How to Decaffeinate Tea
Drinking tea is a great way to enjoy a flavorful beverage while reaping the many health benefits of tea. Unfortunately, most traditional teas contain caffeine. To eliminate the caffeine while still enjoying the flavor of tea, you can decaffeinate your tea. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Select Your Tea
You can purchase decaffeinated versions of many popular types of tea. Otherwise, you may opt for a tea with naturally low caffeine levels, like herbal blends or rooibos tea.
Step 2: Prepare the Tea
If using low-caffeine tea, follow the instructions for steeping that type of tea. If using decaffeinated tea, you will need to steep the tea for a bit longer than usual to get the caffeine out.
Step 3: Filter the Tea
After steeping the tea, you should filter it to remove any remaining caffeine. A coffee filter will work well to remove the small caffeine particles.
Step 4: Enjoy Your Tea!
Now it’s time to enjoy your decaffeinated tea!
Tips for Decaffeinating Tea
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- Brew Longer: Steep your tea for an extra minute or two to extract more caffeine.
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- Use Cold Water: Cold water (as opposed to hot) will extract less caffeine from the tea.
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- Brew in Batches: Make more than one cup of tea at a time to maximize the caffeine extraction.
