Best Decaf Coffee
Decaffeinated coffee, ranked from our reviews. The thing worth knowing before you buy is how the caffeine was taken out, because that is what decides whether the coffee still tastes like coffee. Swiss Water and CO2 processes use no solvents and are the ones roasters name proudly; the cheaper methods use methylene chloride or ethyl acetate and are usually described as nothing more specific than "naturally decaffeinated". A roaster who states the method is telling you something, and most say nothing at all.
Ranked by our review score, which is worked out from the specifications each maker publishes rather than from opinion, so you can open the arithmetic on any product page. Anything commercial is labelled and sits outside that order, and how we score explains what each criterion measures.
Ranked, and why
scored on what the maker publishes · open a row for the working1
Intelligentsia Organic Decaf House Blend8.4- Freshness & Roast Date Transparency (roast date printed only)
- 10.0
- Sourcing Transparency & Ethics (altitude and varietals not published)
- 6.8
- Value Per Kilo
- 8.8
- Packaging & Freshness Retention (bag size only)
- 8.0
Weakest link: Sourcing Transparency & Ethics (altitude and varietals not published) — 6.8 of 10, carrying 16 of the 35.7 points scored here.
Tasting NotesChocolate to Caramel & toffeeRoast LevelMediumSingle Origin or BlendBlendOriginMexicoRead review →PriceFrom $18.502
Intelligentsia Decaf Black Cat Espresso7.8- Freshness & Roast Date Transparency (roast date printed only)
- 10.0
- Sourcing Transparency & Ethics (altitude and varietals not published)
- 5.7
- Value Per Kilo
- 8.2
- Packaging & Freshness Retention (bag size only)
- 8.0
Weakest link: Sourcing Transparency & Ethics (altitude and varietals not published) — 5.7 of 10, carrying 16 of the 35.7 points scored here.
Tasting NotesChocolate, Stone fruitRoast LevelMediumSingle Origin or BlendBlendOriginBrazilRead review →PriceFrom $18.503
Nespresso Vertuo Melozio Decaffeinato7.0- What Is In The Capsule
- 9.0
- Cost Per Cup, and Per Kilo
- 2.5
- Recycling & Disposal (home compostable and kerbside recyclable not published)
- 8.0
- System, Range & Availability
- 7.2
- Sourcing & Certification
- 10.0
Weakest link: Cost Per Cup, and Per Kilo — 2.5 of 10, carrying 22 of the 87.8 points scored here.
Read review →PricePricing N/A4
Tayst Defiantly Decaf Coffee Pods6.9- What Is In The Capsule
- 7.0
- Cost Per Cup, and Per Kilo
- 3.6
- Recycling & Disposal (home compostable and kerbside recyclable not published)
- 9.0
- System, Range & Availability
- 9.0
- Sourcing & Certification
- 8.1
Weakest link: Cost Per Cup, and Per Kilo — 3.6 of 10, carrying 22 of the 87.8 points scored here.
Read review →PriceFrom $41.655
Nespresso Original Ristretto Italiano Decaffeinato6.8- What Is In The Capsule
- 7.0
- Cost Per Cup, and Per Kilo
- 5.0
- Recycling & Disposal (home compostable and kerbside recyclable not published)
- 8.0
- System, Range & Availability
- 7.2
- Sourcing & Certification
- 8.1
Weakest link: Cost Per Cup, and Per Kilo — 5.0 of 10, carrying 22 of the 87.8 points scored here.
Read review →PricePricing N/A6
Nespresso Original Volluto Decaffeinato6.8- What Is In The Capsule
- 6.5
- Cost Per Cup, and Per Kilo
- 4.5
- Recycling & Disposal (home compostable and kerbside recyclable not published)
- 8.0
- System, Range & Availability
- 7.2
- Sourcing & Certification
- 10.0
Weakest link: Cost Per Cup, and Per Kilo — 4.5 of 10, carrying 22 of the 87.8 points scored here.
Read review →PricePricing N/A7
Origin Atlas Decaf6.3- Freshness & Roast Date Transparency (roast date printed only)
- 5.0
- Sourcing Transparency & Ethics (altitude and varietals not published)
- 8.9
- Value Per Kilo (price in GBP, not scored)
- 5.0
- Packaging & Freshness Retention (bag size only)
- 6.0
Weakest link: Freshness & Roast Date Transparency (roast date printed only) — 5.0 of 10, carrying 20 of the 35.7 points scored here.
8
Peet's Decaf House Blend K-Cup Pods6.0- What Is In The Capsule
- 7.0
- Cost Per Cup, and Per Kilo
- 3.6
- Recycling & Disposal (home compostable and kerbside recyclable not published)
- 5.0
- System, Range & Availability
- 6.2
- Sourcing & Certification
- 8.4
Weakest link: Cost Per Cup, and Per Kilo — 3.6 of 10, carrying 22 of the 87.8 points scored here.
9
Cooper's Cask Ethiopia Decaf4.3- Freshness & Roast Date Transparency (roast date printed only)
- 0.0
- Sourcing Transparency & Ethics (altitude and varietals not published)
- 5.4
- Value Per Kilo
- 5.3
- Packaging & Freshness Retention (bag size only)
- 8.0
Weakest link: Freshness & Roast Date Transparency (roast date printed only) — 0.0 of 10, carrying 20 of the 35.7 points scored here.
Tasting NotesChocolate to HerbalRoast LevelMediumSingle Origin or BlendSingle originOriginEthiopiaRead review →PriceFrom $24.9510
Cooper's Cask Costa Rica Decaf3.6- Freshness & Roast Date Transparency (roast date printed only)
- 0.0
- Sourcing Transparency & Ethics (altitude and varietals not published)
- 4.3
- Value Per Kilo
- 4.4
- Packaging & Freshness Retention (bag size only)
- 8.0
Weakest link: Freshness & Roast Date Transparency (roast date printed only) — 0.0 of 10, carrying 20 of the 35.7 points scored here.
Tasting NotesCaramel & toffee, ChocolateRoast LevelMediumSingle Origin or BlendSingle originOriginCosta RicaRead review →PriceFrom $18.9511
Cooper's Cask Red Reishi & Chaga Decaf Dark Roast2.5- Freshness & Roast Date Transparency (roast date printed only)
- 0.0
- Sourcing Transparency & Ethics (altitude and varietals not published)
- 3.6
- Value Per Kilo
- 2.1
- Packaging & Freshness Retention (bag size only)
- 8.0
Weakest link: Freshness & Roast Date Transparency (roast date printed only) — 0.0 of 10, carrying 20 of the 35.7 points scored here.
Decaf is the one coffee category where the most important fact is usually missing from the bag. How the caffeine was removed changes what is left in the cup, and a large part of the market simply does not say.
The process is the thing to look for
Swiss Water and other water-based processes use no chemical solvent and are the ones roasters advertise, because saying so is a selling point. Sugarcane process, sometimes called natural or EA decaffeination, uses ethyl acetate derived from sugarcane fermentation and is common in Colombian decaf - Origin's Atlas Decaf states it plainly. Solvent processes using methylene chloride are legal, widespread and effective, and are almost never named on the pack.
Read the silence as information. A roaster proud of its process prints it. A bag that says only "decaffeinated" has told you what it costs nothing to say.
Decaf is not cheaper, and often costs more
Removing caffeine is an extra industrial step and the price reflects it. Intelligentsia's Organic Decaf House Blend runs about $46 a kilo, which is ordinary for good beans - but the pod versions are brutal. A Nespresso Original Volluto Decaffeinato works out around $190 a kilo, and a Vertuo Melozio Decaffeinato around $116. Decaf pods are usually a few cents dearer per capsule than their caffeinated twin as well.
Freshness matters more, not less
Decaffeinated beans are more fragile than regular ones. The process opens up the bean structure, so they stale faster and are harder to roast evenly. That makes roast date and packaging more important here than in any other category, and a supermarket decaf with a best-before date two years out is telling you something about how it was made and stored.
What to ignore
"99.9% caffeine free" as a differentiator. It is close to the legal standard everywhere decaf is sold, so nearly every product could print it. A cup of decaf still contains a small amount of caffeine, typically a few milligrams, and no mainstream process gets to zero.
Common questions
Is Swiss Water decaf better than solvent decaf?
It is chemical-free, which is why roasters advertise it, and there is no clear evidence that a well-executed solvent process tastes worse. The more useful signal is whether the process is named at all: a roaster proud of its method prints it, and a bag saying only 'decaffeinated' has told you nothing it could be held to.
Why is decaf coffee more expensive?
Because decaffeination is an additional industrial step before roasting. In pods the gap is stark: a decaf Nespresso capsule can work out around $190 a kilo, and decaf capsules are usually a few cents dearer than the caffeinated version of the same coffee.
Does decaf coffee have any caffeine?
Yes, a small amount. Mainstream processes remove around 97 to 99.9% of it rather than all of it, so a cup typically still contains a few milligrams. No widely sold process reaches zero.
Does decaf go stale faster?
Yes. Decaffeination opens up the bean structure, which makes decaf more fragile than regular coffee and harder to roast evenly. Roast date and packaging matter more here than in any other category.
What is sugarcane process decaf?
Decaffeination using ethyl acetate derived from fermented sugarcane, common in Colombian decaf and sometimes labelled natural or EA process. Origin's Atlas Decaf names it directly, which is more than most bags do.