Decaf Coffee That Tastes Like Real Coffee: How to Pick Decaf Beans, Decaf Espresso, and Decaf Cold Brew
Good decaf exists. Most decaf tastes flat because it is old, made from cheap beans, and roasted to hide both. Get a Swiss Water decaf from a roaster that actually sells enough of it to keep it fresh, and it tastes like coffee.
Whether your doctor told you to cut caffeine or you just want a cup at 8 p.m. without staring at the ceiling, here is how to buy decaf you will actually want to drink.
BLANKS Swiss Water Decaf. All the drill, none of the live round.
BLANKS is a Colombian Swiss Water Process decaf, decaffeinated with water instead of chemical solvents. The medium tastes like stone fruit and caramel. There is also a dark roast for decaf espresso and cold brew. 12 ounce bags are $16.99, the medium comes in a 5 pound bag, and BLANKS K-Cups come in medium or dark.
Shop BLANKS DecafDecaf K-CupsSubscribe and your first order is 30% off automatically. No code. Every delivery after that is 15% off, and you can change or cancel anytime.
Why does most decaf coffee taste bad?
- It is stale. Decaf sells slower, so it sits on shelves longer.
- Cheap beans. A lot of decaf starts with the lowest grade coffee a company buys.
- Over-roasting. Roasting it very dark covers up the first two problems.
- Harsh processing. Some methods strip flavor along with caffeine.
Fix all four and decaf gets hard to tell apart from regular.
How is decaf coffee made?
Caffeine is removed from green, unroasted beans before they are ever roasted. In the US, decaf has to have at least 97 percent of its caffeine removed. There are four main ways to do it.
| Method | How it works | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Swiss Water Process | Soaks beans in water, pulls caffeine out through carbon filters | No chemical solvents. Certified 99.9% caffeine-free. What BLANKS uses |
| CO2 process | Pressurized carbon dioxide dissolves caffeine | Clean, often used for large volumes |
| Ethyl acetate | A solvent found naturally in fruit | Often labeled "naturally decaffeinated" |
| Methylene chloride | A chemical solvent, rinsed out before roasting | FDA allows trace residue. Many people prefer to avoid it |
If a bag does not say how it was decaffeinated, it was probably not Swiss Water, because roasters who pay for Swiss Water tell you.
How much caffeine is in decaf coffee?
A little. An 8 ounce cup of decaf usually has somewhere around 2 to 15 milligrams, compared to roughly 95 in regular coffee. Five cups of decaf can add up to one weak cup of regular. More detail in is decaf coffee actually caffeine free.
What is the best decaf for espresso?
A darker decaf with enough body to stand up to a shot and to milk. Use BLANKS Dark, grind it fine, and pull it the same way you would a regular shot. Decaf beans are a little more brittle, so start one grind setting coarser than your regular espresso and adjust from there.
No espresso machine? An AeroPress makes a strong decaf concentrate that works in a latte. The method is in espresso vs cappuccino.
How do you make decaf cold brew?
Exactly like regular cold brew. Coarse ground BLANKS Dark, 1 part coffee to 8 parts cold water by weight, steep 12 to 18 hours, strain twice. You get the smooth, chocolatey glass in the afternoon without the 2 a.m. wake-up. Full ratios in how to make cold brew at home.
Can you make half-caff at home?
Easily. Mix BLANKS with your regular roast 50/50 before brewing. Fire Watch and BLANKS Medium are both Colombian mediums, so they blend without the flavor clashing. Go 75/25 in the morning and 25/75 after lunch if you are stepping down.
Decaf that is fresh because it ships to you
The biggest decaf problem is staleness, and a schedule fixes it. Set BLANKS bags or pods to ship every 2, 4, or 8 weeks. First subscription order is 30% off automatically, every delivery after is 15% off, change or cancel anytime.
Subscribe to BLANKSAll decafQuestions people ask
What is the best decaf coffee?
Look for Swiss Water Process decaf from a roaster that sells it fresh. BLANKS is a Colombian Swiss Water decaf available as medium or dark roast in bags and K-Cups.
Is Swiss Water decaf better?
Swiss Water Process removes caffeine using water and carbon filters instead of chemical solvents, and it is certified 99.9 percent caffeine-free. Many people prefer it for both taste and peace of mind.
How much caffeine is in decaf coffee?
An 8 ounce cup of decaf typically has around 2 to 15 milligrams of caffeine, compared with roughly 95 milligrams in regular coffee. US decaf must have at least 97 percent of its caffeine removed.
Can you make espresso with decaf beans?
Yes. Use a darker decaf, grind it fine, and pull it like a regular shot. Decaf beans can extract a little faster, so start slightly coarser and adjust.
Why does decaf coffee taste different?
Most decaf tastes flat because it is stale, made from lower grade beans, or roasted very dark to hide defects. Fresh, well-sourced Swiss Water decaf tastes very close to regular coffee.
