# How Much Caffeine Is in Decaf Coffee? Is It Caffeine-Free?

Decaf coffee has 2 to 15 mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup, the FDA says, against about 95 mg in regular coffee. Lab tests found up to 15.8 mg in a decaf espresso.

## Numbers the app uses

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Default serving | 240 ml (8.1 fl oz) |
| Hydration factor | 1.00 |
| Counts toward the daily goal | 240 ml per serving |
| Caffeine | 3 mg per serving |
| Calories | 1 kcal per 100 ml (2 kcal per serving) |

## How much caffeine is left

Decaffeination removes most of the caffeine from the beans, and some stays. The FDA puts a typical 8 oz cup of decaf at 2 to 15 mg. ([FDA](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much))

Lab tests show the spread. When researchers at the University of Florida tested decaf from 10 coffee outlets, a 16 oz (473 ml) cup held 0 to 13.9 mg. Six decaf espressos bought from one Starbucks store held 3.0 to 15.8 mg per shot, and six brewed decaf coffees from the same store 12.0 to 13.4 mg per 16 oz. ([McCusker et al., 2006](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17132260/))

## How decaf is logged

WaterChamp lists Decaf Coffee as its own drink, at 3 mg for a 240 ml (8 fl oz) cup, near the low end of the FDA range. Every other coffee has a Decaf chip when you log it. With the chip on, the drink keeps its volume and calories, and its caffeine is logged as 0 mg. Teas have the same chip, named Caffeine-free.

On a typical five-hour half-life, a 3 mg decaf at 4 pm leaves about 1 mg at 11 pm, so it barely moves the bedtime figure in the [caffeine calculator](/tools/caffeine-cutoff/).

## Does decaf coffee dehydrate you?

No. Regular coffee was kept as well as still water in the Beverage Hydration Index trial. ([Maughan et al., 2016](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26702122/)) In a three-day study of 50 men who drank coffee every day, four 200 ml cups a day left the same 24-hour urine volume as the same amount of water: 2,409 ml against 2,428 ml. ([Killer et al., 2014](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24416202/)) Decaf has a small part of that caffeine. A cup counts in full toward your goal, at a hydration factor of 1.00.

## Decaf across a day

Five cups of decaf at the FDA's top figure of 15 mg add up to 75 mg, less than one regular cup at 95 mg. At 3 mg a cup, five cups are 15 mg. For scale, the FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally linked to negative effects for most adults. ([FDA](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much)) More on [how long caffeine lasts](/guides/how-long-does-caffeine-last/).

The caffeine in every coffee in the app, per default serving:

| Drink | Serving | Caffeine | Per 100 ml |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cold Brew | 350 ml (12 fl oz) | 200 mg | 57 mg |
| Iced Coffee | 475 ml (16 fl oz) | 165 mg | 35 mg |
| Drip Coffee | 355 ml (12 fl oz) | 140 mg | 39 mg |
| Flat White | 160 ml (5.4 fl oz) | 126 mg | 79 mg |
| Black Coffee | 240 ml (8.1 fl oz) | 95 mg | 40 mg |
| White Coffee | 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) | 80 mg | 32 mg |
| Affogato | 150 ml (5.1 fl oz) | 63 mg | 42 mg |
| Americano | 240 ml (8.1 fl oz) | 63 mg | 26 mg |
| Cappuccino | 200 ml (6.8 fl oz) | 63 mg | 32 mg |
| Cortado | 120 ml (4.1 fl oz) | 63 mg | 53 mg |
| Espresso | 40 ml (1.4 fl oz) | 63 mg | 158 mg |
| Latte | 350 ml (12 fl oz) | 63 mg | 18 mg |
| Decaf Coffee | 240 ml (8.1 fl oz) | 3 mg | 1 mg |

## Questions

### Is decaf coffee caffeine-free?

No. An 8 oz cup typically has 2 to 15 mg, the FDA says. [Herbal tea](/drinks/herbal-tea/) is the caffeine-free option.

### How much caffeine is in a decaf espresso?

Lab tests of six decaf espressos found 3.0 to 15.8 mg per shot. A regular [espresso](/drinks/espresso/) shot counts as 63 mg.

### Does decaf coffee count as water intake?

Yes. A cup counts in full toward your daily goal, the same as water.

### Does decaf tea have caffeine?

A little. The FDA notes that decaf teas still contain some caffeine, and a 240 ml cup of Decaf Tea counts as 2 mg.

## Source

Hydration factors follow the Beverage Hydration Index. Maughan RJ, Watson P, Cordery PA, et al. “A randomized trial to assess the potential of different beverages to affect hydration status: development of a beverage hydration index.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2016;103(3):717-723. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26702122/

Page: https://waterchamp.app/drinks/decaf-coffee/