Decaf coffee is made for those who want the best coffee beans without the high levels of caffeine content. So if you are looking for decaf coffee, you have come to the right place.
If you can't wait to brew your decaf coffee, based on our research the best decaf coffee overall is the Waka Coffee Decaffeinated.
BEST OVERALL
Waka Coffee Decaffeinated
Waka Decaf Coffee is a medium roast coffee that is ideal for people who enjoy a blend of sweetness and slightly bitter undertones.
If you search the ultimate decaf coffee that will give you the same benefits, flavor profiles and aromas of regular coffee without adding extra caffeine, these are the best decaf coffee choices we recommend:
Last update on 2023-10-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you are a Keurig fan, check these decaf K Cups to find the best one for you.
Now you can drink coffee without having sleepless nights or caffeine induced headaches because there are many quality decaf coffee blends to pick from.
Check out the decaf coffees we have reviewed.
Decaf Coffee Reviews
Waka Decaf Instant Coffee
Taste and Aroma
Instant decaf coffee is ideal for the busy adult who doesn’t have time to stand and grind beans just to have a wholesome cup of joe. The positive aspect of Waka Decaf is that even though it’s an instant brand it is still rich in flavors and aromas.
You can enjoy decadent complex flavor notes of citrus fruits with a full-bodied nutty aroma. Because it’s a decaf product you can have as many cups of Waka coffee as you like without the side effects caffeine induces.
Roast Profile
This is a medium roast coffee that is ideal for people who enjoy a blend of sweetness and slightly bitter undertones. Waka’s medium roast instant coffee can be used to make cold milky brews or hot pots of black coffee for those who don’t want to compromise the flavor with sugar or milk
Type of Beans
Waka instant coffee is a ground coffee blend. The powder immediately dissolves in water to create a full bodied coffee with the smoothest finish.
Decaf Process
The Waka instant coffee was made using advanced freeze-dried technology that eradicates the beans of caffeine compounds but locks in all the nutrients, flavor and aroma of the beans.
Where Was the Product Made?
Waka sources coffee beans from all over the world. They are roasted to perfection, ground and packaged in California USA in a controlled environment. Waka only uses premium Arabica beans for their instant coffee which is sweeter and tangier.
What We Like
Kicking Horse Decaf Coffee
Taste and Aroma
Kicking Horse decaf coffee is a 100% organic blend that has a taste profile of roasted hazelnuts with chocolate notes and a well-balanced finish. It has a brilliant nutty aroma that’s strong and warm. It doesn’t have any bitter or woody aftertastes as it has a blend of sugary undertones.
Roast Profile
The Kicking Horse decaf coffee is a dark roast bean that is ideal for espressos and cold brews.
Type of Beans
Kicking Horse uses Arabica beans for their decaf coffee. These are whole beans so you can grind them to your preferred coarseness.
Decaf Process
The Swiss water decaf process was used to make the Kicking Horse coffee which means there are no solvents or harmful chemical traces on the coffee beans. You’ll experience optimal flavor profiles without chemical undertones as the Kicking Horse coffee beans are all-natural.
Where Was the Product Made?
The Kicking Horse coffee beans were grown in a sustainable environment in South America. There were no harmful chemicals used to grow the beans and the brand promotes fair trade practices.
What We Like
Peet’s Coffee Mocca Java Decaf Coffee
Taste and Aroma
Peet’s Coffee is a high-quality decaf brand because it’s made using premium beans. Now you can experience notes of bittersweet dark chocolate and baking spices. It’s a full-bodied coffee that will give you a rich and flavorful cup of joe.
The Peet’s Decaf Mocca Java coffee has a smokey aroma that will fill your home with the most pleasant of fragrances.
Roast Profile
Peet’s Coffee Mocca Java decaf coffee is a dark roast blend so you can create decadent coffees. If you love the bold taste of espresso, Peet’s coffee blend is the optimal choice as it has a strong complex and a touch of sweetness.
Type of Beans
This is a bag of freshly roasted and ground Mocca beans that you can brew easily in a coffee pot. Peet’s Coffee brand also makes whole decaf beans so you can grind them yourself to the coarseness you prefer and make espressos with full-bodied crema.
Decaf Process
Peet’s Coffee uses the water decaf method to eradicate most of the caffeine content from the beans. Now you can enjoy bold flavors without the high caffeine content. These beans are still packed with nutrients, taste and aroma with no chemical undertones.
Where Was the Product Made?
The Mocca beans are grown in Ethiopia using rich volcanic soil to seal the beans with nutrients.
What We Like
Wild Coffee – Organic Decaf
Taste and Aroma
If you have sensitive taste buds you’ll always detect chemical undertones in non-organic coffee blends. Wild Coffee organic decaf is 100% natural so you’re able to enjoy the rich notes of caramel and sugary fragrances of the coffee.
Roast Profile
The Wild Coffee organic decaf is a blend of medium and dark roasted beans that has a rich & smooth crema. You’re able to make sweet cold brews using Wild Coffee in the summer times and bold hot espressos in the winter months.
Type of Beans
Wild Coffee uses single-origin Arabica beans that are sweet with no bitterness or woody aftertaste. It’s a whole bean product so you can grind the coffee yourself to make smooth lattes or cappuccinos
Decaf Process
The Wild Coffee brand uses the Swiss water decaffeination process for their coffee beans. This means there were no solvents or chemicals used to manufacture these coffee beans. They are 100% organic so you can enjoy a cup of Wild Coffee without a chemical aftertaste.
Where Was the Product Made?
These coffee beans are sourced from sustainable farms all around the world and roasted to perfection in Austin Texas.
What We Like
New England Decaf Coffee – French Vanilla
Taste and Aroma
French vanilla New England decaf coffee is ideal for people who prefer lighter coffee notes. New England is a smooth vanilla flavored coffee that works well as a cold brew and hot as full cream lattes. This coffee has a syrupy fragrance with milky undertones.
Roast Profile
The New England decaf coffee is a medium roast blend that has a combination of lightly roasted beans for subtle aroma.
Type of Beans
This is a freshly ground bag of 100% quality Arabica beans. It’s an instant coffee that produces a rich crema and light-bodied finish.
Decaf Process
The decaf process involves a direct solvent method that eradicates 99% of caffeine from the beans leaving all the flavor and nutrients behind for you to enjoy.
Where Was the Product Made?
The New England French vanilla decaf coffee was made in Central America.
What We Like
Sumatra Decaf Organic Coffee
Taste and Aroma
Some cheap decaf coffees are acidic and taste burnt but Sumatra provides the closest taste to regular coffee making it a high-end brand. You’ll notice intense notes of chocolate with rich earthy undertones and a blend of sweet & smokey aromas.
Roast Profile
Sumara is a fresh medium roast coffee for people who enjoy mild and bold flavor profiles. The medium roast beans are suitable to make lattes, cappuccinos and flat whites.
Type of Beans
These are fresh 100% whole Arabica beans that you can grind yourself. There are no artificial flavorings, preservatives or additives in the Sumara decaf coffee.
Decaf Process
Sumara uses the swiss water process to decaffeinate the beans which means they are 100% organic with no chemical undertones.
Where Was the Product Made?
The Arabica beans are sourced from sustainable farmers around the world and they are decaffeinated & packaged in the USA.
What We Like
Fresh Roasted Coffee – Columbian Decaf
Taste and Aroma
Enjoy intense rich flavors with Columbian decaf coffee featuring profiles of sugary honey and smoky walnut. It has a strong body with a smooth finish and is exceptionally aromatic.
Roast Profile
Fresh Roasted Colombian coffee is a medium roast that has the perfect blend of light and dark beans for a well-balanced complexity. You can make milky cold brews in the summertime and hot lattes & cappuccinos in the colder months with Fresh Roasted Columbian decaf coffee.
Type of Beans
This is a whole bean product that allows you to grind your own coffee according to the coarseness that you prefer. Fresh Roasted whole beans are suitable for French presses and drip machines.
Decaf Process
The Fresh Roasted brand uses the Swiss water process to decaffeinate the beans. This means there were no solvents or other chemicals used to decaffeinate the beans so they are 100% organic.
Where Was the Product Made?
These are 100% Arabica beans that have been sourced from sustainable farmers around the world. They’re freshly roasted and packaged in the USA.
What We Like
Kirkland Signature Dark Roast Decaf Coffee
Taste and Aroma
Kirkland provides a decaf coffee that has a bold rich flavor with smoky undertones. It has a strong nutty fragrance with a slightly bitter finish and a rich crema.
Roast Profile
The Kirkland signature decaf coffee is a dark roast with a slight bitterness to it. It’s the ideal roast to make espressos and a pot of strong black coffee.
Type of Beans
Kirkland’s signature coffee uses 100% Arabica beans that have been finely ground. It’s suitable for French presses and drip machines.
Decaf Process
The Kirkland brand uses the water solvent decaf process that removes 97% of the caffeine from the beans but locks in all the nutrients and flavors inside the beans.
Where Was the Product Made?
Arabica beans are sourced from farmers all over the world and then decaffeinated, roasted, ground down & packaged in the USA.
What We Like
Seattle’s Best Decaf Portside Blend
Taste and Aroma
Seattle coffee has subtle flavors that are sweet and rich with earthy undertones. It has a blend of sugary and smoky aromas with a smooth finish.
Roast Profile
This is a medium roast so you’ll be able to enjoy a well-balanced blend of dark and lightly roasted beans. You’re able to make cappuccinos, flat whites and lattes with Seattle decaf coffee.
Type of Beans
The Seattle decaf coffee is made with 100% Arabica beans that have been pre-ground. This makes it quicker to make your favorite brews as you don’t have to ground the coffee yourself.
Decaf Process
Seattle uses the water solvent process to decaffeinate the beans to remove most of the caffeine from the coffee. All the nutrients and flavor profiles are left behind so you can enjoy the taste of the blend without the caffeine.
Where Was the Product Made?
These are 100% Arabica beans sourced from Latin America and then roasted & packaged in the USA.
What We Like
Illy Coffee Decaffeinated Ground Decaf
Taste and Aroma
Illy is an Italian brand so you’re guaranteed a high-quality tasting decaf blend. With the Illy decaf coffee, you can enjoy silky smooth sugary flavors with nutty undertones and a strong smoky aroma.
Roast Profile
This is a medium roasted decaf coffee with a perfect blend of light and darker beans. You’re able to make cappuccinos, lattes and flat whites with this blend.
Type of Beans
Illy uses 100% Arabica beans that have been pre-ground. This means you don’t have to grind the coffee yourself which makes short work of making your favorite cup of joe.
Decaf Process
The Illy brand uses the water solvent process to decaffeinate the beans. It removes 97% of the caffeine leaving all the nutrients and flavor profiles behind.
Where Was the Product Made?
Illy sources coffee beans from farmers around the world and then roasts & packages the coffee beans in Italy.
What We Like
What is Decaf Coffee?
Decaf is short for decaffeinated. It’s the process of removing around 97% of the caffeine from coffee beans before roasting them. Even though most of the caffeine has been removed from the coffee beans they still have the same wonderful flavor profiles and nutritional value of regular coffee.
4 Types of Decaffeination Methods
If you want to know more, we have a detailed article on decaffeination process you can check out.
The Swiss Water Decaf Method
People prefer to buy products that aren’t directly exposed to chemicals. That’s why the Swiss water decaf method is preferred as it’s free from solvents and other toxins.
Unroasted coffee beans are soaked in clean boiling water that removes all the compounds such as oils, micronutrients and caffeine from the beans. The beans used to extract all the compounds are discarded and the water contains green coffee extract (GCE).
The green coffee extract is poured over a new batch of coffee beans so they can absorb all the compounds the water extracted from the first lot of coffee beans. Activated charcoal filters are used to trap caffeine from the new batch of coffee beans.
This method extracts almost all of the caffeine content from the beans leaving only 1% of caffeine behind. The decaf coffee is organic and has a better flavor profile because there will be no chemical undertones.
Direct Solvent Decaf Method
Coffee beans are steamed for 30 minutes to remove most of the caffeine compounds. After steaming the coffee beans they can be soaked in one of two solvents: ethyl acetate or methylene chloride.
Ethyl acetate is a colorless solvent with a sweet scent. Methylene chloride has low toxicity and it’s a non-flammable solvent.
Coffee beans will be soaked in one of the two solvents for 9 to 10 hours. The water containing the solvent will be discarded or sold to cosmetic companies to manufacture beauty products.
The coffee beans will be steamed a second time to eradicate the beans of any traces of solvent left behind. After the caffeine and solvent have been drawn out of the beans they’ll be roasted & packaged.
Many avid coffee drinkers won’t purchase direct solvent decaf coffee as it’s deemed non-organic and potentially harmful to one’s health.
Indirect Solvent Decaf Method
The indirect solvent decaf method is also known as the European way of removing caffeine from coffee beans. This process also uses either ethyl acetate or methylene chloride. The difference is the solvent is never mixed directly with the coffee beans.
For the indirect solvent method, coffee beans are soaked in boiling water to remove the caffeine and other coffee compounds such as oils & nutrients.
The water containing all the coffee bean nutrients is mixed with the solvent and subsequently steamed to remove the traces of solvent & caffeine. After the caffeine and solvent are removed from the water the coffee beans are placed in the mixture to absorb all the natural compounds back into the beans.
People prefer to buy decaf coffee that’s gone through the indirect process as it’s considered healthier because the beans aren’t directly exposed to solvents.
CO2 Method
Green coffee beans are soaked in hot water in a large pressurized container. The container is sealed and CO2 is forced into the coffee at pressures of 1000lb per square inch to extract the caffeine from the beans.
CO2 acts as a solvent by drawing out the caffeine compounds leaving all the nutrients and flavor in the beans. The caffeine and CO2 formula is transferred to a second container (absorption chamber) where the pressure is released and the CO2 turns to gas leaving the caffeine behind.
The caffeine-free CO2 gas is pumped back into a pressurized container to be reused to make more decaffeinated beans.
This method is quite costly so it’s used to decaffeinate large quantities of coffee beans simultaneously.
Types of Coffee Beans
Arabica
The Arabica coffee bean is packed full of flavor with sweet and softer notes. Arabica beans have undertones of fruit and sugary accents with less acidity & bitterness. It’s the most popular choice of beans amongst coffee lovers as they have quality flavor profiles and aromas.
Robusta
Robusta beans are considered bitter with harsh flavors that people aren’t accustomed to. These beans contain less sugar hence why they’re so bitter. They also have double the caffeine content of Arabica beans and they’re extremely acidic.
Darker notes can be found in the Robusta beans and because of the high caffeine content.
Are There Still Traces of Caffeine in Decaf Coffee?
Decaf coffee is not 100% caffeine-free but it does remove 97% of the caffeine from the beans. You’re less likely to experience any side effects that a high level of caffeine gives you such as restless nights or heartburn.
Best Decaf Coffee Suggestions
Last update on 2023-10-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Last update on 2023-10-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Final Thoughts
If you really want the same bold, smooth and decadent flavor profiles of whole bean coffee but you don’t have time to grind them, maybe you’ll prefer instant decaf.
Instant coffee isn’t typically favored amongst coffee lovers but you’ll change your mind once you’ve tasted the Waka instant coffee decaf blend. It’s making the rounds in the coffee community as the best tasting instant coffee on the market with no negative reviews.
The Waka instant decaf coffee is packed with nutrients, zesty flavor profiles and full bodied aromas. They come in sachets that are easy to store so you can take them with you on your travels. And of course, it’s a decaf brand so you can enjoy your well-balanced cup of joe without the caffeine.
So if you’ve recently had to give up caffeine or you’ve built intolerance towards it, drink decaf blends. They taste the same as regular coffee but with added health benefits.
Are you ready to go caffeine-free? Pick one of the brands on our top 10 list of best decaf coffees and reap the benefits of experiencing no caffeine side effects.
