how much caffeine in decaf coffee

Most decaf coffee still has a small amount of caffeine — typically around 2–8 mg per 8 oz cup, compared with about 70–140 mg in regular coffee of the same size.

Quick Scoop

• A standard 8 oz (about 240 ml) cup of decaf:
  • Common average: about 6–7 mg of caffeine.

* Typical range across studies and brands: **~1–8 mg** , sometimes up to around 15 mg in stronger brews.

• A regular 8 oz coffee usually has 70–140 mg of caffeine, so decaf has roughly 90–97% less caffeine.

• Decaf espresso:
  • Roughly 3–15 mg per shot (1 oz), depending on brand and method.

• Decaf instant coffee:
  • Often a bit lower, around 2.5–4 mg per 8 oz cup.

Why it varies

How much caffeine is in your decaf depends on:

• Brand and beans (Arabica vs Robusta, blends, roast).

• Decaffeination process (e.g., Swiss Water vs solvent-based).

• Brewing method and size (espresso vs drip vs instant, 8 oz vs 16 oz).

For example, lab tests on some big chains found:

• Starbucks decaf brewed coffee: about 12–25 mg in a 16 oz serving.

• Dunkin’ decaf brewed: roughly 7–10 mg in a 10–14 oz cup.

Is decaf “caffeine‑free”?

• No; “decaf” legally means at least ~97% of the caffeine removed , not zero.

• If you’re very sensitive to caffeine, pregnant, or avoiding it for medical reasons, even decaf can matter in large amounts, so checking brand info or asking your doctor is wise.

Simple rule of thumb

• Think of one cup of decaf as roughly equal to 1/10 (or less) of a regular cup’s caffeine.
• If you normally tolerate one regular coffee , you can usually drink multiple cups of decaf and still stay under the same caffeine load — but sensitivity varies.

TL;DR: Expect about 2–8 mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup of decaf , sometimes up to ~15 mg depending on brand and brew, versus roughly 70–140 mg in regular coffee.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.