stage. It’s vital to notice that even after the decaf course of, black tea nonetheless incorporates traces of caffeine.
At current, there are 4 fundamental varieties of decaffeination strategies used to strip the leaves of their caffeine. This contains utilizing: ethyl acetate, water processing, methylene chloride and carbon dioxide (CO2). The latter two strategies are the commonest. However both method, all decaffeination strategies can barely alter the flavour of the standard cuppa.
If you happen to’re interested by chopping again in your caffeine with out having to chop again in your cuppas, you’ve come to the proper place. Over the course of three weeks, we’ve taste-tested greater than 35 cups of decaffeinated black tea to assist discover the most effective tasting brews.
We judged them on their flavour, color, worth and the all-important eco-credentials. Listed below are the most effective decaffeinated black teas which might be value each sip.
You possibly can belief our impartial critiques. We might earn fee from a number of the retailers, however we by no means enable this to affect picks, that are shaped from real-world testing and knowledgeable recommendation. This income helps to fund journalism throughoutThe Unbiased.
Clipper natural and fairtrade on a regular basis decaf tea, field of 80
Right here’s a formidable declare: Clipper’s on a regular basis decaf tea is the “UK’s most pure decaf”. That’s in keeping with the Dorset-based model who craft unbleached, plant-based and biodegradable tea baggage. However the spectacular checklist of tea credentials doesn’t finish there. Not solely are Clipper’s teas natural – they’re additionally Fairtrade. So it’s no marvel why we couldn’t get sufficient of this decaf.
Clipper makes use of the CO2 methodology to decaffeinate its tea leaves. To do that, the tea leaves, that are blended with Assam, are soaked in water after which positioned underneath strain. CO2 is handed by means of the leaves, the place it bonds with the caffeine. As soon as filtered, the newly decaffeinated tea leaves are dried and packed up able to be loved. The outcome? A light-weight but malty tea that’s refreshing brisk all on the similar time. If you happen to’re in search of a deliciously tasty decaffeinated cuppa that comes with a clear conscience, you’ll discover it in Clipper.Buy now £5.50, Waitrose.com
Value comparability
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Joe’s Tea Co. ever-so-english decaf tea baggage, field of 100
Joe’s Tea Co.’s ever-so-English decaf tea is a triple menace in relation to the all-important tea must-haves. Gently decaffeinated? Tick. Stuffed with flavour? Tick. On its method to being totally biodegradable? Tick.
We taste-tested the pyramid tea bag variations of the Ever-So-English Decaf, though a unfastened leaf choice is offered. The tea leaves are handpicked and instantly traded from moral plantations in India. So you’ll be able to take pleasure in this brew figuring out precisely the way it made its method from crop to cup. It’s gentle, delicate and marvellously malty. In line with Joe, it’s been “gently decaffeinated” with CO2 to “guarantee the most effective flavour, and the least hurt to the atmosphere”.
Joe suggests brewing your cuppa for 3 to 4 minutes, however in case you choose your tea sturdy, we’d suggest steeping it for no less than 4. Whereas the model’s pyramid baggage might be recycled, as they’re made out of food-safe polyester, Joe’s Tea Co. has plans to modify over to a biodegradable choice by spring 2021. Watch this area.Buy now £23, Joesteacompany.com
Value comparability
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Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire tea decaf, field of 80
Say farewell to disappointing decafs since you’re in good palms with Taylors of Harrogate. The model has been crafting its scrumptious tasting Yorkshire tea for greater than 100 years and the family-run enterprise prides itself on creating particular blends of tea that don’t compromise on equity, flavour and high quality. And that is definitely the case for its decaf choice.
Robust, tasty and filled with color, the decaf is jam-packed with a mix of tea leaves from Africa. This explicit sturdy mix stands as much as the methylene chloride methodology used to decaffeinate the tea. The model investigated this methodology of decaffeination over “an extended time period” earlier than launching the product on grocery store cabinets. Every tea bag is assumed to include a most of 0.2 per cent of caffeine. Subsequently, it’s an important different to caffeinated choices.Buy now £3.49, Tesco.com
Value comparability
Brew Tea Co decaffeinated ceylon, field of 40
Right here’s a tea model that appears as fairly as its tea tastes. Out there in unfastened kind or bagged, Brew Tea Co decaffeinated ceylon comes from Sri Lanka and undergoes the CO2 decaff course of earlier than reaching the cabinets. The tea connoisseurs mentioned they do that in a bid to maintain the flavour and be slightly “gentler on the leaves to make sure they continue to be intact”.
The latter is actually vital for Brew Tea Co as a result of the tea reaches you as rolled entire leaves – by no means mud. The tea makers decide leaves and buds from the highest of the tea plant, that are gently rolled and dried. It’s because of this that you just get a tastier tea and a richer, tastier cup. We liked the very fact this model additionally cares about its mark on the planet. The tea baggage are 100 per cent compostable and biodegradable as they’re made out of soilon. Plus this tasty tea has acquired one of many smallest quantities of caffeine content material at lower than 0.01 per cent so it’s a win win.Buy now £10.95, Brewteacompany.co.uk
Fortnum & Mason royal mix decaffeinated, field of 25
If you happen to’re in search of a brew that comes with a contact of one thing particular, Fortnum & Mason has you coated. In line with the model, the “royal” tea is its “most well-known” mix because it was initially created for King Edward VII. On this basic cuppa, the brewers mix two black teas – Ceylon and Assam – to create a really conventional brew. It’s malty and honey-like in flavour and relying on how you want your tea, it may be as sturdy or as weak as you fancy. The tea makers use the CO2 course of to decaffeinate its Kenyan tea leaves and also you’ll discover lower than 0.4 per cent of caffeine in each cup. If it’s ok for royalty, it’s definitely ok for us.Buy now £5.25, Fortnumandmason.com
Value comparability
Tetley decaf tea baggage, field of 120
Tetley’s decaf tea is perhaps stripped of caffeine nevertheless it’s not stripped of style. Serving to to retain its style, the tea makers use dichloromethane (in any other case referred to as methylene chloride) to take away the caffeine. A spokesperson for the model mentioned: “This methodology retains extra of the tea flavour as it’s a extra selective course of by which much less non-caffeine parts are eliminated.”
The decaffeination course of takes the extent of caffeine in every tea bag (which is round 2.5-4 per cent) right down to 0.2 per cent – so it’s supreme in case you’re a fan of a powerful cuppa however don’t need the caffeine. However don’t simply take our phrase for it. Tetley’s decaf tea received on the 2020’s “Nice Style Awards”, after greater than 500 knowledgeable judges claimed it was “a drink that delivers unbelievable flavour”.Buy now £2, Iceland.co.uk
Value comparability
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Whittard decaf English breakfast tea, field of fifty
Whether or not you want unfastened tea or bagged tea, Whittard has a tea for each style. The British tea firm has been brewing tea for 135 years and creates the best teas round. We trialled the round bagged variations which had simply the correct amount of power to smoothness and likewise felt gentle and refreshing.
Its leaves are a mix of a number of origins and Whittard makes use of the methylene chloride decaffeination methodology to extract the caffeine. The brew is tasty and is filled with color, even after a great glug of milk was added. We had been additionally happy to find that the tea baggage are compostable and the envelopes are made out of waxed paper so might be recycled.Buy now £5.50, Whittard.co.uk
Farrer’s decaffeinated ceylon tea, field of fifty
Maintaining its tea chemical free, Farrer’s manages to strike the stability between style, freshness and high quality. The artisan model relies in Cumbria and has been an knowledgeable in tea and low since 1819, and boy are you able to inform.
We acquired to style its Fairtrade decaf ceylon tea which is grown in Sri Lanka and discovered it removes the caffeine from the tea utilizing CO2. We tasted it within the morning, midday and evening and may report it tasted like “actual tea”. With its brisk style, brilliant amber color and tremendous recent flavour, this can be a scrumptious tasting decaf that’s value coming again to repeatedly.
Buy now £5.65, Farrers.co.uk
Nemi Teas decaf English breakfast tea, 200 teabags
We devoured Nemi’s Fairtrade decaf English breakfast tea, which is picked from tea vegetation in south India. The model then makes use of the CO2 course of to rid the leaves of caffeine, leaving lower than 0.1 per cent. Nemi Teas are additionally plastic free, its stunning packaging is biodegradable and the teas are natural. This actually is tea with a conscience. The model sells its decaf English breakfast tea wholesale. Drop them an e mail in case you’d like to seek out out what all of the fuss is about.
Tea actually does convey individuals collectively. And that is seen in follow with Nemi Teas. Apart from its decaf English breakfast tea – which is scrumptious, by the way in which – one among our different favorite issues about this model is that it offers employment to refugees on its tea stalls to assist them enter into the UK’s workforce.
Buy now £44.95, Nemiteas.com
The decision: Decaf tea
Maintaining its style and coloration with out compromising on taste, Clipper’s decaf tea secured our prime spot. Its stunning packaging and eco-friendly credentials additionally helped to nudge it over the road. Plus it’s natural, Fairtrade, and fairly inexpensive – particularly in case you are ingesting an additional cup or two a day.
If being eco is excessive in your checklist, attempt the deliciously tasting decaf from Brew Tea Co. It went down a deal with and every sip felt particular. What extra may you ask for?