I picked up a box of Bigelow Naturally Decaffeinated Green Tea some years back for review. This decaffeinated tea is among the best I’ve sampled.
It has the same light green and clear appearance as its non decaffeinated version with almost no bitterness, and its flavor is virtually indistinguishable from the original. Most Bigelow teas are easy to locate, not overly expensive, easy to find, and because each bag is individually sealed against the air, this green tea takes many years in storage to lose its delicate flavor.
Benefits, Features, Advantages, and Pros
Widely sold. Not just in health food stores and supplement shops, this beverage has been made available at most any larger grocery store for a decent though not cheapest price.
Bags each wrapped and sealed tight. Each tea bag is individually wrapped for freshness; so tightly in fact, that no green tea scent appears until you remove this little pouch just prior to brewing. This opaque wrap also protects the green tea from light exposure.
Virtually eternal freshness. This decaffeinated tea can keep for years in a cool place without appreciable changes in flavor.
Promotes healthy, fast-growing nails. Most any green tea, including Bigelow, decaffeinated or not, speeds my fingernails growing, and leaves them looking healthier besides. I like the look, but could do without the faster nail growth.
Goes well with healthy sweeteners. Stevia sweetens this tea without destroying the delicate and unique flavor that I’ve learned to savor from green tea.
Supports weight loss. Even without the caffeine, this green tea still has some thermogenic properties, and can thus, still encourage weight loss.
Tastes close to Bigelow’s original green tea. The taste of this decaffeinated tea closely resembles other decaffeinated as well as non decaffeinated green teas. Many manufacturers thus, have the formula for great-tasting tea down pat, as does Bigelow.
Low tartness. This tea is less bitter than many others I’ve sampled, even after protracted steeping.
May suppress appetite for a few hours. I’ve used this naturally decaffeinated green tea to suppress appetite during diets. For me, it works at least as effectively as a diet pill.
Non addictive. Since there is little caffeine in this product, withdrawal symptoms do not typically occur when I’ve not drunk this green tea for several days. No caffeine headaches. But then again, so is the lift in mood when I again resume drinking it.
Disadvantages, Concerns, Problems, and Cons
Honey destroys this flavor. Especially true in the decaffeinated version of this tea product, sweetening with honey, can completely cover up the tea flavor if used in excess. The green tea flavor is easily destroyed by non-flavor-neutral sweeteners like molasses, honey, or maple syrup. Plus, you avoid the added sugar when you sweeten with stevia.
Somewhat expensive. At $2.32 for 24 tea bags, Bigelow green tea is a bit higher per serving than some other similar products. However, for that added cost, you get a much longer-lasting, fresher tasting tea product. So we don’t mind the price.
Teeth can stain somewhat, due to drinking so much green tea. However, its potential health benefits, even when consuming the decaffeinated type, are worth the minimal extra hardship and expense of more frequent teeth cleaning.
Low caffeine, but not caffeine free.
Our Rating
I’d recommend Bigelow Naturally Decaffeinated Green Tea, thus. It’s a premium tea at a reasonable price, and offers most if not all of the advantages of green teas costing twice as much, or more. So we’d rate this at 98 out of 100, and might give it a perfect score if only they’d lower the price by a quarter to fifty cents per box.
Where To Buy Bigelow Naturally Decaffeinated Green Tea
Look for this low caffeine tea beverage in the bright green box with white lettering, the orange and white “DECAFFEINATED” label, and the tear-off strip on the top, at larger grocery and health food stores, and on the Internet.
References
- Antioxidants on Wikipedia
- Caffeine on Wikipedia
- Green Tea on Wikipedia
- Green Tea Health Benefits on WebMD
- Where to buy Bigelow Naturally Decaffeinated Green Tea
Revision History
- 2015-01-24: Updated content.
- 2014-11-24: Adjusted ad appearance and added whitespace for more clarity.
- 2012-04-02: Originally published.