# caffeine in decaffeinated coffee?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-decaffeinated-coffee/245841>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 18, 2004, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-decaffeinated-coffee/245841 "2004-05-18T20:40:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![peculiar\_hailstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/46a35a/32.png) [@peculiar\_hailstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peculiar_hailstone)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-decaffeinated-coffee/245841/1 "2004-05-18T20:40:13Z")

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Don’t know if this was ever brought upo on the board, but I was once told that decaffeinated coffee DOES contain an amount of caffeine. I stopped drinking coffee because it caused my heart to race, as does all products containing caffeine. Decaffeinated coffee definitely has an effect on my heart rate, even without any sugar in it. Anyone know?

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**Author:** ![SilentButDeftly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@SilentButDeftly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SilentButDeftly)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-decaffeinated-coffee/245841/2 "2004-05-18T21:10:10Z")

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> **[How are coffee, tea and colas decaffeinated?](https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/question480.htm)**
>
> I love decaffeinated coffee, but I've always wondered how they get the caffeine out of a coffee bean. How are coffee, tea and colas decaffeinated?

From Howstuffworks:

> [@](#):
>
> Caffeine is not removed completely using any of these methods, but under federal regulations in the United States, caffeine levels must not be above 2.5 percent of the product in order for a product to be labeled “decaffeinated.”

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**Author:** ![andymurph64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@andymurph64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andymurph64)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-decaffeinated-coffee/245841/3 "2004-05-18T21:39:24Z")

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Back many moons ago when I took Organic Chemistry there was a chart in my lab book on the amount of caffeine in certain foods. It showed more caffeine in a cup of decaffinated coffee then in a can of Coca Cola.

I remember being very surpised at the time and showing it to many people so I don’t think my memory is faulty but who knows about the chart.

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-decaffeinated-coffee/245841/4 "2004-05-19T02:19:40Z")

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> [@andymurph64](#):
>
> Back many moons ago when I took Organic Chemistry there was a chart in my lab book on the amount of caffeine in certain foods. It showed more caffeine in a cup of decaffinated coffee then in a can of Coca Cola.
> 
> I remember being very surpised at the time and showing it to many people so I don’t think my memory is faulty but who knows about the chart.

[url=“[Caffeine Content of Drinks - Coffee, Soft Drinks, Tea](http://wilstar.com/caffeine.htm)”]From here:

> [@](#):
>
> Per 12 oz. serving:
> 
> Mountain Dew 55.0 mg  
> RC Cola 43.0  
> Pepsi-Cola 37.5  
> Coca-Cola Classic 34.0
> 
> Per 8 ounce serving:
> 
> Tea, brewed, U.S. brands (avg.) 40 mg  
> Hot cocoa 14  
> Coffee, Decaf, brewed 3-4  
> Coffee, Decaf, instant 2-3

So, perhaps decaf methods have changed, but colas have significantly more caffeine than decaffeinated coffee.