13 Best Tasting Decaf Coffee You Must Try
Many people (including some coffee drinkers) don't appreciate the point of drinking decaf coffee, especially if they need a wake-up call in the morning.
However, the benefits of decaf coffee is that you can still enjoy the ritual, the smell, and, of course, the taste of coffee without caffeine. You can enjoy decaf coffee throughout the day without the negative side-effects of caffeine, like insomnia, nausea, restlessness, increased heart rate, and nervousness.
Decaf doesn't deserve the bad rep it sometimes gets from coffee purists, whose main complaint seems to be about how caffeine is taken out of a batch of coffee. Now that there are safe and effective ways to decaffeinate coffee, we can skip the caffeine buzz and drink coffee at our own pace.
While decaffeinated coffee may still have a bad rap in some quarters, the days of boring decaf are over. Today, the best decaf coffee will blow your taste buds away and still deliver your caffeine hit.
Best Decaf Coffee Should Try
We've researched widely and tasted many different types of decaffeinated coffee to compile this comprehensive list of the best-tasting decaf coffee you must try. You can shop for any of these best decaf coffee brands online:
1. Best Organic - Jo Decaf Medium-Dark Roast
If you're trying to cut out caffeine while still enjoying coffee, you won't find a better organic option than this. This decaf blend's blueberry and chocolate milk scents are wonderfully enticing.
Decaffeinating coffee beans with Swiss water gives No Fun Jo's coffee a more subtle flavor. Among the components are beans that have been verified as organic and fair-trade.
Whole bean, grind, 12-ounce, 2-pound, and pod packs are just some of the packaging options for decaf coffee.
Highlights:
- Organic Decaf Espresso
- Swiss Water Process
- Whole Bean Coffee
- Certified by Fair Trade
- Medium-Dark Roast
- 100% Arabica Coffee
2. Lifeboost Coffee Organic Decaf
Lifeboost's decaf coffee goes via a Swiss water process that reduces acidity and caffeine. It's sustainably sourced from the mountains of Nicaragua and completely natural.
They have just the right amount of acidity and caffeine, and their flavors are delightful and well-balanced. Some consumers have described the flavor as "caramel with nuts."
This coffee results from a lengthy, shade-grown process at a high altitude. They aim to create a coffee that is delicious and nutritious.
Ultimately, this doesn't matter if their marketing fails to inspire you because their product is the best decaf coffee out there.
Highlights:
- Medium Roast Decaf Coffee
- Natural Coffee Flavor
- Swiss Water Process
- Fairly-Traded
- Mountain Shade Grown
3. Volcanica Coffee - Costa Rica Decaf Tarrazu
South of San Jose, in the mountains, is where you'll find Costa Rica's famous Tarrazu decaf coffee. Coffee from the Tarrazu region is known for its robust body, lively acidity, smooth body, and clean, bright flavor with a little chocolate undertone.
Decaffeinated coffee beans of a single origin are allowed to mature slowly and are certified organic. This process produces a wide range of authentic Costa Rican tastes. The flavor of decaf coffee is reminiscent of a chocolate-covered apple. Overall, the coffee that results from a medium roast is bright and airy.
The decaffeinated brew from Volcanica Coffee is highly recommended if you want a cup of coffee that retains the bean's original acidity and fruity undertones.
Highlights:
- Kosher Certification
- Variety of Flavors
- Medium Roasted Coffee
4. Lavazza ‘Dek’ - Best Decaf Espresso Beans
If you like decaf espresso, look for the best beans. Lavazza Dek embodies Italian tradition. Italian-roasted beans have a dark, rich flavor. If ground properly, they can also be used in other breweries.
Designers enjoy how Lavazza roasts beans without over-oiling them. Oil makes a gorgeous crema, but too much might clog your equipment. Discovering a rare bean is always exciting.
Highlights:
- Whole Bean Espresso Coffee
- Central America Blend
- 1-Pound Bag
5. Eight O'clock - Medium Roast
Eight O'clock is the most widely consumed brand of whole bean coffee in the USA. It's an excellent buy for its price because of the flavorful aftertaste and the ease with which it may be consumed. Decaf eliminates the need to reload your cup constantly.
Eight O'clock Coffee has provided the best coffee in America for nearly 150 years. All the roastings occur in the old state of Maryland, so you know you're getting an authentic USA product. This is a decaffeinated version of the classic Eight O'clock Arabica blend and it is one of the best decaf coffee you'll taste.
Highlights:
- Whole Bean Coffee
- The Original Decaf
- 24 Ounce
6. Café Don Pablo Decaf Colombian Gourmet Coffee
Another one of the best-tasting decaf coffees is Cafe Don Pablo, roasted from Colombian Supremo beans. Cafe Don Pablo uses only the finest grade Colombian Supremo and is decaffeinated with a natural Swiss water process.
Flavors of cocoa, caramel, and citrus are all present in this fantastic coffee. This mellow blend is excellent whenever you want it, but it pairs exceptionally well with sweets and pastries.
Highlights:
- 5LB Don Pablo Colombian Decaf
- Swiss Water Process Decaffeinated
- Medium-Dark Roast
- Whole Bean Coffee
- Low Acidity
- 5 Pound (5 lb.) Bag
7. Peet's Coffee- Dark Roast
Peet's Coffee has brewed the most excellent Bay Area coffee since 1966. Peet's Coffee also offers decaf. Peet's Coffee customers love the dark roast Major Dickason's blend of beans from all over the world.
Perhaps Major Dickason was a Peet's customer. The regular with his blend! This coffee company values client feedback. Peet's Coffee boasts that their Decaf Dickason's Blend tastes like the original.
Peets is widely available and affordable, so switching between caffeine and decaf is easy. You'll hardly notice. You're awake and sleepy at once.
Highlights:
- Major Dickason's Blend in decaf
- 10.5-ounce bag
- Dark Roast Decaffeinated Ground Coffee
8. Kicking Horse Decaf Dark Roast Coffee
Kicking Horse Coffee understands the challenge of making decaf coffee taste like regular coffee. Customers often use words like "rich" and "robust" to characterize the company's decaf blend's dark roast. Each sip is brimming with flavors of roasted hazelnuts and milk chocolate.
Kicking Horse's beans are roasted in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and the company has organic and fair-trade certifications. Its caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee is slightly more costly than the average grocery brand, yet it is widely available in stores and online. In addition, you can select a bag size ranging from 10 ounces to 2.2 pounds.
Highlights:
- Decaf Dark Roast Coffee
- Swiss Water Process
- Organic Coffee
- Kosher Certified Coffee
9. Seattle’s Best Coffee Decaf Portside Blend
High marks have been given to this medium roast for its balanced flavor and excellent value. All the beans used in its production are Arabicas, and they come from various countries in Latin America. You can find decaf and other Seattle's Best coffees in stores and online without trouble.
The most glaring drawback of this mix is that it is only available in 12-ounce bags of ground coffee rather than larger quantities of whole beans. In addition, the Swiss Water Process is not used to decaffeinate the beans; instead, chemicals are used.
Seattle's Best is a cheaper alternative to Starbucks, another Seattle-based company, and is marketed as a robust, daily coffee with few frills.
Highlights:
- Decaf Portside Blend
- Ground Medium Roast Coffee
- 100% Arabica Beans
- Best K-Cup Coffee Pods
10. Mount Hagen Organic Freeze-Dried Instant Decaf Coffee
Mount Hagen Decaf Instant Coffee is an excellent choice for organic, fair trade, and delicious decaf coffee. Instant coffee has been described as a medium roast that is shockingly robust and not overly acidic by its consumers.
Coffee enthusiasts on the run may prefer purchasing the product in single-serve packets rather than the larger jar size.
Remember that if you like a large cup of coffee or a more potent brew, you're better off with a jar rather than a single-serve packet.
Highlights:
- Organic Instant Coffee
- 100% Arabica Beans
- Organic Fair Trade
- Kosher Decaffeinated Blend
11. Koffee Kult Colombian Decaf Coffee
Koffee Kult offers a diverse selection of coffees (including various caffeine-free varieties) because it imports its beans from more than 50 nations.
The decaf from Colombia is a family favorite. It's a medium roast, so you can drink it whenever it suits you best, but the dark chocolate undertones and syrupy aftertaste make it stand out as one of the best-tasting decaf coffee.
The Swiss Water Process is used to remove the caffeine from beans that are purchased straight from Colombia. You can buy whole beans instead of pre-ground if you prefer a less hands-on approach to your coffee preparation.
Highlights:
- Medium Roasted Coffee
- 1005 Arabica Coffee
- Unique Columbian Blend
- Made in the USA
12. Stone Street Coffee Company Mayan Water Half-Caff
Blends of both regular and decaffeinated coffee beans are used to make "half-caff" coffee, which contains roughly half the caffeine of ordinary coffee. It's an excellent choice for folks easing off caffeine or wanting a little boost without the spike.
In this regard, the Mayan Water Half-Caff produced by Stone Street Coffee Company stands out as an excellent example. This medium roast is versatile enough to be enjoyed at any time of day, including by nighttime coffee drinkers. It comes in three different weights (1, 2, and 5 pounds) and packaging options (whole bean or pre-ground).
If you buy from Stone Street's website, you can choose the grind size (from fine to coarse) that works best with your coffee maker. The Mayan Water Half-Caff is a bit pricey, which is the beverage's one real drawback.
Highlights:
- Decaf Medium Roast Coffee
- Swiss Water Process
- Regular Caffeine Blend
13. Stumptown Trapper Creek Decaf Coffee
Decaffeinated coffee using the solvent-free Swiss Water Decaf process is considered organic. There may be additional organic decaffeination procedures, but only this one is certified.
As a result, it is used in the production of Stumptown's Trapper Creek blend. Their product line is well-known for its attention to nuanced flavor; thus, it stands to reason that they would want a decaffeination method that would not compromise the coffee's original character.
The decaf coffee beans from Stumptown are of the highest quality and among the best decaf coffee available.
Highlights:
- Whole Bean Decaf Coffee
- Certified Organic Coffee
- Swiss Water Decaf Process
Quick Buying Guide for Decaf Coffees
If you're looking for decaf coffee, you do not have to sacrifice taste. We all have favorite kinds of regular coffee, so why shouldn't it also hold true for decaf coffee? If you prefer decaf coffee, here is a quick guide to help you select the best decaf coffee brand in the market:
1. Consider how the decaf coffee is made
Peet's solvent procedure is just one of several ways coffee beans can be processed to remove caffeine. They all start with the same type of caffeinated coffee beans.
One of these processes may decaffeinate every kind of coffee bean:
i. Swiss Water Processing
In this context, "Swiss water processing" refers to water treatment by the Swiss Water Company. Green beans absorb drained, clean water to nourish them.
The green beans soak up the filtered water, which has had the caffeine removed, and regain its original flavor. Even though that's a fundamental description, you should get a general idea. Zero chemicals were used in its production.
ii. CO2 Processing
Coffee beans are soaked in water, and liquid carbon dioxide is added to the container. Caffeine molecules are removed, but larger flavor molecules are retained. It is the most pricey and cutting-edge method. Hence small-batch roasters rarely use it.
iii. Solvent Processing
Steeping beans in a solvent prepare coffee. The beans are then cooked, or the water is evaporated to remove the solvent.
As far as efficiency and minimal impact on the environment goes, CO2 processing wins out over water processing every time. Because of the potential for flavor loss during water processing, dark-roasted, highly flavorful beans are ideal for this method.
2. Consider the various distinct varieties of caffeine-free coffee beans
There are four primary classifications of coffee beans:
i. Arabica
By a considerable margin, this bean is the most frequently cultivated and utilized variety on Earth. It's less acidic and has a sweeter, more subtle taste than the other items on our list.
Most Arabica plantations are located at higher altitudes since this is where the rain is more plentiful.
ii. Robusta
Among beans, Robusta is the second most prevalent. Caffeine content and roughness make this bean superior to arabica. Robusta is simpler to grow in a farm setting than arabica.
iii. Liberica
Coffee made from Liberica beans is unusual since they require a precise climate to flourish. The air is fragrant with hints of fruit and flowers. You probably won't find these beans at your local supermarket.
iv. Excelsa
The Excelsa bean, which comes from the Liberica family and is grown mainly in Southeast Asia, is a popular culinary staple in the region. This bean is typically used in light and dark roasts due to its acidic, fruity flavor.
Key Advantages of Decaffeinated Coffee
Caffeine keeps you awake, which can be counterproductive in some cases where you need enough quality sleep to rest and rejuvenate. On the other hand, decaf coffee is a great after-dinner or late-night treat that doesn't cause that effect.
Caffeine can raise heart rate and blood pressure, harming the cardiovascular system. In a Duke University Medical Center study, 500mg of caffeine (about four cups of coffee) elevated participants' blood pressure throughout the day.
However, decaf coffee is usually safe. If you get the best decaf coffee product of a high-quality, the flavor will also be comparable to ordinary beans, allowing you to drink more coffee while avoiding caffeine.
Moreover, decaf coffee is an excellent alternative for those who don't want too much caffeine for health reasons, especially considering that increasing caffeine consumption cause irregular heartbeat and other serious health complications.
Nevertheless, whether it is regular or decaf, too much coffee can upset your stomach. So, there is that to keep in mind.
In Conclusion
This list highlights the best decaf coffee you should try. Decaf coffee may surprise you, with the many caffeine-reduced choices. Even if you need a morning jolt, try decaf. It enables you to drink late at night and still sleep well.
When referring to best decaf coffee, the best choice of low-caffeine coffee may be based on either flavor descriptions or bean origin. Our verdict is that Lifeboost is the healthier decaf option. Lifeboost never adulterates coffee, from bean to beverage.
Volcanica House Blend Decaf is runner-up. They're dependable roasters. Their decaf House Blend is delicious day or night.
Stumptown's Trapper Creek organic decaf is another good option you should try. This trusted brand sets coffee industry standards. The company solely decaffeinates its high-quality raw coffee beans with organic Swiss Water.
So, our favorite and best decaf coffee:
1. Best Organic - Jo Decaf Medium-Dark Roast
2. Lifeboost Coffee Organic Decaf
3. Volcanica Coffee - Costa Rica Decaf Tarrazu
4. Lavazza ‘Dek’ - Best Decaf Espresso Beans
5. Eight O'clock - Medium Roast
6. Cafe Don Pablo Decaf Colombian Gourmet Coffee
7. Peet's Coffee - Dark Roast
8. Kicking Horse Decaf Dark Roast Coffee
9. Seattle's Best Coffee Decaf Portside Blend
10. Mount Hagen Organic Freeze-Dried Instant Decaf Coffee
11. Koffee Kult Colombian Decaf Coffee
12. Stone Street Coffee Company Mayan Water Half-Caff
13. Stumptown Trapper Creek Decaf Coffee
