A great decaffeinated version of the British favorite! This organic and Fair Trade Certified Decaf English Breakfast Black Tea is made from a flavorful blend of organic black tea from the Putharjhora Estate in the Oodlarbari District. Flanked by two rivers in North Bengal, the fertile alluvial soil produces a classic Indian black tea. Because this organic loose leaf tea is decaffeinated using a state-of-the art carbon dioxide (CO2) decaffeination process, the rich and coppery flavor of the organic black tea comes through nicely. Also, CO2 decaffeination does not involve the use of harmful chemicals, so the resulting product is simply a healthy cup of organic decaf tea with most of the caffeine removed (and no chemical overtones)!
Ingredients: organic and Fair Trade Certified Indian decaf black tea
What are Decaffeinated Teas?
All true teas contain caffeine. Decaffeinated teas are leaves from the plant Camellia sinensis that have had at least 97.5% of the caffeine removed. The term “decaffeinated” is different from “caffeine free.” Decaffeinated refers to a product that originally contained caffeine (like Camellia sinensis) and underwent a process to remove most of its caffeine content. Caffeine-free, on the other hand, refers to a product (like many of our herbal teas) that never contained caffeine to begin with. For our decaf teas, we exclusively use the carbon dioxide (CO2) method of decaffeination. We believe this is the safest form of decaffeination, and retains the greatest flavor and health benefits.
At Arbor Teas, we believe tea should be brewed to suit your personal taste. We’re happy to make recommendations to get you started, but don’t hesitate to experiment! When brewing your tea, your main considerations are tea quantity, water temperature, and steeping time. We recommend black teas to be steeped for 3 to 5 minutes in water heated to a full, rolling boil. For the best flavor, use fresh water whenever possible, and avoid overboiling. Try not to steep your tea longer than necessary, as you’ll extract undesirable bitterness from the leaves. If you want a stronger brew, don’t steep longer, just use more tea. And don’t forget to re-steep your tea leaves to get the most out of your leaf!
"No longer our fullest-bodied decaffeinated black tea, this Decaf English Breakfast has been beat out by our Decaf Iced Tea! However, our Decaf English Breakfast offers a wonderful citrusy note that is not present in the Decaf Iced Tea."
Health Benefits
Like all true tea, black tea offers many potential health benefits. Research has found that tea (Camellia sinensis) can have many positive effects on human health, including improved cardiovascular function, cancer risk reduction, improved immune function, improved oral health, and help with weight management. Tea is also full of polyphenols, which are a class of antioxidant that help your body maintain homeostasis and balance your stress levels. Black tea specifically has been found to regulate blood sugar in diabetics better than other types of tea, according to a study done by the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
For more information about the health benefits of black tea and other types of tea, and for direct sources of the above information, check out our Tea Health Benefits page!
Please note: the information above is for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
British Afternoon Tea
Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, is credited with the origination of afternoon tea in the early 1800s. In Anna's day, lunch was served at noon, with dinner often put off until well into the evening. As the story goes, Anna decided that a light meal over tea in the late afternoon would be the perfect solution to her between-meal hunger. Given Anna's social stature, the concept took off among the upper class, proving to be an excellent social venue. The term "high tea" is actually owed to England's working class, who transformed the afternoon tea into their primary evening meal, serving much heartier fare such as meats, cakes, bread and pies. High tea is a reference to the table the working class sat at while taking their tea - tall in comparison to the low, delicate tables at which the gentry took their lighter, more formal tea. Queen Victoria introduced the English to the Russian custom of adding lemon to their tea after visiting one of her daughters in Russia - before that, the English took only milk with their tea.
I have been mixing regular and decaf English Breakfast teas from Arbor Teas for many years now. It's my everyday morning tea, and I love it. The decaf by itself has a lighter flavor than their regular English Breakfast (although still a stronger and a better flavor than most decaf black teas I have tried). When I mix them, I get a bolder flavor and can have my 2 morning cups of tea without the caffeine bothering me. And I feel good about the source, the decaffeination process, and the packaging. Thank you, Arbor Teas!!!
5
Decaf English breakfast tea
Posted by Karen Shekell on 18th May 2022
I’ve been drinking this tea for years, hot and iced, and I love it!
1
Decad english breakfast tea
Posted by Dareth on 14th May 2022
I hated this. It has no flavor
5
English Breakfast tea
Posted by Sandra on 8th Dec 2021
I have been ordering this tea for several years and I absolutely love it. It is by far the very best and most flavorful decaf black tea I’ve ever had.
5
Satisfies craving without the jitters
Posted by Destinie Laniel on 21st Aug 2021
I Love English Breakfast. It has somehow become my favorite tea. It goes great with any meal or accompanies any meal great too. I love that I I can drink multiple cups of this decaffeinated version and don't have problems with getting over anxious or jittery. The flavor is slightly weak compared to some other brands that I have tried, but they were not decaffeinated. Arbor teas is the only company I have found so far that carries English Breakfast tea in a decaf version.
4
Very smooth
Posted by Lindsay Hescock on 27th Aug 2020
I like this tea a lot. I found it really smooth and satisfying. I thought it was strong without being bitter.
2
Won’t buy again
Posted by Charlie on 18th Aug 2020
Thought I would give this a try but was not impressed. It’s a weak, relatively flavorless tea. Perhaps it compares well with other decaf teas (I admit not having tried many), but it was disappointing compared to regular English Breakfast tea.
5
Love
Posted by Haley DiRenzo on 14th Nov 2019
I drink this almost every morning. I am normally an earl grey drinker but I preferred this to arbor's earl grey. It does have a lighter flavor than caffeinated tea soni just brew for a little longer and use a little more tea.
1
Organic Decaf English Breakfast Black Tea
Posted by very weak on 30th Aug 2019
I could tell when I opened the bag and smelled it, that this would not be good. Hardly any aroma. It was obvious as a steeped the tea that it was not behaving like regular tea--much weaker, bland, hardly any taste. So much for my experiment with decaf tea.
5
Delicious
Posted by Anita H. on 5th Apr 2019
Simply the best breakfast black tea I have ever had. If you are going to give tea as a gift this is a safe option. I never want to be without it.
5
Go to staple
Posted by Camille on 12th Dec 2018
It's already difficult enough to find organic decaf black teas, but loose-leaf just seems to be impossible, so I'm forever grateful that Arbor Teas stocks this marvellous gem of a blend. I would've settled for low-quality and not been disappointed, but wow, this tea just blew me away! Not overpowering, lovingly balanced, pairs well with various milks and a great base for chais and chai-lattes. I've been ordering and re-ordering since the first sip, it's just that good.
5
Best Decaf Black Tea I’ve Ever Had!
Posted by Emily on 2nd Mar 2018
I love my English Breakfast teas but due to health complications caffeine is a No-no for me. So, I have been looking for an English Breakfast decaf that doesn’t have that terrible chemical aftertaste. It must be because they use the CO2 process because this tea is delicious! I like my tea strong so I have to add more and I can’t reuse these leaves like I used to with my regular loose English Breakfast. Thanks for providing such a great option for those of us that need decaf!
5
The best black tea decaf I have ever had
Posted by SG on 11th Jul 2015
I have had two cups and just ordered the 10 0z size. And the big tea keeper. I am very fussy about tea and coffee - trying all the brewing systems and blends. But this Organic Decaf English Breakfast Black Tea is a real winner (big cheer for healthy organic decaf teas)!
3
It's all in the brew...
Posted by Rajan on 21st Mar 2014
We like a black tea that is rather strong so I prepare this one with an extra spoonful than recommended and brew it for a longer duration. Done zestfully, it reaches its peak quite nicely.
5
Wonderful Tea!
Posted by Dianne on 21st Mar 2014
I usually don't write reviews but I love this tea! After making the switch to mainly organic foods, I began to think about my tea as well. I found Arbor Teas and was pleased to see organic decaf black tea as I am not an herbal tea fan. This tea is absolutely delicious, VERY smooth and full of flavor! Each morning I look forward to my cup of tea (or two or three)!
5
Happy to switch from conventional brands
Posted by Michele Moynihan on 17th Mar 2014
After reading information regarding the pesticides used on conventional teas, I began to seek out an organic option. I also wanted to avoid the tea bags, because they also had controversy regarding the materials they were made with. So my search for a new tea also included being loose leaf. It became difficult to find a reasonably priced "organic, loose leaf, decaf black tea". Was I being too picky? Nope. I was ecstatic to find that Arbor Teas had exactly what I was looking for and it tastes amazing. I don't think I can go back to conventional teas :)
5
Best milk tea!
Posted by Yen-Wen C. on 8th Mar 2014
I love milk tea and this tea makes the best ever!! This tea is strong and smooth ( it doesn't take a full tsp to make a strong cup). I don't need much milk to cut the bitterness because there is no bitterness cut! Now I can even enjoy it without milk :) It's extremely satisfying having milk tea with such wonderful black tea aroma.
5
Great blend!
Posted by Laura on 29th Jan 2014
This decaf English breakfast tea is smooth, strong and flavorful. Loved it!
5
You Cannot Go Wrong
Posted by Joani Schofield on 12th Jan 2014
Brewed correctly (or even remotely correctly), this tea is smooth and delicious. Even when I feel like making it a bit stronger, it does not turn bitter. These things are very important to me as I rarely add any sweetener. You really are getting the best when you buy your tea here.
5
Best De-Caff Tea I Ever Drank
Posted by Margaret on 10th Jan 2014
I am sipping on a cup right now and cannot believe how good it tastes. I have been decaffeinated for many years and this is the BEST de-caff black tea I have ever sipped. Cannot wait to see how it tastes iced!
5
Made a tea drinker out of my husband, not an easy feat.
Posted by April S. on 14th Oct 2013
My husband who as always thought tea was disgusting decided it was time for him to stop drinking so much pop. Friends had recommended he try McDonalds Ice Tea, and to be honest, it is my favorite fast food beverage choice. After trying to drink just half of it, he decided he couldn't. The next day I poured him a glass of this tea, what I make for myself and the kids, and he said "this is good, I can drink this". Wow. Ordering some non decaf for him, to replace the caffeine he is missing from pop. Thanks Arbor Teas!!
5
Best English Breakfast tea ever
Posted by Robin on 12th Oct 2013
This tea was my first sample from Arbor Teas and won me over! Simply the best tasting English Breakfast tea ever, and decaffeinated. Superb flavor.
5
Great Tasting Decaf Tea
Posted by Toni on 1st Sep 2013
I drink almost a pitcher of iced tea daily. This tea is incredible! Great taste, smooth, never bitter. Highly recomment
5
Great for Iced Tea!
Posted by Adam on 7th Apr 2013
Makes great iced tea. If you want a decaf alternative to iced tea, this is it! I use a 12-cup coffee maker and use a 1/2 cup of this tea. I brew it twice (that is ,brew 24 cups with the same 1/2 cup of leaves), blend the two pots of tea and have some great tea once it is chilled! Thank you!
5
Decaf English Breakfast Black - -Decaf - -INCREDIBLE
Posted by Steve on 3rd Feb 2013
This is a rich and flavorful, but not overpowering tea. Goes down so smooth. The aroma is also wonderful - -will never use another store bought tea bag again. HIGHLY recommended.
5
Excellent!
Posted by Rebecca on 24th Dec 2012
I love English Breakfast tea . It has been my tea of choice for years. Last year I had to eliminate caffeine from my life. I tried lots of different teas but none of them tasted right. This tea is great. I have ordered it a couple of times now and plan to keep on ordering it. I will try some others as well next time I put in an order.
5
Found!
Posted by Deborah on 3rd Nov 2012
I had discovered an organic iced tea blend that I liked. However, because I'm hypoglycemic and drink A LOT of iced tea (I live in Florida), the caffeine made me jittery. I called the company for a recommendation, and their decaf English Breakfast was suggested. Problem was, the tea was "naturally" decaffeinated with some pretty questionable chemicals. Thus began my search for an English Breakfast tea that was decaffeinated using a truly non-toxic method. I was about to give up when I found the Arbor Teas website - and "Wa-lah!" here was a company that not only offered fine organic teas, but used the non-toxic carbon dioxide method for decaffeination. Thank you Arbor Teas :)
5
Best decaf loose-leaf tea I've found
Posted by Unknown on 29th Sep 2012
I recently had to give up caffeine for health reasons. The only caffeine I had been drinking was my morning cup of golden Yunnan, steeped a little longer to get it nice and strong. I thought it would be easy to find a replacement, but I was surprised to find how few decaf loose-leaf black teas are available. I'm not into herbal or fruit teas, and I'm not a fan of green or white tea, so my options really were limited. I tried four or five other black teas before finding Arbor Teas. I ordered the English Breakfast Decaf, fully expecting yet another disappointing result. I was pleasantly surprised. It has a nice body and pleasant taste, and it lets me keep my morning loose-leaf tea ritual in place. Fingers crossed that Arbor someday is able to expand its offerings in this category! So glad I found this website.
5
Excellent Decaf Tea
Posted by Kimber on 7th Dec 2011
I was so happy to find this net site! The decaf English Breakfast tea has a really nice, smooth flavor, and I'm so happy that it is produced healthier as well. I have only had past experiences with English Breakfast teabags that were a little bitter tasting, but not this one. That's what I meant by SMOOTH. My husband and I both like it very much.
5
Surprisingly full flavor
Posted by Diane on 27th Nov 2009
I was very sad when I had to give up all caffeine and my favorite teas as a result. This English Breakfast Tea is surprisingly full flavored for a decaf tea and stands up to milk and sugar quite well. Given a choice I'd still opt for a sturdy Irish or Scottish Breakfast tea with full caffeine; but since I can't I'm very happy to have found a very nice alternative. (Please note: the 5 stars reflect a comparison with other decaf teas not full caffeine teas. It's far superior to most decaf teas; but probably would rate a 4 against my favorite full caf teas.)
5
Wonderful
Posted by Sherry Laflamme on 13th Apr 2008
This is delightful to wake up with. Yes it is decaf but the decaffeinating process does no harm to the expressive flavor of this organic black tea. I had to give up caffeine. I found herbals so boring for morning time and some decaf teas too caffeinated This is truly a robust breakfast tea with a very low caffeine score. I do use a "pre-rinse" to remove the final amount of caffeine most of the time...still no loss of flavor. If you love English breakfast tea and don't want a lot of caffeine you will not be disappointed. I use the swiss gold filter for my loose tea. It is a must own item for gourmet tea drinkers.