How Does Bigelow Tea Decaffeinate Tea
Published May 8, 2026
Bigelow Tea uses two common methods to decaffeinate our teas. In the case of green tea, we use the carbon dioxide (CO2) process. In the case of black tea, we use the ethyl acetate (EA) process. It’s important to understand that ethyl acetate is naturally occurring in tea leaves as well as many other foods and beverages. It is a naturally occurring compound found in many products due to exposure to air, ripening and fermentation. For example, an unripe banana can have close to zero while a fully ripened banana can have close to 200 ppm. Red wine can range from 50-150 ppm. Tea leaves have between 5-20 ppm. The EA process that is used for Bigelow black teas leaves a finished product with approximately the same level of EA as the original leaf.
Caffeine in Tea
The tea plant (Camellia sinensis) naturally contains caffeine. Green teas typically contain between 25 and 50mg of caffeine per 8oz cup, while black teas contain somewhat more, between 30 and 60mg per 8oz cup. Many people enjoy the flavor of tea but prefer a lower-caffeine option and choose a decaffeinated version.
At home, it is possible to reduce the caffeine in a cup by steeping the tea for 30 seconds, discarding that brew, and then re-steeping. The resulting cup will have less caffeine, though not as much reduction as a commercially decaffeinated product.
For that reason, the tea industry uses multiple approaches to decaffeinate tea leaves before they reach the consumer. The process used depends on the type of tea.
Decaffeination Methods
There are two common methods to decaffeinate tea, ethyl acetate and CO2. Both methods leave a clean and healthy cup to consume. It’s important to choose the method that removes the caffeine while preserving the integrity of the flavor. That is why in the case of green tea we use the CO2 process which leaves the delicate flavor of the cup intact. We choose the ethyl acetate process for black tea to maintain all the critical flavor notes that create a rich black tea experience.
Green Tea: CO2 Decaffeination
Green teas are more delicate which is why the recommendation is to use water just under a boil to preserve the gentle taste. The CO2 decaffeination process preserves the green tea flavor characteristics that are essential for a quality cup.
In this process, the tea leaves are moistened with water and treated with heat and pressure before CO2, a natural gas, is introduced. The CO2 binds to the caffeine molecules in the leaves. The caffeine is then separated from the leaves through evaporation. No CO2 remains in the tea leaves after processing.
Black Tea: Ethyl Acetate Decaffeination
All tea (from the Camellia sinensis tea plant) contains ethyl acetate. Ethyl acetate (EA) is naturally occurring in many ingredients and occurs due to exposure to air, ripening or fermentation. Ethyl acetate can be found in beer, wine, bananas, and many other fruits.
In the case of black tea, the ethyl acetate decaffeination process, preserves the robust flavor of black tea. For this process, the tea leaves are moistened with a mixture of water and EA. The leaves are then heated, allowing the caffeine to bind to the ethyl acetate while the leaves dry. The EA, water, and caffeine evaporate from the leaves. This process removes the majority of the caffeine as well as leaves the EA level similar to the EA level that was originally in the tea leaf.