Some decafs really are not

A morning cup of joe is a workday given, with 57 percent of adult Americans drinking at least one cup every day, according to the National Coffee Association.

But when craving coffee's warmth, smell and taste without jittery hands at the keyboard, decaf -- one might think -- is an acceptable alternative.

However, a recent Consumer Reports unscientific experiment near its headquarters in Yonkers, N.Y., found that while most of the local coffee-serving chains' decaffeinated offerings were practically caffeine-free, others racked up significant amounts of the stimulant.

One Dunkin' Donuts outlet's small cup of decaffeinated coffee delivered 32 milligrams of the energizer. That means two small servings had almost as much caffeine as a normal cup of coffee, which usually has 100 milligrams, according to Consumer Reports.

McDonald's, on the other had, did best at keeping decaf caffeine-light, at under 5 milligrams per small-sized cup.

The United States Department of Agriculture lists a 12-ounce serving of decaf as having 4 milligrams of caffeine.

The experiment, included in the November issue of Consumer Reports, tested six 10- or 12-ounce cups of decaf coffee each from Yonkers locations of six popular national chains.