This is great news! Now I will be able to try so many other ONO teas I’ve been longing for but didn’t want that much caffeine! Thank you for posting this information!

Here is some more research from very well known people in the tea industry and a leading scientist.

* “The largest proportion of caffeine is released in the first minute of brewing.” - Bridget Aisbitt, a scientist from the British Nutrition Foundation.

*According to the Specialty Tea Institute,the traditional Chinese gongfu method is approved for decaffeinating 80% of your tea. The method I described above is in short the gongfu method of rinsing the leaves.

* “Caffeine is highly soluble and is one of the first constituents of the tea leaf to be extracted in steeping. Usually 80 percent of the tea’s caffeine content is released within the first 20 to 30 seconds of steeping. You can enjoy virtually caffeine-free tea with small sacrifice of flavor, therefore, by discarding the water after the first 30 to 60 seconds of steeping and adding fresh hot (temperature depending on tea type) water to the now-decaffeinated leaf.” (Pratt,”New Tea Lover’s Treasury,” p.182) James Pratt is one of the world’s leading authorities on tea and tea lore

* “The biggest surprise is that approximately 80% of the water soluble caffeine in tea is released during the first 30 seconds of brewing. So, to remove most of the caffeine from your tea, simply pour boiling water over the loose-leaf tea leaves in your teapot, allow the tea to steep for 30 seconds, and then discard the liquid. Use the same tea leaves with fresh hot water to brew a close to fully decaffeinated cup of tea for drinking.” Chas Kroll, Tea Master, Founder of American Tea Master’s Association.

***
There are a lot of different opinions out there but there is one agreeable point: Approximately 80% of the water soluble caffeine in tea is released during the first 30 seconds of brewing. Caffeine is one of the first things to be released from the tea leaves into the water. There will still be a trace of caffeine, so if you must have ‘completely caffeine free’ tea, you may want to try a rooibos, such as ONO Serenity Now, or a an herbal, such as ONO Sleepy Time. As far as losing flavor, the more premium your leaf, the less you will have to worry about the flavor diminishing. To not have to worry about any of those points, switch completely to rooibos or herbal teas.

Thank you so much teachick! I love your blogs and I think it’s great that you support your findings to help us all be informed. I’m an avid reader of your blogs and a huge ONO fan. I’ve tried decaf-ing my tea like you said, and it seems to be a great fit for me. I can’t take too much caffeine, but love the flavor of your teas. Keep up the great work you’re doing

Ok tea chick, can you put me back on your frends list on Face Book, I was under Larry Wells and not sure what happened. Anyway, want to stay in contact with you and love tea. Its under Lawrence J Wells. Thanks.

Very interesting article in removing caffeine form tea by pouring out the first steep.