Decaf Tea for the Evening: Decaf Green, Rooibos and Herbal

In short: if you want a proper cup of tea in the evening without the caffeine, you have three choices. Decaf tea (green or black) keeps the taste of real tea with 2-5 mg of caffeine per cup instead of 30-50 mg. Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free and takes milk like a builder's brew. Herbal infusions such as chamomile, peppermint and lemon verbena have no caffeine at all. Brew decaf green at 75-80°C for 2-3 minutes, rooibos and herbals at 100°C for 5-7 minutes.

British tea drinking does not stop at teatime, but a 9pm cup of English Breakfast is a lot of caffeine for the end of the day. Here is how the evening options compare on flavour, caffeine and brewing, and which loose leaf teas to try first.

Decaf, caffeine-free and "naturally caffeine-free" are not the same

These labels get mixed up on supermarket shelves, so it is worth being precise:

• Decaf tea is real tea (Camellia sinensis) that has had most of its caffeine removed. In the UK and EU a tea can be called decaffeinated when it has no more than 0.4% caffeine in the dry leaf. A cup ends up with roughly 2-5 mg, against 30-50 mg for ordinary green or black tea.
• Caffeine-free means there was never any caffeine to remove. Rooibos, honeybush, chamomile, peppermint, hibiscus and fruit blends all fall into this group.
• "Naturally caffeine-free" is the same thing, said more carefully: the plant simply does not produce caffeine.

If you want the taste of tea itself in the evening, decaf is the answer. If any caffeine at all is a problem for you, go for rooibos or a herbal infusion. We cover the difference in more detail on our decaf tea page.

How decaf tea is made

Good loose leaf decaf is decaffeinated with carbon dioxide (the CO2 method). Pressurised CO2 binds to the caffeine and lifts it out of the moist leaf while leaving most of the aromatic compounds behind. It is the method used for our decaf range, and it is why a well-made decaf green still tastes grassy and fresh rather than flat. Cheaper decafs use ethyl acetate, which strips more flavour, so if a decaf has disappointed you in the past, the process may be the reason rather than decaf itself.

The evening options compared

Decaf green tea: the lightest real tea

Decaf green is the pick if you like a delicate, unsweetened cup. The trick is temperature: green leaf, decaf or not, turns bitter in boiling water. Let the kettle sit for 3-4 minutes after it clicks off, or pour a splash of cold water into the pot first, to get down to 75-80°C. Use 2.5 g (a rounded teaspoon) per 250 ml and steep 2-3 minutes.

Our Decaf Jasmine Green is a good first decaf because the jasmine scenting carries the cup: it is floral and smooth, and the second steep is nearly as good as the first. If you prefer a plain green, a decaf sencha brews the same way and tastes greener and more savoury.

Decaf black tea: for a builder's brew after dark

If "evening tea" to you means a strong mug with milk, decaf black is the closest match. Brew it exactly as you would the caffeinated version: 3 g per 250 ml, water straight off the boil, 3-4 minutes, then milk. CO2-decaffeinated Ceylon keeps most of its briskness, so it stands up to milk without going thin. Decaf English Breakfast and decaf Earl Grey are the usual choices, and a decaf masala chai simmered with milk makes a proper winter nightcap.

Rooibos: naturally caffeine-free and happy with milk

Rooibos is the evening tea for people who find herbal infusions too wispy. It is a South African shrub, not a tea plant, so it has no caffeine and very little tannin, which means you can leave it in the pot for ten minutes and it still will not turn harsh. The flavour is sweet and woody with a honey note, and it takes milk and a spoon of sugar as well as any black tea.

Brew 3 g per 250 ml at 100°C for 5-7 minutes. Start with Rooibos Pure to learn the base flavour, then move on to the flavoured rooibos blends: vanilla, chai spices and chocolate mint all work well in the evening with milk.

Herbal infusions: no caffeine, lots of choice

Everything in the herbal tea range is caffeine-free. For a quiet, mellow cup the classic is Egyptian Chamomile: whole flower heads, brewed 5 minutes at 100°C, with a soft apple-and-honey flavour. Peppermint is the choice after a heavy dinner because it tastes clean and cuts through richness. Lemon verbena, linden and lemon balm are gentler and slightly citrusy. Fruit blends with hibiscus are the most "drinkable" of the lot if you like something tart and colourful, and they are good cold the next morning too.

Herbals forgive almost any brewing. Use 2-3 g per 250 ml, boiling water, and 5-7 minutes under a lid so the aroma stays in the cup rather than in the kitchen.

Three evening habits worth trying

1. Keep two caddies by the kettle: your daytime tea and one decaf or rooibos. It removes the decision at 9pm.
2. Brew a small pot, not a mug: a 400 ml pot of rooibos or chamomile keeps warm under a cosy for half an hour and makes the evening cup feel like an occasion.
3. Cold brew the leftovers: leftover decaf green or a fruit blend in a jug of cold water in the fridge overnight gives you an iced tea for the next afternoon.

Frequently asked questions

Does decaf tea have any caffeine?

Yes, a small amount. UK and EU rules allow up to 0.4% caffeine in the dry leaf, which works out at roughly 2-5 mg per cup, compared with 30-50 mg in a regular cup of green or black tea. Rooibos and herbal infusions have none.

Which decaf tea tastes most like normal tea?

CO2-decaffeinated black tea, such as a decaf Ceylon or English Breakfast, brewed strong with milk. The CO2 process keeps more of the malty flavour than other methods.

Can I put milk in rooibos?

Yes. Rooibos has little tannin and a naturally sweet, woody taste, so it takes milk and sugar well. Brew it a minute or two longer than black tea so it is strong enough to carry the milk.

What temperature should I brew decaf green tea at?

75-80°C. Decaffeination does not change the leaf's tendency to go bitter in boiling water, so let the kettle cool for a few minutes before pouring.

How late in the evening can I drink decaf tea?

That depends on how you react to caffeine. A cup of decaf has about as much caffeine as a square of dark chocolate. If even that is too much for you, choose rooibos or a herbal infusion, which have none.