Decaf instant coffee vs decaf tea: which has more caffeine?

Decaf tea has 4mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup, decaf instant coffee has 2.4mg per 8 oz cup. Both are small numbers: the 1.6mg between them is a rounding error next to a regular 8 oz cup of coffee at 95mg.

Decaf instant coffee vs decaf tea: the numbers

Both figures were checked against their source before this page went up: decaf instant coffee against Caffeine Informer (source) and decaf tea against Caffeine Informer (source). Brewed drinks and cocoa foods vary by batch, so published figures are averages rather than guarantees.

Why neither one is zero

Decaffeination pulls caffeine out of green beans or leaves before roasting, and no commercial process takes out all of it. A 2006 University of Florida study measured 8.6 to 13.9mg of caffeine in a 16 oz serving of decaf drip coffee, and chain decaf varies widely: Starbucks 15 to 30mg for a medium, Dunkin 7 to 18mg, decaf K-cups 2 to 4mg, per Caffeine Informer. That is why decaf instant coffee and decaf tea both land in single or low double digits instead of reading zero. If you need genuinely zero caffeine, the answer is a herbal infusion such as rooibos or chamomile, not decaf.

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If you are chasing the low end on purpose, the bean and the process matter more than the brewer: browse decaf coffee beans on Amazon and check whether the bag says Swiss Water or CO2.

For context, the FDA cites 400mg of caffeine a day as an amount generally not associated with negative effects in healthy adults. Tolerance and health vary, so treat these numbers as information, not advice.

Related reading

• Decaf instant coffee: the full caffeine breakdown
• Decaf tea: the full caffeine breakdown
• Does decaf have caffeine? Every decaf drink ranked
• Hidden caffeine: the foods and drinks people forget to count
• The verified caffeine database
• Compare any two drinks side by side

FAQ

Does decaf instant coffee or decaf tea have more caffeine? Decaf tea, at 4mg per 8 oz cup against 2.4mg per 8 oz cup for decaf instant coffee.

How much caffeine is in decaf instant coffee? 2.4mg per 8 oz cup, which works out to about 0.3mg per fl oz. The figure comes from Caffeine Informer.

Is decaf instant coffee caffeine free? No. Decaf instant coffee carries 2.4mg per 8 oz cup. It is a small amount, but small is not the same as none.