(Un)popular Opinion: Let’s Talk About Decaf
Decaffeinated Coffee has been always looked at like the black sheep of the coffee industry. Perhaps not as much as Robusta, but it’s not exactly loved like those juicy beans of caffeinated dreams.
I was there too. I used to be that kind of barista going “Decaf, uh? Ew.” Well, let me tell you something. I was wrong.
Let me tell you a story. Around November 2019 I had some health checks I was told that caffeine was not an option for quite a while anymore. I remember looking at the doctor like he had just told me the biggest heresy I could have heard. I was a full time AST at the time, so when we talk about not drinking coffee, well that was a problem.
Anyway, long story short I left my then job, went to become a Manager and slowly reintroduced those delicious caffeinated beans back into my system. Fast forward to not long ago again, I had to cut out coffee again. So the sensible thing to do this time, to not miss out on a tasty cup of joe, was to put my bad judgment aside and try out decaf again.
I can tell you that I am not regretting it.
Decaffeinated Coffee can be tasty.
There are loads of roasters out there, that make sure that their coffee gets decaffeinated in a proper way. They make sure that their coffee is acid free and have multiple QC Controls before the coffees are released.
In the past few months I had some banging coffees. And they weren’t all fully caffeinated.
The industry, in my opinion, should help normalise decaf coffee for the rest of us. And who better than us baristas, trainers to spread the world?
I am not saying normalise the “half-caf” orders, I still think that makes no sense (sorry). But we need to stop stigmatising it and celebrate the fact that others can enjoy coffee without having the same buzz as us.
PIN THIS!
This is a really interesting article! I have started buying coffee with less caffeine and I have to say it’s great. Maybe one day I will try decaf thanks for sharing!
hello! I LOVE this post! I only drink decaf and I’m sold on it. SO glad you’ve shared this post as decaf gets a bad name when it’s really amazing for people who can’t have caffeine. I love the taste of coffee but similar to you, caffeine isn’t an option for me! Great post. Alicia
I have a coffee obsessed pal who’d probably start a fight with you about this 😂😂 I’m going to use your lovely post to win an argument with her. Great post. Informative and persuasive x
I love this post! I cut out caffeine 2 years ago and I’ve never looked back since! I LOVED coffee but it was causing too many issues. I’ve never even thought about decaf… thank you so much! I can’t wait to try it!
A great post! I have recently changed coffee after 9 am to decaf and had to experiment with quite a few to find my favourite. I’m thankful I don’t have to give up coffee! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Jodie!
Decaf coffee was never an option for me until now. Thank you for tackling this subject. I will try it out and maybe find some benefits on cutting out caffeine.
Thank you for reading!
I only have caffeine in the morning because if I have caffeine in the afternoon I don’t sleep. I cut myself back from 6+ cups a day to 1 when pregnant and now limit myself to 2. Honestly, I didn’t realise decaffeinated was a big deal.
Great post. I enjoy drinking tea more than coffee. Having said that, I do enjoy drinking decaf coffee every so often. Regular coffee can sometimes be too strong for me.
Thank you Kelly!
Going to be honest, I’m still one of those people who slowly steps back when someone suggests decaf. I’ve never encountered one yet that I haven’t been able to taste the difference in, which probably puts me off trying more. I love coffee for the taste rather than the caffeine so I’d love to be able to find a decaf I love as much. I’m glad you’ve found a way to still enjoy it though!
Yes, that is the point! I would love to find a decaf where I can still taste the notes of the coffee rather than the decaffeination process. I am glad that more roasters are doing it now!
I’m not a coffee drinker myself but may start because I got university and I may need more help to stay awake ?. Great post!
I’m not a huge coffee drinker myself but I do need to cut down on the caffeine! Glad you found decaf you like as I know people who won’t have it and are up all night from drinking too much coffee!
Thank you Ellie!
I didn’t start drinking coffee until age 30 and by 37, I found out that I was newly allergic. I started drinking chicory as a replacement, and I absolutely love it. I don’t get the caffeine rush or withdrawals anymore. People think it’s strange, but I like it better than coffee now. Just drink whatever makes you happy.
That’s great Brooke! Glad you found what you like as well!
I love coffee so much! I’m addicted to its smell and taste. It’s calm me when I need it the most! I don’t think I’ve ever tried decaf coffee, I might need to try this to reduce any future health issues haha
Ahah yes!:)
I’ve never been much into coffee until now mainly because I was discouraged by my parents haha. My friends also say it can really eat you up when you abuse your body with it. But I do have one friend who said she preferred decaf more than the others because she found it tastier for some reason. Thanks for sharing!
http://www.lifebeginsattwenty.com
Thank you Monique!
I think decaf is a great option for me whose body quite turn trembling just as I quarter-consumed it. Thank you for the fresh information here!
I used to drink decaf when I wanted a coffee-flavored drink but couldn’t handle the caffeine. It is actually not bad – you can’t go wrong with decaf. I never thought of it as being bad or anything – people shouldn’t be judging against it 🙂
Yeah, the judgement unfortunately comes from the way it’s decaffeinated. But it’s changing for the good!
Caffine doesn’t really have much of an effect on me, so I’d definitely love to try out some decaf alternatives!
Great post! I drink decaf in the evenings – only tea as I tend to only drink coffee if I’m sleepy and want to stay awake in a lecture or something…
Thank you Caroline!
Yay! I LOVE coffee and tea!! It’s crazy because just recently I have noticed a little bit of weird heart palpitations and decided to cut down on the caffeine. I used to think, DECAF? WHATS THE POINT!? But I’ve come to appreciate the taste more that the caffeine and I too have embraced it!!
Yay! Come to the dark side, it’s actually not that bad! X
I admit, I drink wayyy too much caffeinated tea and coffee, and really should limit how much I drink. Decaf is definitely something that I should look into and must try sometime, thanks for sharing! x
Sophie | https://www.loveandliterature.co.uk
Caffeine is actually a drug, so it’s very addictive. It’s up to us to stop the addiction, even if it’s too good! ?
This was an interesting post. As someone who drinks caffeine very rarely (and in the form of hazelnut and French vanilla cappuccinos), I have a low threshold for the stuff. Strong coffee leaves me wired and flustered. So for those of us who like flavored coffee mostly for the taste, I think decaf is a great option.
Thank you Sharila:)
A coffee after waking up to help start the day is a must for me. Good to know more about it. Thank you for sharing!
Ohh, me too. But after a while i need to switch to decaf!
I have never tried coffee before(I’m more of a tea person). It’s such an amazing post, I got to learn something out of it (that’s if I start trying coffee)
Ahah thank you Virginia!
I am a huge fan of coffee. My nana drinks decaf and when at her house I enjoy decaff. I don’t mind switching up coffees, they are both good.
Yes, decaf has a lot of hidden potential!
I don’t mind decaf coffee, but I really do prefer a fully caffinated coffee!
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan
I love fully caffeinated coffee too, but it send me off the roof ?
Everyone should be able to drink what they like without stigma or judgement. We all need to do what is best for us, and do what we enjoy. I personally am not a huge coffee fan, and that’s okay. Enjoy your de-caf, or tea or hot chocolate is my motto lol
Definitely! X
Great post! I love coffee! Other people drink wine to relax, I drink coffee. I know it sounds weird, but ever since I was a teenager I have loved my coffee. It may be time to try decaf again though.
Not at all! In Italy we drink coffee at any point of the day and always fully caffeinated!Who knows, maybe that’s the secret of longevity ?
This was an interesting read, despite the fact I’m not a coffee drinker at all!! In fact, I don’t really drink any hot drinks. Definitely makes me seem odd when I’m at work haha.
Thank you Dani!
While trying to figure out if caffeine or acid content triggered an adverse reaction to coffee (it was the acid so now I only have low acid varieties) I tried decaf thinking it was going to be awful and I was so surprised. I expected it to taste bad but it pretty much was like any other coffee I’ve had (of the types I tried at least).
Yes! Glad to see you found the perfect variety for you! Some decaf coffees are not great because of the way they are processed from full caffeinated to decaf. But there’s lots of good out there!
Personally, I prefer the boost that I get from a caffeinated cup of coffee, however, I can totally see where decaf may fit into someone’s lifestyle better. I have a friend that LOVES coffee – like not just to wake up in the morning, but throughout the day. He loves the taste, he finds comfort in the warmth… it’s his happy place. After realizing that it was impacting his sleeping pattern, he decided to set a specific time of day where he could no longer have caffeine, giving his body time to settle before bedtime. However, he didn’t want to give up the comfort that his nighttime coffee offered so he switched to decaf at that point instead. There are so many great decaf options available now – he says if you find one that’s worth it, you can barely tell the difference from the taste.
Thank you Britt! It is very true, and I am happy your friend found a good replacement! X
Personally, I prefer coffee with caffeine, because I like the kick it gives, but I can imagine that in many cases, that’s not an option and I don’t see why what’s so wrong about decaffeinated coffee in cases like that!
I actually like decaf coffee in the evenings. If I drink regular coffee, I will be up all night lol
Ahah same! After 4pm is strictly decaf! Or wine ?
I can’t live without coffee. Once I tried decaf, and BTW I also tried chicory. I didn’t like it much, but from time to time I drink it.
Yeah chicory is not my thing either. I love caffeine too, just can’t have it too much!
Interesting post! I don’t drink caffeine or coffee anyway, but I’ve always wanted to get into coffee and reckon if I did, I would drink decaf. Glad you’re able to enjoy it now xx
Thank you Della!x
Great post! I actually only reintroduced coffee back into my life last year, after not drinking it for around 7 years! I’m enjoying it but I can’t have too much otherwise I feel absolutely bonkers. I’ve never tried decaf coffee though. My Dad drinks decaf tea and I’m not a fan of that at all but perhaps coffee is different! I don’t know why anyone would judge or stigmatize someone based on their coffee choices though, that seems utterly ridiculous.
Thanks Jenny! Unfortunately the process of getting the caffeine out has been done quite badly until recently, so that has given a bad name to “decaf” in general. But nowadays a lot of coffee farmers have taken this into hand and their coffees taste amazing!x
I’ve never learned to like the taste of coffee, with or without caffeine. However, I love tea and drink a lot of it! I usually try to limit my caffeine drinks to the morning and switch to water and decaf teas in the evening. A nice relaxing cup of herbal tea before bed helps me sleep.
Coffee has an incredible journey, as well as tea! Most tea “sommeliers” learn to taste coffee as well, as it helps them with broadening their taste skills!x
This is so funny that you said this! Decaf has been on my mind since November 2020 haha. My husband strongly believes that any health issues I have is linked to my caffeine addiction (I literally drink a whole pot of strong brewed coffee a day) so I started doing 50% reg and 50% decaf and I hated it at first but started liking it then I started doing 25% reg and 50% decaf and I’m doing well! I’ve been trying to do coffee every other day and so far, it’s been okay! Let’s hope this is sustainable for me haha x
http://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
Ahah I hope for you! I love caffeine as well, I used to drink loads when I used to work on the shop floor. But I think I stretched it too much. There a lots of great decaf coffees out there, you just need to find the right one for you!
I actually don’t think I’ve ever had decaf coffee, but I’d definitely be up for trying it out! It’s all about the flavour at the end of the day x
https://www.femaleoriginal.com
Well, it is about the taste notes but also about the way it’s produced! The decaffeination process is tricky, and only a handful of people can do it well!x
Having a good coffee is what really matters, whether it is caffeinated or not, and I love that there are roasters and brands out there that make it possible to find exactly what you are looking for in terms of flavor and smell.
I find that, for me to enjoy a really good cup of coffee, I have to abandon the supermarket shelves and look for a specialty shop. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this!
Well said Jaya! Also so glad you have switched to specialty coffee! Do you have a favourite roaster?x
I think the reason people seem to hate the idea of decaf so much is probably linked to society’s expectation of us to “do it all”. There’s a definite dependency on caffeine – myself, included! I’m sure I’d be healthier overall by cutting caffeine but it’s easier said than done with a toddler who often wakes for hours in the night. *cries*
Such an interesting post. I don’t actually drink coffee so I never understood why people looked down on decaf but I’m pleased to hear that you enjoy it. For me though, I have a severe tea addiction and probably should look at decaffinated tea alternatives.
Well, there’s no much difference between the two in terms of caffeine content! I drink decaf tea too, and I am happy with it. Thank you for reading!
Mine’s more of a tea addition than a coffee one, but I had to give up caffeine after the doctor ordered it and I’ve never looked back! And it actually makes me feel a little gitterish now!
Katie | katieemmabeauty.com
Ahah me too, but i love it too much! So i allow myself a little cup a day:)