CONSUMER REPORTS: Is that really decaf?

KUSA - Consumer Reports says just because you ask for decaf doesn't mean your coffee is caffeine-free.

Consumer Reports bought the smallest size decaf coffee from six different locations of six big chains: Starbucks, Burger King, McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts, 7-Eleven, and Seattle's Best, which is sold at Borders Bookstores.

Then chemists in Consumer Reports' lab ran the samples - that were anywhere from 10 to 12 ounces - through a machine to measure the amount of caffeine. Of the 36 cups of decaf, more than half had less than 5 milligrams. But there were exceptions. One of the six cups from Starbucks had 21 milligrams of caffeine. Testers found 29 milligrams in one of the cups from Seattle's Best. And one of Dunkin' Donuts' small decafs had 32 milligrams of caffeine.

A typical cup of caffeinated coffee has about 100 milligrams, so this is less. But if you drink more than one cup or order large sizes, you could be getting more than you bargained for. If you love coffee but not caffeine, you might want to limit yourself to just one cup, especially at night.

Consumer Reports also tested 36 cups of caffeinated coffee from the big chains. The amount of caffeine was all over the lot: anywhere from 58 milligrams up to 281. That means you can't be sure just how much of a java jolt you'll get even when you order regular coffee.

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