8 Best Decaf Tea To Enjoy Your Tea Time
Tea in general has some great health benefits, depending on the variety you choose. Decaf tea can have some great benefits too if you are trying to cut back on your caffeine intake, or stay within a certain intake level as part of your existing diet.
Each type of tea works differently, like how chamomile is great for relaxing and giving you a sense of calm, while elderberry tea gives your immune system a boost in fighting off diseases and infections.
Lets not forget about how delish tea is on a cold icky day and how it warms you down to your bones – what a blissful feeling. Compared to a decade ago, the known benefits of tea has only increased, and will continue to increase as the years keep coming.
Tea is becoming a more popular drink, and for great reasons due to the health benefits it can deliver to your body and the overall positive effects it has. Decaf might not have as many benefits as caffeinated, depending on how it is filtered, but it still provides plenty of good benefits to your health and physical well being.
Not all decaf teas are the same though, mainly in the process of how they’re decaffeinated. Aside from the obvious flavor and ingredient variations, there’re many different styles of decaf teas that each have their own pros and common con: much of the good nutrients are lost in the filtering process. Let’s go through why decaf tea is so great for you, and which ones you should try first.
8 Best Decaf Tea (2022 Update)
1. Bigelow Decaffeinated Earl Grey Black Tea
Take a drink of this full-bodied earl grey black tea from Bigelow—you’ll never want to try any other earl grey. This tea is individually wrapped in foil pouches just to stay fresh no matter where you go, so carry it around with you when you travel. Rest assured that the strong black tea flavor, mixed with the aromatic orange peel and the warm spices will stay delicious, especially since Bigelow meets the highest standards when it comes to the quality of their tea.
What makes this tea unique though is the fact that it’s completely gluten-free, calorie-free, and even kosher certified, so you can drink it as your morning cup of tea with no problems at all. It has a unique fruity flavor to it, with real hand-picked spices and herbs inside.
Pros
- It does not have an aftertaste to it
- The flavor is very smooth
- The blend tastes good cold or hot
Cons
- Some people note that it smells chemical-like
2. Stash Tea Decaf Earl Grey Loose Leaf Tea
Get all the rich flavor of earl grey tea with less than 6mg of caffeine per cup. You can easily drink it grey or with some milk and sugar thanks to the rich flavor, and can even enjoy it hot or iced, or even in your baked goods! This is because it’s a loose-leaf tea, with flavoring that blends well with just about everything.
This tea from Stash Tea is made to stay fresh with the resealable bags, so when you take them out, you’ll be able to taste the rich flavor of the black tea, along with some bergamot extract inside.
Pros
- It tastes good even when combined with your usual creamers
- The caffeine really is low; perfect for drinking at night
- Good flavor if you don’t want something super strong
Cons
- Doesn’t taste as rich as people would like
3. Twinings of London Decaffeinated English Breakfast Herbal Tea Bags
If you’re looking for a fresh flavor, you can’t go wrong with this Twinings of London herbal black tea. This tea is made to be full-bodied and with a complex flavor that is perfect for any time of the day. All you have to do is steep it for four minutes to get the perfect cup of tea.
This is because this tea is made with the finest quality leaves, and blended with hand-selected ingredients from throughout the world. You’ll get flavors from five different countries that make this tea unique, with some assam for a rich type of flavor to it.
Pros
- Perfect for people who are looking for a milder flavor
- Includes a very smooth and comfortable flavor
- Tastes good with sugar, and steeps in a very short amount of time
Cons
- People say that it is not as strong in flavor as advertised
4. Harney & Sons Decaffeinated Hot Cinnamon
Made with three types of cinnamon, orange peel, and sweet cloves, you can smell how fragrant this Harney & Sons hot tea is as soon as you take it out of the bag. The spices should hit you right away—just inhale to smell the full blend of spices, and especially the cinnamon and clove.
This tea has been crafted with ingredients from Sri Lanka, which is why you get such a rich blend of flavors out of the orange peel and cloves. The tea is kosher too, and completely decaffeinated as well.
Pros
- Perfect for people who want a flavor that’s naturally sweet and delicious
- Has a stronger flavor
- You can really taste all the spice
Cons
- You might taste the artificial cinnamon flavor when you take a sip
5. Taylors of Harrogate Decaffeinated Breakfast
Take a sip of this Taylors of Harrogate decaffeinated breakfast tea, which includes a sweet flavor that’s perfect for enjoying at any time of the day. Since they use the carbon dioxide method of decaffeination, rather than using chemicals, you can rest assured that your tea is made to be completely natural.
This tea is made to be high in antioxidants, light, and sweet, and in 5 or 6 minutes, you’ll have a delicious cup to get you through the day. There is a little caffeine in there, but much less than your caffeinated options.
Pros
- Perfect for a very earthy and fragrant taste
- You can really taste a rich flavor when you take a sip
- It’s a good option for making iced tea
Cons
- The actual tea bags tend to be wrapped poorly
6. Stash Tea Decaf Vanilla Chai Tea
There’s nothing quite like a good cup of vanilla chai tea from Stash Tea. They include a delicious blend of black tea, ginger, cinnamon, allspices, clove, and cardamom, and of course, don’t forget the vanilla. Blended to be delicious either hot or iced, this caffeine-free tea stands out.
Pick out one of the individually packaged bags to steep and enjoy. You should easily be able to taste the fresh quality after just a sip.
Pros
- Authentic taste; doesn’t taste artificial
- The tea is suitably strong in flavor
- You can really taste a good balance of the ingredients
Cons
- Some of the tea bags are not packaged well
7. The Republic of Tea Decaf Mango Ceylon Black Full-Leaf Loose Tea
Take a drink of this Republic of Tea decaf mango black tea. It’s easy to steep this tea and to have a gluten-free, sugar-free, and carb-free drink in the morning when you choose this full-leaf tea.
This is especially true since this tea is made with unique ingredients like mango and sunflower blossoms, which are blended with Ceylon tea leaves. Take a sip to get a light and sweet flavor whether you’re drinking hot tea or iced tea.
Pros
- Strong and natural taste
- It’s so strong that you won’t even realize that it’s decaf
- Nice mix of the black tea and mango flavors
Cons
- It may not be as sweet as some people would prefer
8. Harney & Sons Black Tea, Decaffeinated Ceylon
You can’t go wrong when you choose from Harney & Sons with their rich and high-quality decaffeinated black tea. You get all of the taste without needing to struggle with caffeine, but if you do need a little more flavor, it’s easy to enjoy this tea on its own or with milk and sugar too.
Brew your tea bags for 6 to 8 ounces of tea at once, and without compromising the rich flavor of the black teas. You can taste the bergamot flavoring when you take a sip, along with the black tea.
Pros
- It’s made completely of natural ingredients
- There is a little more kick to the tea that makes it perfect for morning tea
- You can smell the strong scent even before you drink it
Cons
- The taste might not be strong enough for some people
Health Benefits of Decaf Tea
The biggest benefit to decaf tea for many is that it has less caffeine than regular tea, especially for those of us looking to cut down on caffeine in our daily diets.
If caffeine makes you jittery, hyper, or wired then you should cut down on it. Decaf is the best way to go about that without quitting caffeine cold-turkey. Quitting anything cold-turkey is never a pleasant experience.
Theine is also called caffeine, which is what coffee and many teas contain naturally in varying quantities. There are a few teas that naturally have lower levels of theine though, such as white tea.
Promotes Weight Loss
Losing weight is not an easy task, no matter how much you are aiming to lose. Jasmine tea, for example, is greatly known for helping give your body a boost with your metabolism- increasing how much more calories it burns, and how quickly it burns them.
This is due to the mixture of green tea leaves, which naturally contains catechin flavonoid, a type of antioxidant that boosts your metabolism’s ability to burn calories and convert nutrients to energy more efficiently.
Studies have shown that individuals who consumed jasmine tea regularly had an increased resting metabolism rate compared to those who didn’t drink the tea on a daily basis. Combine that with exercise and you can lose unwanted weight at a decent rate.
Energy Boosting
Some people may not be able to handle caffeine as well as others, or they might have ill reactions to too much caffeine. This is why decaf tea can be beneficial to those that can’t consume much caffeine. It won’t send you into overdrive, yet has enough to give you a gentle boost when you need it.
Since green tea naturally contains catechin flavonoid– the antioxidant that increases your metabolism- it gives your body a boost of energy without adding too much extra to your system. Your body creates the energy itself by utilizing the stored nutrients within your body already- thus adding that much-needed boost!
However, if you are a caffeine-fan, you can consider buying the best energy-boosting teas.
Loaded with Antioxidants
Flavonoids, which are linked to preventing cancers, can help maintain better heart health, and slow down aging processes in your body caused by free radicals.
Can Help Prevent and Control Diabetes
Jasmine tea or green teas mostly, have been linked to helping combat type 2 diabetes. It helps the body continue to regulate and produce insulin naturally, as well as lower blood glucose levels, helping to reduce sugar spikes or lows from happening throughout the day for those afflicted by diabetes or even prediabetes.
Promotes Relaxation
For many people, drinking a warm cup of tea is relaxing and helps them to stay relaxed for longer. The smell and taste are the biggest factors here, especially for Jasmine tea. Since the flower is aromatic and sweet, it appeals to the sense of smell and taste.
Aids in Preventing Cancer
Since tea already contains loads of antioxidants that help eliminate free radicals within your body, but depending on whether it’s infused with green tea or black tea, it will have slightly different effects.
Jasmine made with green tea is higher in catechins which contain epigallocatechin gallate that has been shown to prevent cancers, as well as other antioxidants and polyphenols, which protect the cells from free radicals.
Jasmine made with black tea contains higher levels of theaflavins, which can inhibit growth of cancer cells and can even kill mutated cells as seen in studies. Black tea attacks mutated cells, while green tea protects from the agents that cause mutated cells.
Conclusion
Decaf teas are better for your health and won’t get you as wired as coffee will. It’s a great replacement for coffees, with more added benefits for your health and well-being. While not caffeine-free, it is a good stepping stone for weaning yourself off of caffeine or decreasing your overall consumption of it.
