It’s Time to Fall in Love With Decaf, According to These Specialty Coffee Experts

From seed to cup, the quality of decaf coffee has only gotten better.

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Decaf has become a punchline over the years. As the third-wave coffee movement grew and coffee consumers became more sophisticated, laughing at decaf’s expense became a cultural pastime. Recently, Lauren Bacall’s campy 1980s-era High Point decaf coffee commercials have made the rounds on TikTok, which inspired a parody on SNL.

Where did decaf get its bad rap? Stale, pre-ground decaf can indeed make a lackluster cup. Options offered at restaurants are often not ideal. These disappointing cups have fueled the “death before decaf” cabal. Diner mugs, oversized T-shirts, bumper stickers, and trucker hats display this and other anti-decaf sentiments.

James Hoffmann of Square Mile Coffee Roasters in London, considered a pioneer of the third-wave coffee movement in Britain, believes that decaf coffee may finally be experiencing a change in perception.

“I think caffeine is still tied to hustle culture,” says Hoffmann. “I’m loath to make the whole ‘grind’ pun, but there it is. There’s still a lot of ‘death before decaf’ folk out there, or people who think it isn’t ‘real coffee.’ But, culture is shifting. And I think specialty coffee, in particular, has a role to play in making it a delicious option that doesn’t feel like a compromise.”

The specialty coffee world has started to invest time and energy into making quality decaffeinated coffee. High-quality coffee beans are grown specifically for decaf. Safe and natural methods for decaffeination are being developed. Decaf is being championed all the way to the national coffee competition stage. And it’s winning.

Courtesy of Julie Wolfson

In the coffee world, 2024 will be remembered as the year that decaf coffee took the top spot in the U.S. Coffee Championships. Weihong Zhang from Blendin Coffee Club in Houston surprised many when he won the Brewers Cup with decaf Typica coffee from Los Nogales.

“Decaf is definitely making some moves these days,” says Jaymie Lao, a coffee consultant based in Los Angeles. “This year has legitimized decaf coffee for a lot of folks.”

Masha Zanozina, an educator at Counter Culture Coffee and judge at this year’s Brewers Cup, agrees. “Decaf’s bad reputation is changing,” she says. “I believe that really good decaf is something we will be seeing more and more [of] in the next few years. Especially in high-end restaurants and, hopefully, bars as well. Someone winning the Brewers Cup championship with decaf is a huge thing for people to start thinking about decaf differently.”

Why drink decaf?

Matthew Smith of Wimp Decaf Coffee Co. in South Carolina, started his company to champion decaf. He evangelizes decaf, a beverage that is gentler on the stomach than its caffeinated counterpart. Smith ticks off a list of other benefits: It wards off overstimulation. It lowers blood pressure. There’s less risk of dependency. It’s packed with antioxidants. And, it preserves a restful sleep.

“People want great coffee, without the chaos,” he says. “They shouldn’t have to pick between one of life’s best rituals and feeling good. It’s coffee without the craziness.”

Columbian-American coffee entrepreneur Juan Diaz of KWC Coffee is excited about decaf. His company sources, roasts, and exports coffee from Colombia, and he’s seen an interest in decaf in recent years. “Demand is growing significantly,” he says.

The journey from caf to decaf

In the early 1900s, Ludwig Roselius, a German coffee merchant, discovered that when a freight of his coffee beans was soaked in salt water, it lost much of its caffeine. He founded Kaffee HAG, a brand dedicated to decaffeinated coffee. In 1910, Sanka was created for the French market. Credited with the commercialization of decaf coffee, Roselius developed a technique to rinse the coffee with benzene.

Chemicals like benzene facilitated the decaffeination transformation but were later linked to health concerns. Times have changed significantly. There’s now more access to high-quality coffee, and more natural and safe processing techniques are being developed.

The trademarked Swiss Water and Mountain Water processes are natural methods for decaffeinating coffee beans. Based in Vancouver, Canada for more than 30 years, Swiss Water has been perfecting its natural water-based process. “We are not in Switzerland, and we don't use Swiss water,” says Cupping Lab manager Stacey Lynden.

The coffee beans arrive at the Swiss Water facility green and unroasted. “It's quite a process for green coffee to be decaffeinated,” she says. “We need to make sure that it can stand up to that process and has the right moisture, density, and water activity.”

Swiss Water makes a Green Coffee Extract (GCE). It soaks the beans in water until they swell to twice their natural size. The coffee beans are prepared by a process that removes the outer silver skin, and later, any dust or dirt. The GCE circulates the beans to draw out the caffeine through a carbon filter. The goal is to create a product as close to the original as possible. Minus the caffeine, of course.

Ethyl Acetate (EA), also known as the sugarcane process, is a natural decaffeination method used in Colombia. The coffee cherries are separated into coffee beans, and the mucilage outer flesh is removed by depulping, and then treated as a washed process.

The beans are soaked for two days in their own mucilage, which has been fermented with Ethyl Acetate to gently remove the caffeine. The process imparts a nuanced flavor complexity. This method is gaining popularity, and there’s hope for growth in Colombia and other coffee-growing countries.

Where to buy good decaf beans?

Courtesy of Julie Wolfson

Zhang’s award-winning coffee, Los Nogales Decaf Typica at Blendin Coffee Club, was grown in the Huila region of Colombia, by Oscar Hernandez at Finca La Nogales.

“I never thought that this coffee would be used for such a competition,” says Hernandez. “It was a huge joy. The work behind this coffee has been enormous.”The award-winning beans can be ordered directly from Blendin.

At this year’s U.S. Coffee Championships, as Zhang was winning the Brewers Cup, Frank La, of Be Bright Coffee in Los Angeles, won first place in the Barista Championship. At Be Bright, La is discerning about the coffee he roasts. Its Be Still decaf was produced by Smallholder Coffee Farmer and decaffeinated at Descafecol. “This decaf from Huila, Colombia, blew us out of the water,” says La.

Decaf specialists like Wimp in South Carolina champion the sector and seek to make it more widely available.

Courtesy of Julie Wolfson

“Wimp is my way of giving hustle culture the bird," says Smith. “After quitting alcohol eight years ago, I realized my unhealthy relationship with caffeine was the next thing messing with my peace. I wanted to slow down to a good pace, do less, and do it better. But I love coffee and all the social experience that comes with it. So I figured, if I can’t find great decaf, I’ll just make it myself.”

The Wimp Variety Kit features coffees using Swiss Water, EA, and 24-hour anaerobic processes.

Chances are, your favorite specialty coffee provider offers a decaf option. These coffee pros won’t sell you just any decaf. They need to source something they are proud to sell next to their other high-quality beans.

Currently, Sey is offering its EA Field Blend, Counter Culture stocks three decaf options, Brandywine has a Mountain Water decaf from Ethiopia, and Dune’s Presidio Decafcomes from various smallholder producers in Colombia.

What is the best way to brew decaf?

Coffee champ Zhang has a PhD in biochemistry. He focuses on coffee as an art and science. “Our shop always offers decaf,” he says. “I focus on data for consistency. The art is imagination, creativity, bringing sensory experiences for the customer. Decaf reacts differently to water because of the porous texture. It can flow through fast.”

Zhang recommends immersion methods, like a French press, Hario Switch, or Moka dripper.

At Wimp, Smith has his own brewing tips.

Courtesy of Julie Wolfson

“Use a finer grind for decaf,” he says. “Add 1 to 2 grams more coffee than usual. Try a slightly longer extraction, but to avoid bitterness, don’t overdo it. For a pour-over, use a medium-coarse grind. Heat the water to around 195-200°F, cooler than usual. Extend brew time by 30 seconds to one minute. For drip coffee, use about 10-15% more coffee grounds. Medium grind works best. Check the brew temp. 195-205° is best for optimal flavor.”

Because it’s porous, decaf coffee stalls faster than caffeinated coffee of similar roast levels. Smith also recommends storing decaf in the freezer in airtight bags or containers.

Baristas and café owners love to talk coffee. Don’t be shy to ask for brewing tips.

It's time to fall in love with decaf

“Thankfully, the quality of decaf, from seed to cup, is only getting better, which is a good thing,” says Hoffman.

Decaf lovers being seen as the truest coffee drinkers is becoming an increasingly popular sentiment.

“At Counter Culture Coffee, we say that decaf is for true lovers,” says Zanozina. “People who drink decaf want to drink coffee just for the flavor of the coffee.”

If the top professionals are ready to make stickers that might say "Decaf is for Coffee Lovers," then maybe it’s time to brew a pot and enjoy.