Coffee is absolutely delicious, and I love drinking it. But I recognize that if I want a good night’s sleep, I can’t drink it after 6:00 p.m. There are many people who cannot drink coffee after sunset. If they do, they will stay up all night until 4:00 a.m. So if you’re an iced coffee addict like me, drink only decaf iced coffee when the sun goes down.
Starbucks has a delicious decaf iced coffee that is brewed similarly to the regular iced coffee. You can customize decaf ice coffee however you’d like. But decaf iced coffee is not completely caffeine free. It has a small amount of caffeine left.
Starbucks Decaf Iced Coffee
Does Starbucks carry decaf ice coffee? If you’re in the mood for a bit of ice cold coffee but you don’t want the caffeine, you can enjoy a decaf iced coffee. Decaf iced coffee is similar to ice coffee and the only difference is that it is decaf.
Here’s a quick look at every type of drink on Starbucks iced coffee menu and whether or not it can be made decaffeinated.
| Starbucks Iced Coffee Menu | Decaf Available |
| Cold Brew | No |
| Nitro Cold Brew | No |
| Iced Coffee (brewed) | No |
| Iced Caffè Americano | Yes |
| Iced Espresso | Yes |
| Iced Shaken Espresso | Yes |
| Iced Flat White | Yes |
| Iced Latte | Yes |
| Iced Macchiato | Yes |
| Iced Mocha | Yes |
When you order a decaf iced coffee or a regular iced coffee, the coffee will automatically come with a few pumps of syrup. It will not come with milk, although the barista will ask you if you would like milk and what type of milk you would like.
If you want a plain decaf iced coffee, then just ask for a decaf iced coffee black. Black means that there is nothing added to it except ice and water.
How You Can Customize Your Decaf Coffee
There are many ways you can customize your decaf iced coffee. When you first order a decaf iced coffee, it will come with a few pumps of simple sugar, iced, water, and decaf iced coffee mix or decaf espresso.
Here are a few ways you can alter your decaf iced coffee and make it perfect for your taste buds.
- Less ice
- More or less water
- More sugar or less sugar
- Replace simple syrup with other flavors, like caramel, white mocha, mocha, toffee nut etc
- Whipped cream
- Whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles, whipped cream and mocha drizzle, whipped cream and caramel sauce
- Add milk
How Does a Barista Make Decaf Iced Coffee?
There are two major ways a barista makes decaf iced coffee at Starbucks. Stores with medium and high volume of customers will carry pre-made decaf iced coffee, just like they carry pre-made iced coffee mix.
However, stores are very low volume, or licensed stores, which are Starbucks in the middle of a bigger store, like a grocery store or airport, will not carry the decaf iced coffee mix.
Instead, low-volume stores will make anyone a decaf coffee from the decaf espresso.
- 2 decaf espresso shots make a tall decaf iced coffee.
- 3 decaf espresso shots will make a grande iced coffee.
- 4 decaf espresso shots will make a venti decaf iced coffee.
Also, if you don’t like the flavor of the decaf iced coffee mix, you can request the decaf iced coffee to be made with decaf espresso.
Why Do Low Volume Stores Not Carry the Decaf Espresso Mix?
It is in order to save money. For a low volume store, every single sale counts and they will do whatever they can to save money expenses. Decaf iced coffee is not a commonly purchased drink, so there is no need to buy the decaf iced coffee mix.
It could be a week or two before someone orders it. It is much more economical for a low volume store to purchase decaf espresso and use the espresso to make decaf ice coffee.
Is There Any Caffeine in a Decaf Iced Coffee?
Most people believe that decaf coffee doesn’t have any caffeine. After all, the word decaf means decaffeinated. But Starbucks decaf coffee has a small amount of caffeine.
This is because the process used to remove caffeine from coffee beans, which is known as the carbonation by methylene chloride, does not remove all the caffeine. This process removes about 96% of all caffeine from coffee beans and espresso beans.
So How Much Caffeine is in Decaf Iced Coffee?
It depends on the size of the drink and if the barista made the iced coffee from decaf espresso shots or from the decaf iced coffee mix.
According to the Starbucks official website, there is no specific information about the caffeine content in their decaf espresso shots. However, it is generally understood that each shot of decaf espresso contains approximately 12 mg of caffeine.
So, a tall decaf iced coffee made with decaf espresso shots will have 12 mg of caffeine, a Grande will have 24 mg of caffeine, and a Venti iced decaf coffee will have 36 mg of caffeine.
So how much caffeine is in a decaf espresso that is made with the decaf nice coffee mix?
There is little to no information about the amount of caffeine in the decaf ice coffee mix. But a hot brewed decaf coffee has about 1.6 mg of caffeine for one fluid ounce. So that means a grande cup of decaf coffee has about 25 mg of caffeine.
Who Must Avoid Caffeine?
When you think of people who will have to avoid caffeine in any other foods and drinks, usually think of two groups of people. The first is pregnant women, and the second is people with heart issues.
But who else needs to avoid caffeine?
People who have anxiety issues should avoid caffeine if they are not on medication or if their doctors say avoiding caffeine is good for them. Some medications will lower a person’s anxiety so they can consume caffeine. But for some people, their anxiety is so strong that consuming any type of stimulant, even something as simple as caffeine, can cause their anxiety to spike to troubling levels.
If you notice that you’re having trouble getting to sleep, then you can either reduce the amount of caffeine you consume throughout the day or stop drinking caffeine at a certain time. If you wake up at 7 AM every day and drink coffee at 7:30, then you are likely in bed and ready to sleep by 11. Caffeine stays in your system for 8 hours, so don’t drink any coffee after 3 PM.
Possible Questions on Your Mind
Can you get iced coffee decaf at Starbucks?
Yes, you can get decaf iced coffee at Starbucks. However, it’s important to note that standard brewed iced coffee and cold brew are not available in decaf. What Starbucks does offer is a range of iced espresso drinks that can be made with decaf espresso beans. Additionally, a traditional decaf iced coffee can be made using the pour-over method, but this will take a few minutes to prepare.
Can you get iced coffee with decaf?
Yes, you can order iced coffee with decaf espresso at Starbucks. While the brewed iced coffee and cold brew aren’t available in decaf, you can ask for a decaf iced espresso drink. Furthermore, Starbucks baristas can make you a decaf iced coffee using the pour-over brewing method if you prefer a traditional iced coffee over an iced espresso.
How much caffeine is in a Starbucks decaf iced coffee?
Decaf iced coffee from Starbucks still contains a small amount of caffeine. Although decaffeination removes most of the caffeine, it doesn’t remove it entirely. Starbucks decaf drinks range from 3-15 mg of caffeine per shot, compared to 75-85 mg in a regular espresso shot.
Does decaf iced coffee still have caffeine?
Yes, decaf iced coffee does still have some caffeine. Decaffeination processes remove the majority of caffeine from the coffee beans, but not all. For instance, a decaf iced coffee at Starbucks contains anywhere from 3-15 mg of caffeine per shot, much less than regular coffee but not entirely caffeine-free.
Does decaf iced coffee wake you up?
While decaf coffee contains significantly less caffeine than regular coffee, it does contain some caffeine that could have a mild awakening effect. However, it’s unlikely to provide the same level of alertness as regular coffee. It’s also worth noting that the ritual of drinking coffee and the flavors associated with it can psychologically help people wake up and feel more alert.
Does decaf mean 100% caffeine free coffee?
No, decaf does not mean 100% caffeine-free. The decaffeination process removes a significant amount of caffeine from the coffee beans, but not entirely. A decaf coffee typically contains between 3-15 mg of caffeine per shot, depending on the brew and brand, which is significantly less than regular coffee but still not completely free of caffeine.