PG Tips Decaf: Is It Caffeine-Free, and How to Brew It

PG Tips Decaf Black: Decaffeinated, Not Caffeine-Free

The word on the box is decaffeinated, and it does not mean the same thing as caffeine-free. PG Tips Decaf Black takes most of the caffeine out of finished black leaf and keeps the brisk, malty everyday mug, which makes it the evening box rather than the no-caffeine box.

Published 26 Sep 2026 Curator-written, not crowdsourced

PG Tips Decaf Black: Decaffeinated, Not Caffeine-Free, in summary: Decaffeinated, not caffeine-free: a small trace stays in the leaf. Brew it a touch longer than the daytime box, close to four minutes, add milk after, and keep chamomile or peppermint for anyone who needs none at all.

Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in September 2026.

The word on the box is decaffeinated, and it does not mean the same thing as caffeine-free. PG Tips Decaf Black takes most of the caffeine out of finished black leaf and keeps the brisk, malty everyday mug, which makes it the evening box rather than the no-caffeine box.

What decaffeinated means in this box

Decaffeination happens after the leaf has been made. A solvent or carbon dioxide process removes most of the caffeine, but a small residue is always left behind. A herbal infusion is a different thing altogether: chamomile or peppermint has no caffeine because there is no tea in it. So if you need none at all, reach for an infusion rather than this box.

PG's published ingredients for this decaf read decaffeinated black tea and natural flavouring; no major allergen of the 14 appears. Treat the cup as a low-caffeine black tea, not a caffeine-free drink, and read the current pack if you need an exact figure.

Brewing it so it still tastes like PG Tips

The process costs the leaf some body as well as caffeine, which leaves the mug slightly lighter than daytime PG Tips, with gentler tannins. Time puts it right, not a second bag. Let it steep for three and a half minutes, or four if you like it strong, in freshly boiled water, which is a little longer than the caffeinated box wants, then lift the bag out and add the milk.

What survives is the part that matters under milk: a clear brisk lift with a rounded, biscuit-like malt beneath it. The smell in the mug is quieter, since decaffeination strips out some of the more delicate aroma at the same time as the caffeine. Taste the two together and the gap shows; in a milky mug after dinner, it rarely does.

Which decaf box, and what to eat with it

We stock two PG Tips decafs. This one holds seventy bags; the Decaf Black Tea 160 is the larger box for a household that drinks decaf every night. Plenty of kitchens keep a caffeinated box for the day and a decaf box for after dinner rather than choosing between them, and seventy bags suits a house where the evening cup is a habit for one or two people.

A lighter-bodied evening mug wants a biscuit that will not flatten it. A plain digestive is the natural partner and takes a quick dunk, while a dark chocolate digestive works because the bitter edge of the chocolate meets the brisk tea halfway. For a pot that goes round the table after dinner, a sharing pack of biscuits gives everyone something to reach for.

The packs we stock

PG Tips Decaf Black Decaffeinated, 70 Tea Bags (barcode 8712423020214)

What the label says

The published ingredient list for PG Tips Decaf Black Decaffeinated, 70 Tea Bags (barcode 8712423020214) names none of the 14 major allergens. Check the PG Tips Decaf box on sale now, because PG can revise the blend and its allergen notes.

Ingredients, as published: decaffeinated black tea, natural flavouring.

Typical values per 100g	Per 100g
Energy	1 kcal
Fat	0g
of which saturates	0g
Carbohydrate	0g
of which sugars	0g
Fibre	0g
Protein	0.1g
Salt	0g

Ingredient and nutrition data for this barcode: Open Food Facts (openfoodfacts.org), ODbL. Your PG Tips Decaf box has the final say.

What to eat with it

McVitie's Digestives Biscuits The Light One, 250g: A lighter digestive for the evening mug, and an easy quick dunk.
McVitie's Digestives Dark Chocolate Biscuits, 433g: Dark chocolate with a bitter edge that stands up to the brisk decaf without swamping it.
Border Classic Biscuit Sharing Pack, 400g: A sharing pack to put out when the decaf pot goes round the table after dinner.

Elsewhere in the PG Tips range

The full range is on the PG Tips brand page.

FAQ

Is PG Tips Decaf caffeine-free? No. It is decaffeinated, which means most of the caffeine has been removed and a trace remains. For none at all, choose a herbal infusion such as chamomile or peppermint.

What is in PG Tips Decaf Black? The published ingredient list for this barcode gives decaffeinated black tea and natural flavouring, and names none of the 14 major allergens.

Why brew it longer than ordinary PG Tips? The process strips some body as well as caffeine from the leaf. Three and a half to four minutes in freshly boiled water puts it back, so there is no need for a second bag.

Does it taste like the normal PG Tips? Close to it. The briskness and most of the malt are still there, but the body is a little lighter and the tannins softer.

Curator's note: Give it the extra half minute and put the milk in after. That is the difference between a decaf you tolerate and one you actually finish. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: PG Tips Decaf Black: Decaffeinated, Not Caffeine-Free

Field	Detail
Brand	PG Tips
Packs we stock	70 Tea Bags
Category	Everyday Tea Bags
Allergens (as published)	PG Tips Decaf, by its published ingredients, carries none of the 14 major allergens.
Caffeine	decaffeinated
Brew	About four minutes, milk after
Best with	A plain or dark chocolate digestive
Occasion	After dinner