Always thought I wouldn’t like it and didn’t see the point.
And then I got some nice decaf beans and holy shit. This is great. I can have coffee in the evening now as a beverage to enjoy.
I know this is obvious. But if you like speciality coffee, and you wish you could drink more without a panic attack, then I think trying some decaf roasts is a big brain move.
Now whipping out the Aeropress in the evening is my highlight.
I think when I last looked at decaf it was basically just the supermarket brands and the coffee sucked (cause it was supermarket coffee). Now that I’m looking around there is a decaf roast at almost all local roasters.
sleeping on decaf
Try caffeine to stay awake.
If you are new to brewing decaf I recommend under extracting it. Generally all decaf are much easier to extract. So this usually means lower temps, coarser grinds or less water. I didn’t believe it until I tried it and now I love decaf even more
That’s an interesting tip. I’ll tweak the recipe and give it a go!
that makes sense for the ones decaffeinated via supercritical CO2. my guess is vacuum boiling off the CO2 makes the beans microscopically porous in the same way that freeze drying other foods does. so you get more surface area, thus more efficient extraction
It’s such a treat.
We keep a little bag of decaf beans around just for the occasional night coffee.
Yeah it’s lovely! It’s never going to be fully decaffeinated and the amount that’s left over can vary quite a bit, so it makes the perfect placebo as well. I have a few evening labs this semester and a decaf latte is just what I need to actually be awake for it while ensuring I can be un-awake a few hours after the labs.
Yup, decaf definitely still has some caffeine. I’m pretty sensitive to caffeine, and if I drink a cup of decaf at 5pm I’ll be fine, but drink it at 8pm and I’ll be lying awake staring at the ceiling later.
lying awake staring at the ceiling later.
Ah yes. I know this so well.
Yeah it tastes exactly the same. Never had any that doesn’t, idk man.
Maybe like 20 years ago
I think I wasn’t seeing decaf roasts at local specialty roasters in the past… But then again it wouldn’t be the first time I discover I’ve been living in the cave.
I will say I’m not a coffee connoisseur or anything but the beans I get are quite good.
I miss the caffeine but I don’t miss the heart palpitations!
“I’ve been sleeping on decaf, now I sleep, on decaf”.
But seriously, in case you haven’t heard of the 10-3-2-1-0 rule, I swear by it: https://centr.com/blog/show/30545/is-10-3-2-1-0-the-formula-for-better-sleep
Or just rub one out before bed. Always works for me.
I think that most of the time when people decide that they don’t like decaf, it’s because they got some day old coffee from somewhere that doesn’t move enough decaf to ever make more batches. I like the caffeine in normal, but decaf is great for just the flavor.
Upvote just for the excellent title pun.
The decaf at a roaster in Brussels, MOK makes a decaf that rivals some of their filter coffee.
Decaf can’t substitute very floral or fruity single origins in my opinion because the process seems to “tone it down” or “generify” it.
It can still be extremely tasty, but it never (in my experience) can save those really light notes.
Thats interesting. I didnt know that. Personally i have a disappointingly low bar of tolerance for acidity so im usually on the medium/light-medium roasts.
I mix half regular and half decaf and then drink more every morning. I slowly approach my desired caffeination level rather than shooting past it
I’ve had a similar journey recently. Used to assume it wouldn’t be good, found out it is, and now I get to enjoy more of my favorite beverage!
Huge coffee fan here and I’ve never tried decaf. Never really considered the benefit of decaf but I could see an evening or late night coffee could be a treat with little to no concern of staying up too late because of it. Not sure I’ll spring to buy some, but I wouldn’t hesitate to give it a shot if offered.
Unless you’re hanging in pretty snooty coffee circles, chances still are that anything someone is going to offer you is going to be quite bad. For decent decaf, you really need to seek out good Swiss water process beans that are roasted just right (on the slightly darker side of medium imo). For me speciality coffee is largely about the adventure and nuance that each new bag of beans brings, but with decaf it’s more like finding one or two that are pleasant - a familiar evening comfort treat rather than a tropical adventure in my mouth.
Swiss Water Treatment made decaf not suck if memory serves correctly and I too love [decaf] coffee at night or whenever.
Or drink non-decaf and be up at 2AM. 😆
If I drink coffee for dinner, I’d be up until 6 or 7 am. I have the genetic “breaks down coffee slowly” predisposition
I’ve always felt that decaf drinkers are kind of the highest form of coffee afficionado. At that point it’s not about the drug (caffeine), and specialty decaf doesn’t have the negative qualities mass-produced decaf does, so it’s all about the enjoyment. Good on you man, have fun with it
