Every brand claims to have the best decaf beans. But most of them are flogging disappointment in a bag. If you’ve ever brewed a cup that tasted like boiled carpet, this one’s for you.
We’ve built an actual checklist—no fluff, no coffee snobbery. Just the facts on what separates exceptional decaf from the sad dust in aisle 9.
1. Is it roasted fresh?
If the pack doesn’t tell you when it was roasted, assume the worst. Great decaf beans will proudly show off a roast date, not just a vague best-before. Fresh roast = full flavour.
At I Love Decaf, we roast in small batches, constantly, so your beans haven’t spent the last six months dying slowly in a warehouse.
2. How was it decaffeinated?
Solvent-based decaf (using methylene chloride or mystery “natural” processes) is often cheaper but strips flavour.
Look for beans decaffeinated using the Swiss Water or chemical-free EA methods. They preserve the original bean’s flavour profile, aroma, and character. No chemical aftertaste. No suspicion. Just smooth, clean decaf.
3. Where is it from?
Generic supermarket blends don’t tell you where the beans come from—because they don’t want you to ask.
Good decaf beans are traceable. You should know the region, the altitude, the farmer if possible. Coffee is a crop, not a secret.
4. Is it made for decaf lovers or an afterthought for marketing?
Most brands treat decaf like a checkbox. A single offering, hidden at the bottom of the list, as if they’d rather you didn’t notice.
At I Love Decaf, we do decaf only. No mixed messages. No token effort. We’re not trying to be everything to everyone—we’re just trying to make decaf taste incredible.
5. Is there any actual recognition?
There’s taste—and then there’s recognition for taste.
Our beans didn’t just get nice Instagram comments. We won a Great Taste Award. Not to brag, but also—yes, to brag. It’s proof that decaf can compete with the best of them.
Final sip
The best decaf beans are:
- Freshly roasted
- Transparently sourced
- Decaffeinated without chemicals
- Made by people who actually care about decaf
That’s not most brands. But it is us.
Get the beans people are actually raving about: our best decaf coffee beans in the UK.