How do I store my tea? Will it go bad?
Tea should be stored away from light, moisture, and strongly flavored or fragranced foods. Green and white teas will keep fresh for up to a year. Black and oolong teas for longer. Tea doesn't go bad per se, but it will lose flavor over time.

What are the health benefits of tea?
Recent studies have shown over and over the incredible benefits of tea, including white, red, green and black. Learn about the latest in health from the WebMD.

How much caffeine does tea contain?
Teas vary in caffeine content based on the type of tea as well as the length of time you steep your tea, and whether you reinfuse the same leaves. 

Caffeine is a stimulant. It can increase alertness and heart rate. Caffeine can also cause restlessness and difficulty in sleeping. The effects of caffeine begin about 15 minutes after you consume it and last up to several hours. People differ in their sensitivity to caffeine. If it causes problems, consider limiting how much caffeine you consume.

The following chart compares the caffeine content of many popular beverages.

Beverage
Caffeine 
(milligrams)
TEA (8 ounces)
Black tea
40
Oolong Tea
30
Green tea
20
White Tea
15
Decaffeinated black tea
5-10
Herbal Infusion
0
COFFEE (8 ounces)
Coffee Brewed 8 ounces
80-85
Decaffeinated, brewed
3
Decaffeinated, instant
3
CARBONATED BEVERAGES (12 ounces)
Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke
34-45
Pepsi-Cola, Diet Pepsi
36-38
Barq's Root Beer
22
Mello Yellow, regular/diet
51
Sunkist Orange Soda
41
Mountain Dew, regular/diet
55
OTHER BEVERAGES (8 ounces)
Cocoa
8
SoBe Adrenaline Rush
79
SoBe No Fear
158
Red Bull
80

 

Creating Your Own Decaf
Tea can be decaffeinated at home. At least somewhat. Caffeine is water soluble above 175º and releases quickly from the tea leaves. The procedure is simple:

  • Bring a pot of fresh, cold water to the proper temperature (typically 180º for green tea and 212º for black tea).
  • Pour a bit of the hot water onto the dry leaves and swirl the mixture for about 30 seconds.
  • Pour off and discard this water. Between 80-90 percent of the caffeine will have been removed from the tea leaves.
  • Add the full amount of hot water and steep the leaves as usual.