Have you been searching for alternative ways to enjoy the taste of freshly brewed coffee without having to take in caffeine? Well, this post is for you.
In this post, we’ll discover everything there is to know about decaf coffee: What exactly decaf coffee is, how it is made, the health benefits of decaf coffee, and course, the best decaf coffee beans on the market.

The best decaf coffee beans in a glance:

All the information about the best decaf coffee is further below. If you are here only for the list of the best decaf coffee for 2022, check out this list.

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What Is Decaf Coffee?

Decaffeinated coffee, or decaf coffee, just as the name implies, is a coffee with its caffeine content removed. Actually, the caffeine in decaffeinated coffee isn’t completely removed. Most decaffeinated coffees had about 94% to 97% of their caffeine content removed.

Removing the caffeine from a decaf coffee doesn’t change the coffee flavor completely. If you drink high-quality decaf coffee, you might not even notice its taste, but the aroma might be different. 

8 Best decaf espresso Beans:

Many decaf coffee bean brands are on the market, and choosing the best option might be confusing. This is why in this post, we have researched and gathered 8 of the best decaf coffee beans to help make your decision process easy.

Volcanica Decaf Tarrazu Coffee Costa Rica Beans

The beans of this organic blend are mediumly roasted to allow you to taste and smell their authentic flavor. The recommended brewing methods for these coffee beans are a french press, drip machine, pour-over, and cold brew.

Established in 2004, the Volcanica coffee brand is a family-owned plantation committed to offering coffee-lovers around the world fair-trade, organically grown coffee beans that are Rainforest-alliance certified.

Coming from the high mountains of Tarrazu in Costa Rica, the Volcanica Decaf Tarrazu coffee beans are one of the most top-rated coffee beans on the planet. They are sourced from the local coffee farmers of the Tarrazu mountains. These coffee beans are grown under cool temperatures and high altitudes of the mountain, resulting in crisp, smooth, full-bodied, and bright cup coffee beans with a pinch of subtle cholate flavor.

This coffee bean comes in four flavor notes: apple, honey, tea, all finished with a touch of floral brown sugar finish, and the coffee beans are washed to give the beans vibrant notes and clarity. The coffee beans are dried over a patio to ensure that the beans are evenly dried.

This coffee bean is unique to the Tarrazu mountains. It is decaffeinated with the Swiss water process, which ensures that the caffeine is extracted from the coffee beans without using any artificial chemicals. The Swiss water process also removes 99% of the caffeine whiles leaving you with more flavor than other caffeine extraction methods.

Don Pablo Colombian Decaf

100% Climate Pledge friendly Arabian coffee, harvested and processed in Honduras and Colombia. These coffee beans have a medium body and sweet, mild, rich taste with citrus notes and lasting chocolate and walnut finish to give you that irresistible taste you desire.

This coffee is cultivated, harvested, and processed in Honduras and Colombia. These beans are a great way to start your day with their sweet caramel and cocoa flavor with a hint of citrus. Their beans have low acidic content, therefore you do not have to worry if your stomach or teeth are sensitive.

Each bean is naturally decaffeinated utilizing the chemical-free Swiss Water Process method. This decaffeination process results in coffee that is 99.9% caffeine-free, which is totally safe for consumption.

These coffee beans are characterized by their medium body and sweet, mild, rich taste with citrus notes and lasting chocolate and walnut finish to give you that irresistible taste you desire. To top it all, these Colombian supremo beans have a smooth finish, and their acidity is moderate, which gives them the same taste as regular coffee.

Don Pablo coffee beans are crafted with 100% Arabian coffee. They are produced following the strict law of USDA, which goes strongly against using any chemical in coffee cultivation, harvesting, and processing. Finally, the beans are caramelized to give it that strong roasty flavor everyone enjoys.

In addition, the coffee produced is Climate Pledge friendly, which means they are committed to protecting the environment and climate. You can brew this coffee at home with any brewing method, traditional drip machine, hand drip method, french press, and cold brew.

Lifeboost Decaf Coffee

Lifeboost Decaf Coffee comes from the high mountains of Nicaragua in Central America. These exquisite coffee beans are low in acidity and rich in flavor, and you can use them with coffee makers, french press, percolators, Moka-pots, machine drip, Aeropress, pour-over, and whatnot.

If you are in search of exquisite coffee, then you might want to try the Lifeboost decaf coffee beans. These coffee beans aren't only exquisite, delicious, and well-flavored but also are ethically sourced. When you purchase the Lifeboost decaf coffee, you are assured of a product that is GMO-free and cultivated under the most optimal conditions.

Lifeboost Decaf coffee beans are sourced from the high mountains of Nicaragua in Central America and grown under shades exposing them to a bird-friendly environment to naturally control all pests and reduce the usage of pesticides. They are of a single origin. Therefore, you do not need to worry about mycotic contamination.

Lifeboost Decaf coffee is coffee beans that are low in acidity and rich in flavor to make sure that you enjoy decaf coffee just as you would regular coffee whiles reducing the risk of heartburns or acid reflux. It is also ideal for people whose teeth are sensitive to acids or if your teeth hurt when drinking coffee. The coffee brewed out of these beans are gentle on the gums and stomach.

Every process involved in the cultivation and processing of coffee beans is natural. When ripe, each coffee bean is carefully handpicked to make sure that you get the coffee beans that are pure and free of pests. After they are handpicked, each bean is washed with spring water, sun-dried for even drying, and kept under the best conditions possible to ensure that you are getting an all-natural coffee bean that is rich in flavor.

These coffee beans are decaffeinated with the spring water technique, and this means the decaffeination process is 100% organic. Furthermore, the coffee beans are third-party tested to ensure that there are no traces of heavy metals or pests in the beans. This is to guarantee that the coffee you drink is compliant with USDA standards.

One thing that makes this coffee unique is that you get a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means if you are in doubt, you have the option of giving Lifeboost a try, and if you do not love the taste, you can return the bag of unused coffee beans, and they will refund you.

Finally, you may brew these coffee beans with your coffee makers such as Single-serve, French press, Percolator, Moka, machine drip, Aeropress, Pour Over, and Cold brew.

Kicking Horse Decaf Cofee - Dark Roast

An environmental-friendly, fair-trade certified, and one of the top-rated rated coffee brands worldwide. This Kosher decaf coffee tastes almost like the caffeinated version, with dark chocolate and hazelnut notes.

Kicking Horse Coffee is one of the top-rated coffee brands in the world. Their coffee beans originate from the high mountains of south and central America. They are grown under the most environmental-friendly conditions, and the brand is fair-trade certified.

Kicking Horse coffee beans give you complex, rich, robust mouth-watering flavors. This decaf coffee tastes almost like the caffeinated version, with rich notes of dark chocolate, roasted hazelnuts, brown sugar, and cocoa nibs. Like most coffee beans on this list, these beans are decaffeinated using the Swiss water method.

These coffee beans are 100% Arabica coffee beans that are organically grown, shade-grown, and meet the kosher standard. These coffee beans are harvested and roasted below the towering Canadian mountains.

With these conditions and high standards, Kicking Horse ensures that you get premium coffee beans that offer you nothing but organic and environmental-friendly, delicious coffee beans.

The recommended brew methods for these coffee beans are decaf espresso, french press, drip machine, pour-over, and cold brew.

Jo Coffee No Fun Decaf Coffee- Dark Roast

An organic decaf, fresh, high-quality, and chemical-free coffee that you can use at home with any brew method. This Kosher brand is fair-trade certified and USDA certified, with irresistible subtle undertone notes of sweet blueberry and milk chocolate.

Jo Coffee No Fun Decaf coffee has gained popularity in the decaf world over the past few years. These coffee beans are cultivated following the USDA, strictly forbidding chemicals in the coffee-growing process. It means that each coffee bean is organic, fresh, high-quality, and free of all substances. Like every coffee bean on this list, these beans are decaffeinated using the Swiss water method, a chemical-free process.

This organic blend of decaf coffee combines irresistible subtle undertone notes of sweet blueberry and milk chocolate to give you a fabulous flavor you will enjoy. Hand-crafted by artisan coffee roasters, these coffee beans are specialty graded, with a score of 80 out of 100 on this scale. In other words: Jo No Fun Decaf Coffee beans are at the top 2% of Arabian raw coffee.

The coffee beans are fair trade certified, USDA certified, and Kosher certified. You may use any brewing method to make yourself a cup of Jo Coffee No Fun Jo Decaf Coffee at home.

Fresh Roasted Coffee, Organic Ethiopian Sidamo

The Ethiopian Sidamo organic blend coffee is grown in high-altitude mountains in Ethiopia, characterized by a strong and rich dark cherry flavor with a touch of chocolate. The Ethiopian Sidamo beans are best for making espresso using an automatic coffee maker, pour-over, cold brew, and french press. They are fair trade, Kosher, and USDA certified.

Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC is a well-renowned brand in the coffee bean space. The Sidamo Decaf coffee beans are grown in the high-altitude mountain of the Oromia Highlands in Ethiopia at an altitude of 1,500 masl. The Oromia highlands are composed of the finest farmers who are the world's largest fair trade coffee producers.

All coffee beans grown in this region are carefully cultivated to give their customers nothing but high-quality coffee beans. These coffee beans are harvested by hands, carefully washed, and sundried. After they dry up, they are then roasted with a cutting-edge Loring Smart Roaster, which is 80% smokeless and reduces the rate of carbon emission in the environment. This Loring Smart Roaster also ensures that the beans are perfectly roasted, and the flavor is enhanced. This makes Fresh Roaster Coffee LLC one of the few coffee brands that care about climate change.

Coffee beans coming from this part of the world are characterized by their irresistible earthly taste; strong and rich dark cherry flavor with a touch of chocolate.

All the coffee beans use the swiss decaffeinated method to ensure that the process is organic. These coffee beans are then washed, dried up, and then mediumly roasted, and they share qualities with fine wine.

These fair trade, Kosher, Medium Roast Whole Beanbeans are grown in compliance with USDA. They are from a single origin to give you the unique flavor most consumers love.

Finally, they are immediately packed right from the farm and then sealed with nitrogen to prevent oxygen from interfering with the flavor and durability of the coffee beans.

You may brew these coffee beans using an automatic coffee maker, pour-over, cold brew, and french press to give you the texture you desire.

Seattle Best Decaf Portside Blend - Medium Roast

Seattle Best Decaf Portside Blend is an excellent espresso blend for beginners. It is 100% Arabica beans, and it comes in small 12-oz ground coffee bags

If you are just getting into decaf coffee and don't want to spend much on your first coffee beans, we recommend trying Seattle Best Decaf Portside Blend.

Each bag contains well-rounded medium-roasted full-body coffee beans crafted from 100 percent Arabica beans sourced from the high mountains of South America. These beans are then carefully selected, blended, roasted, and grounded by experts to give this decaf its smooth taste. These beans are sampled three times before being packaged and distributed for the best taste and flavor.

This coffee is affordable and comes in 12-ounce ground coffee bags. It's an excellent choice for beginners but less suitable for most ardent coffee lovers. Nevertheless, you may brew this with any brewing method except for Moka.

Tim Hortons Original Blend, Medium Roast Ground Coffee

If you are looking for good quality decaf instant coffee, you should definitely Tim Hortons Orginal Blend Medium Roast Ground coffee.  You can brew it using a coffee maker, pour-over, cold brew, and french press. If you like your instant coffee and feel ready for the real thing, check out my recommendations for the best automatic espresso machine.

Tim Hortons is one of the few coffee companies that has been in business over the past 5 decades. They are known for their quality instant coffee and coffee beans. Their Orginal Blend Medium Roast Ground coffee is no exception.

This instant coffee is hand-crafted with 100% Arabian coming from Central and South America. Each coffee bean is carefully selected, ensuring that you get nothing but instant coffee made from high-quality coffee beans. The beans are decaffeinated with the Swiss water method and then washed, dried, and perfectly ground to help you instantly prepare a cup of coffee without any hassle.

The beans are medium-roasted, and you can brew them any way you like. You can use an automatic coffee maker, pour-over, cold brew, and french press to give you the texture you desire.

Health Benefits Of Decaf Coffee

Decaffeinated espresso offers us many benefits, and if you are wondering what they are, we take a look at a few of the benefits decaf coffee offers.

Less Caffeine

The first benefit of drinking decaf coffee is that you get to enjoy your coffee without having to be restless, energetic, or altering your moods; these examples are usually after-effects of consuming caffeine. Therefore, by drinking decaf coffee, you lower the amounts of caffeine in your system and enjoy the natural bold taste and flavor of coffee without worrying about any caffeine after-effect.

Improved Sleep with decaf coffee.

Caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant, and when you consume caffeinated coffee, it blocks or suppresses the effect of adenosine, a hormone responsible for sleepiness. Well, caffeine can stay in the body for up to 10 hours. Therefore, if you take coffee a couple of hours before bedtime, you may end up staying up all night and not getting enough sleep.

However, when you consume decaf coffee, you enjoy the benefit of a good night’s sleep while you also enjoy your favorite beverage.

Same Antioxidants As in Regular Coffee

Even though decaf coffee has been chemically treated, it still possesses the same antioxidants as regular coffee. If you switch to decaf, you wouldn’t have to worry about losing any antioxidant benefits. However, it is essential to note that due to the caffeine extraction process, decaf coffee tends to have slightly fewer antioxidants than regular coffee.

Low Acidity

Decaf coffee is less acidic than regular coffee. Again, this is due to the extraction process. During the extraction process, the extraction of caffeine results in a decrease in levels of acid. This means when you drink decaf coffee, there is less chance of getting heartburn. This is because the high caffeine and acid content in regular coffee cause the lower esophagus sphincter to relax, which causes acid reflux and heartburn.

How Is Decaf Coffee Made?

So, how is coffee decaffeinated? There are four main ways coffee beans can be decaffeinated, these include:

  • Swiss water method
  • Carbon O2 Extraction
  • Dichloromethane
  • Ethyl Acetate Method.

The ethyl acetate and dichloromethane methods use the same process of decaffeination. Also, they are both solvents. However, the difference between these two methods is that ethyl acetate is a naturally occurring solvent found in fruits such as pineapple and oranges. However, dichloromethane, on the other hand, is a synthetic solvent.

Dichloromethane and Ethyl Acetate Method:

Step 1: Exposing The Coffee Beans To Water
The first stage of the decaffeination process involves steaming and soaking the coffee beans in water at 160 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit (71 to 99 degrees Celsius). This process causes the coffee beans to swell up, opening the coffee beans’ pore. When this happens, the caffeine, together with the flavor of the coffee, gets dissolved into the water, leaving the coffee beans with no taste or caffeine.

Step 2:Adding A Solvent
Decaffeination aims only to extract just the caffeine from the beans; however, the first process extracts both the caffeine and flavors from the beans. However, this next step helps us solve it.

The next step involves separating the caffeine from the flavor so that the coffee beans can be mixed with the flavors. For that matter, the extracted water is exposed to ethyl acetate or dichloromethane for 10 hours. Ethyl acetate and dichloromethane are two solvents used to dissolve substances.

Adding ethyl acetate or dichloromethane will dissolve the caffeine. After the caffeine has been dissolved, the flavored water and the dissolved caffeine mixture are heated to evaporate any excess caffeine left.

Step 3:Flavoring The Beans
Once the above process is done, the flavored water is added back to the coffee beans, and then the beans will reabsorb the flavors with little to no caffeine.

So, even though most people market their decaffeinated coffee as a natural process, it isn’t natural. That being said, the acetate or dichloromethane added to the caffeine and flavored water mixture doesn’t cause any harm to the body.

CO2: Extraction Method:

With this method, the coffee beans are placed in a pressurized vessel which can pressurize gases at 250X the earth’s pressure. When carbon dioxide is pressurized under high temperatures, it reaches a supercritical state, which causes the gas to function as a solvent. As a solvent, the carbon dioxide molecules extract all the caffeine molecules. After a few hours, the pressure vessel is opened, and the carbon dioxide gas saturated with the caffeine leaves it.

Swiss Water Method:

Step 1:Separating The Caffeine From The Beans
In this stage, the green coffee beans are exposed to hot water. This causes the caffeine to be separated from the beans. Again, this causes both the flavors and the caffeine to be separated from the coffee beans.

Step 2:Using Carbon Filters
The dripping water containing the flavors and caffeine is then passed through a carbon filter which contains charcoal. The charcoal molecules can absorb and extract the caffeine molecules since they are much smaller than the flavor molecules.

Step 3: Reflavoring The Bean Extract
After the caffeine has been extracted from the saturated water containing the flavor and the caffeine, the only thing left behind is the flavor. The flavored water is then added back to the flavorless and caffeine-less coffee beans for reabsorption.

The best decaf coffee – conclusion

High-quality decaf coffee can help you enjoy a great cup of coffee and get the benefits of coffee without the side effect of caffeine. If you choose a high-quality coffee, you might be unable to tell the difference between decaf and a caffeinated version.

There are four ways to decaffeinate coffee beans. The Swiss water method is recommended as it is chemical-free. Decaffeinated coffee comes as whole beans, ground coffee, and even instant coffee. The list of the best decaf coffee I shared with you here is high-quality, chemical-free, and some are kosher or fair trade certified.