{
    "id": 1010160,
    "title": "Low caffeine tea: the clear list",
    "slug": "low-caffeine-tea-the-clear-list",
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    "url": "https://teas.co.uk/wiki/low-caffeine-tea-the-clear-list/",
    "modified": "2026-05-30T23:06:27+01:00",
    "excerpt": "\"Low caffeine\" and \"caffeine-free\" are not the same thing, and most lists muddle them.",
    "content_text": "Low-caffeine tea, in short: Low-caffeine tea, the ranked list: decaf, kukicha, hojicha, re-steeps, plus the white-tea myth. UK independent tea guide.\n\nSource: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for Low-caffeine tea: the clear list. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/low-caffeine-tea-the-clear-list/\nLast reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in May 2026.\n\"Low caffeine\" and \"caffeine-free\" are not the same thing, and most lists muddle them. If you want genuinely zero caffeine, you want a caffeine-free infusion. If you want real tea from Camellia sinensis but gentler, this is the ranked list of what is actually lower in the cup, and the myths to ignore. First, the distinction that matters\n\nSource: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for First, the distinction that matters , Low-caffeine tea: the clear list. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/low-caffeine-tea-the-clear-list/\nHerbal infusions (rooibos, chamomile, peppermint, fruit) contain no caffeine at all because they are not tea. Decaffeinated tea is real tea with most caffeine removed, typically a few milligrams left. Genuinely \"low-caffeine\" real tea is a narrower list than the internet implies. See decaf vs caffeine-free for why the wording is not pedantry. The genuinely lower real teas\n\nSource: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for The genuinely lower real teas , Low-caffeine tea: the clear list. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/low-caffeine-tea-the-clear-list/\nDecaf black or green: the lowest real tea, usually around 2 mg a cup. The reliable choice for evening.Kukicha (twig tea): made from stems not leaf, so naturally among the lowest non-decaf options.Hojicha: roasted green tea; the roast and often older leaf make it gentle and a common evening pick.Second and third infusions: most caffeine leaves in the first steep, so a re-steeped leaf is materially lower. The \"white tea is low caffeine\" myth\n\nSource: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for The \"white tea is low caffeine\" myth , Low-caffeine tea: the clear list. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/low-caffeine-tea-the-clear-list/\nWhite tea is frequently called low-caffeine. It is not reliably so. Because it is minimally processed and often made from young buds, some white teas are moderate to high. Treat white tea as variable, not safe-for-bedtime by default. Brewing levers that lower caffeine\nCaffeine extraction rises with hotter water, longer steeps and more leaf. Cooler water, a shorter steep, and a re-steep all pull the cup down. None of this turns black tea into a nightcap, but it shifts an afternoon cup in the right direction. If you actually want zero\nGo to the caffeine-free shelf: rooibos, chamomile, peppermint, fruit and most wellness blends. They are the only genuinely caffeine-free options and the right answer for sleep, pregnancy, or simply not wanting any. Low-caffeine tea, at a glance \nSource: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for Low-caffeine tea: the clear list. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/low-caffeine-tea-the-clear-list/\n\nTeaApprox caffeine per cup\nDecaf black/green tea2-8mg. Lowest of any tea except herbal.\nHerbal infusions (chamomile, peppermint, fennel)0mg. Not from Camellia sinensis.\nRooibos0mg. South African herb, naturally caffeine-free.\nHoneybush0mg. Caffeine-free.\nBancha (Japanese green)10-20mg. Older leaf, lower caffeine.\nHoujicha (roasted Japanese green)10-15mg. Roasting reduces caffeine slightly.\nLight first-brew oolong15-30mg in a short steep. Re-steep gives even less.\nWhite tea (Shou Mei, older leaf)20-35mg. Note: Silver Needle is HIGH not low.\nLower than coffee alwaysAny tea (excluding mate and guayusa). Coffee is 80-150mg per cup.\n Reference noted\n\nSource: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for Reference noted , Low-caffeine tea: the clear list. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/low-caffeine-tea-the-clear-list/\n\nEFSA Scientific Opinion on the Safety of Caffeine (2015)\nNHS guidance on caffeine\n From the curatorteas \u00b7 If a tea on this page sounds appealing, just try it once. You learn more in one cup than in twenty articles. \nSource: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for Low-caffeine tea: the clear list. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/low-caffeine-tea-the-clear-list/\n\nMore related guides\n\nLow-Caffeine Tea: The Middle Ground\n\nMore from the tea wiki\n\nTea and caffeine\nDecaf tea\nHerbal tea\nRooibos\nWhat is honeybush tea?\nChamomile tea\nHow much caffeine is in white tea?\nTea and sleep",
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