Why Decaf Matcha
The most-loved compounds in matcha - EGCG, chlorophyll, and the naturally occurring amino acids - are not the caffeine. The caffeine is just the thing that arrived in the same leaf. Caff Off removes around 90% of the caffeine while leaving the rest of the leaf intact, so you keep the calm focus, the antioxidants and the ceremony, without the spike, the cortisol bump, or the 3pm crash.
Lab-tested, not vibe-tested.
Caff Off has been put through HPLC and ICP testing at three independent labs. Here are the numbers.
What stays in: the matcha compounds your body actually wants
Matcha is the most condensed dietary source of green-tea catechins in the world. Polyphenols make up roughly 30% of matcha's dry weight, with EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) as the most abundant and most studied of the four major catechins. Caff Off's independent HPLC test came back at 4,201 mg of EGCG per 100g of powder - which works out to roughly 84 mg of EGCG per 2g cup. Total polyphenols came in at ~141 mg per cup - so EGCG is the headline catechin, with the rest of the family quietly adding to the antioxidant load.
Matcha also contains naturally occurring amino acids that contribute to its signature calm-focus feeling. The shading process used in Kyoto concentrates these compounds along with chlorophyll - and natural decaffeination preserves the catechins, the amino acids and most of what makes matcha matcha.
Decaffeinating matcha doesn't touch the catechin profile or the amino acids. The compounds that produce calm focus and the antioxidant benefits are structurally separate from the caffeine - our lab numbers confirm the catechins survive the process. The compounds stay. The caffeine doesn't.
What leaves: caffeine's less-loved effects
Caffeine acutely increases plasma ACTH and cortisol - the body's primary stress hormones. The half-life is 3-6 hours, meaning a moderate dose taken even 6 hours before bedtime produces measurable sleep disturbance. And caffeine repeatedly activates the HPA axis, the same system implicated in stress and anxiety disorders.
With Caff Off, a 4pm cup is roughly equivalent to a small bite of dark chocolate.
Why matcha is unusually well-suited to being decaffeinated
Most of what makes matcha matcha is not its caffeine. It's the catechin density, the chlorophyll, and the umami amino acids - all amplified by the shading process, not by the caffeine. Removing the caffeine doesn't take the matcha away. It takes the noise away.
Regular matcha vs. Caff Off, side by side
| Regular matcha | Caff Off | |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeine | 35-70 mg | 7-9 mg (lab-verified) |
| EGCG | 50-80 mg (varies) | ~84 mg (lab-verified) |
| Total polyphenols | 100-140 mg | ~141 mg (lab-verified) |
| Cortisol amplification | Present | Minimal |
| Drinkable after 3pm | Risky | Anytime |
| Pregnancy / sensitive use | Watch the limit | Well within guidance |
| Heavy metals | Often unverified | In-spec (Light Labs, 2025) |
| Origin | Varies | Kyoto, Japan (single-origin) |
All quantitative values above are per 2g serving (one standard 1-teaspoon cup of matcha).
Reports: Caffeine → · Polyphenols →
How we naturally decaffeinate the leaf
Caff Off uses a patented all-natural water decaffeination process - similar to the Swiss Water Process used for coffee. Tencha leaves are gently soaked in hot water, which extracts the caffeine. The remaining bioactives - catechins, amino acids, chlorophyll - are filtered back into the leaf, so the matcha keeps everything that makes it matcha.
No chemical solvents, no bleaching, no high-heat oxidation. Just water.
Three-step process
About the color and taste
Decaffeination is gentle, but it's not invisible to the leaf. Chlorophyll - the pigment that gives matcha its vivid green - softens slightly, so Caff Off pours a milder green than caffeinated matcha. The flavor stays full: smooth, lightly sweet, with the umami you expect. Never bitter, never grassy.
Tested for what shouldn't be in your matcha
Tea plants concentrate everything they pull from their soil - the good and the bad. For a powder you whisk and drink whole, every milligram ends up in your cup. We test for both.
Heavy metals
Tested by Light Labs (PJLA-accredited, Ann Arbor MI) against California Prop 65 limits - the strictest US supplement standard.
| Metal | Per 2g cup | Limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | 0.02 mcg | 5,000 ppb | In-spec |
| Cadmium | 0.16 mcg | 2,050 ppb | In-spec |
| Lead | 0.29 mcg | 250 ppb | In-spec |
| Mercury | 0.01 mcg | 150 ppb | In-spec |
Radioactivity
Tested by Bureau Veritas FEAC via gamma-ray spectrometry. Japan's regulatory limit is 100 Bq/kg - we're below detection.
| Isotope | Result | Detection limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iodine-131 | Not detected | 0.6 Bq/kg | Clear |
| Caesium-134 | Not detected | 0.7 Bq/kg | Clear |
| Caesium-137 | Not detected | 0.7 Bq/kg | Clear |
Most tea brands don't share their lab results. We work with three independent laboratories and put the numbers on the page.
Pregnancy, sensitivity, sobriety: the case for decaf matcha
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends pregnant women limit caffeine to less than 200 mg per day. Caff Off's lab-verified 7-9 mg per cup leaves a wide margin, so the ritual stays in even when the caffeine has to go.
The same applies if you're cycling off coffee, doing a sober month, breastfeeding, recovering from burnout, or simply caffeine-sensitive in a way most beverages don't accommodate. Always check with your healthcare provider.
The short version
- You keep: ~84 mg EGCG per cup, ~141 mg total polyphenols, naturally occurring amino acids, chlorophyll, umami, calm focus, and the matcha ritual - all lab-verified.
- You lose: ~90% of the caffeine, the cortisol amplifier, the jitter risk, the afternoon-cup sleep cost, and the pregnancy/sensitivity calculation.
- You can verify: Heavy metals in-spec (Light Labs, 2025). Radioactivity non-detect (Bureau Veritas, 2024). Caffeine, EGCG and polyphenols tested across three independent labs.
Try it for two weeks
If it's not the calmest, cleanest matcha you've had, we'll refund you. 14-day guarantee on every order.
Shop decaf matchaReferences & lab reports
- Kochman J. et al. Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review. Molecules.
- Catechin Composition of Matcha Green Teas.
- Matcha tea: chemical composition and health benefits review (regular-matcha polyphenol content, ~100-140 mg per 2g cup).
- Got Matcha - Matcha Nutritional Facts (industry benchmark for matcha polyphenol content per 2g cup).
- Lovallo W.R. et al. Caffeine Stimulation of Cortisol Secretion. Psychosom Med.
- Drake C. et al. Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before bed. J Clin Sleep Med.
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 462. Moderate Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy.
- Caff Off Ingredient Analysis - Bureau Veritas FEAC. HPLC + Folin-Denis: Caffeine 354 mg/100g, EGCG 4,201 mg/100g, Total Polyphenols 7,054 mg/100g. Download PDF.
- Caff Off Caffeine Re-test - Merieux NutriSciences Japan. HPLC: Caffeine 390 mg/100g. Download PDF.
- Caff Off Heavy Metals COA - Light Labs (PJLA #128155). LLMTDA assay: As, Cd, Pb, Hg all in-spec. Download PDF.
- Caff Off Radioactivity Report - Bureau Veritas FEAC (ILAC-MRA RTL03740). Gamma-ray spectrometry: I-131, Cs-134, Cs-137 all below detection. Download PDF.
This page summarises peer-reviewed research and our own independent lab testing. It is for general information only and is not medical advice.