13 Decaf Whole Bean Coffees, Ranked

For some coffee drinkers, morning may be your favorite time of day. Personally, my greatest joy is waking up when it's still dark out, making myself a pour over, and sipping on it while engrossed in my latest read. Many coffee consumers can probably relate, and for us, coffee isn't just our wake-up beverage of choice — it's a way to ease whatever tensions may greet us throughout the day. But unless you work the night shift, you likely don't indulge in the caffeinated beverage much past noon, no matter how much you may have a hankering for it. Fortunately, this is where decaf coffee comes into play.

Coffee decaffeination can be a harsh process depending on which method is used. Most methods involve some process of soaking and rinsing the beans multiple times (either in a chemical solvent or just in water) to flush out most of the beans' caffeine (though decaf coffee does contain some caffeine). This can leave some decaf beans tasting less than stellar, and it's up to the roaster to figure out the optimal roast to get the full flavor of the decaf bean. Finding a decaf coffee that delivers on flavor can be a process, though, so I gathered decaf coffees from several national and small-business brands to try and compare (via a coffee cupping) based on tasting notes and their palatability to a casual coffee drinker.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

While the last spot on this list does go to Peet's Major Dickason's Decaf blend, I'd be hard-pressed to call this coffee bad — I simply think that most consumers won't find it very palatable black. I was skeptical of this coffee from the moment I saw the beans, which are visibly oily (often a sign of over-roasting). I personally don't prefer dark roasts as the tasting notes tend to become limited to chocolate and caramel, but I know some who prefer a bold roast, so don't knock this one before you try it.

This coffee was indeed rich and full-bodied as its bag claims. It had a slightly bitter finish that would make it difficult to drink on its own, especially if you're not accustomed to bold coffee. I'd absolutely recommend dressing this roast up with at least some cream. On the plus side, though, it could easily convince you that you're drinking a caffeine-rich cup even when you indulge right before bed. If you're a fan of bold, robust coffees and looking for a decaf to stand up well to whatever you may put in it, give this one a try.

Up next is another Peet's coffee, but what gave the company's Mocca-Java Decaf a slight leg up on the previous choice was its depth of flavor. Being a dark roast, the predominant tasting notes were still chocolate and caramel; however, this bean boasted a coffee flavor that was rich and full, and which felt intentional rather than just being a byproduct of its roasting process. I also got hints of baking spice, though I wonder if they were strong enough for me to notice had the bag not indicated I should look for them.

Peet's Mocca-Java definitely brews a full-bodied, dark cup of joe. It's strong and chocolatey, making this a good choice if you want to spike your nighttime hot chocolate with some decaf; however, this coffee is slightly bitter when you drink it black, and leaves a sort of muddy aftertaste. That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you like to add some bells and whistles to your cup. This coffee would make a great base for your favorite cream and homemade syrup, and despite being decaf, it won't lose its coffee flavor to its accoutrements. I also think this roast is bold enough to make a decaf cold brew, though I wouldn't go this route if you prefer drinking your cold brew black.

The visual contrast between Starbucks' Decaf Single-Origin Sumatra beans and the previous choices can give you a hint as to why this one ranked higher. Though it's also a dark roast, the beans are much less oily, and I'd guess they're roasted slightly less than the previous beans. I wouldn't necessarily drink this cup black unless I had to, as it was still a bit too bold for my liking — however, its unique tasting notes made it stand out and will keep me brewing it when I need a mid-afternoon cuppa.

It's rare that I try a coffee that has herbal notes, so I was pleasantly surprised to taste the herbs and spices present in this coffee. It tasted slightly aromatic without being perfumey and in this case, I think the bean benefited from a darker roast, which I rarely say. However, this is another coffee that I don't think the casual coffee drinker would appreciate black — though it doesn't finish bitter, it's bold enough that I could see it being off-putting unless you're after a strong cup. This coffee would benefit from aromatic garnishes, and I'd be tempted to brew it with some orange rind or a spring of rosemary to enhance its herbal notes. Go for this one when you want a unique cup that you could dress up or down depending on your mood.

Peet's Big Bang Decaf was my favorite of the company's decaf selections, though I'll own up to my bias here — after all, we know by now that I prefer medium or light roast coffees over dark roasts. However, these beans had a few other things going for them. The bag was very fragrant and even slightly fruity upon opening; after cupping it, its fruity aroma only became more pronounced.

As you may have already guessed, Peet's wasn't joking when it claimed the bag gives a "vibrant blast of tropical fruit." Most fruity coffees I drink are a light roast, so this one made for an interesting experience — whereas I'm used to the gentle, bright acidity of fruity coffees, the slightly darker roast mellowed out the tropical fruit notes in a way that I can see many consumers appreciating. It was juicy and sat on the sides of my mouth in a way that left me salivating after my first sip. This cup could be enjoyed black, but it would also shine with cream, though you'd probably lose some of its fruity notes if you went this route.

Bean & Bean's Single Origin Decaf beans are sourced from Honduras and decaffeinated via the Mountain Water Process, which is a non-chemical process of flushing the caffeine out of beans. The company says the process makes it so that you'll hardly know the coffee's decaf, and I'd have to agree. It boasted great flavor especially for a decaf and I appreciated how bold and rich it was.

This bean was deep and chocolatey, and would be great on its own or paired with some cream. When it's enjoyed black it's quite smooth, though it does have an acidic finish that knocked it down a few points on my list. It was also surprisingly jammy, but not in a bright way — it boasted deep jam notes, almost like a dark red wine. This roast is a little darker than some others on this list, so keep that in mind if you have roast preferences, but I think that worked to its favor here. It would also be a lovely decaf coffee to pair with a chocolate dessert.

Counter Culture's "slow motion" decaf is clever both in name and in its decaffeination process — the company chose the Swiss Water Process to decaffeinate its beans, another method that forgoes the use of chemicals in favor of using water and carbon filters to remove caffeine from the coffee bean. Though I enjoyed this coffee, I found it to be slightly less smooth than some later on this list, which contributed to its number eight ranking.

Given that flavor is the biggest reason you'll opt for a decaf coffee, I appreciated the potency of this roast. It boasts strong notes of molasses (which makes it taste slightly sweet) and cocoa. The biggest knock against this cup was that some slight bitterness lingered on the back of my tongue, though this is nitpicky — this choice was just up against some really stellar decaf coffees. On the plus side, I could see this cup being enjoyed either black or with cream, though because its tasting notes are so potent I wouldn't be surprised if some consumers find it unpalatable black.

Grounds & Hounds' Single Origin Peru Decaf was one of the most unique coffees I tried on this list. It's a high-grown coffee that's decaffeinated via the Swiss Water Process, and I think decaffeinating the bean actually played to its favor. What could have been quite the acidic cup was mellowed out, and it showcased all the qualities I look for in a high-grown light roast without being as sharp as others I've had.

This cup was extraordinarily juicy, and the apple and vanilla notes were potent. The apple in particular follows you from the start of a sip to the end, and it sits with you long after swallowing in a way that invites you to take another sip. I'd prefer to drink this coffee alongside dessert — namely, a slice of apple streusel pie. Though I was a huge fan of this coffee, it's definitely for a certain customer, and if you love juicy, wild coffees, I'd recommend this decaf bean. If that's not your speed, you may enjoy one of the tamer options here.

My next decaf bean (which is stripped of caffeine via a water process) is Blue Bottle's Night Light Decaf coffee. Similar to my previous pick, this is a unique coffee that will be appreciated by coffee drinkers with a certain palate. If you possess a palate that prefers bright, acidic, sweet coffees, give this decaf a try. It's definitely not mellow, but it is tasty and I'd say it stands in a category of its own.

The notes of Key lime were surprisingly strong in this brew and lent a slight sour flavor to the brew, which I wouldn't say is a bad thing — it just made the coffee taste slightly limey. The crème brûlée and vanilla notes rounded out the lime to give this cup a surprising depth, and it lingered with me long after the first sip. Though I wouldn't call it juicy like some other choices on this list, it was definitely a bright and full-bodied cup, which I could see being polarizing to some consumers. I wouldn't recommend drinking this with milk — rather, let yourself enjoy everything a black cup has to offer.

Stumptown's Trapper Creek Decaf coffee is decaffeinated using the Swiss Water Process and unlike many beans on this list, this one is a blended coffee rather than being single origin. A benefit of using blends is that the roaster can adjust the coffee mixture until they create a balanced cup, which I think Stumptown did impeccably here. A bonus about buying from this brand is that Stumptown has some of the highest quality beans you can find at many grocery stores.

This is the decaf bean you'll buy when you want to drink a cup around a bonfire on your next camping trip. While it definitely boasted some dried fruit notes (as indicated on the bag) I also got a smoky, nutty quality from this brew that was followed up by chocolate at the end of the sip, while dried fruit lingered at the sides of my mouth. I think this cup is pretty versatile — it could be enjoyed by coffee newbies but it is also unique enough to hold the interest of connoisseurs.

Counter Culture's urcunina decaf was my favorite of its decaf options, and I had a hard time ranking this one — though I think it's more unique (and therefore slightly more enjoyable) than the brand's slow motion, I could see some consumers not appreciating its light, bright acidity. However, I scored this as high as I did because it's a unique cup that could be dressed up a couple of different ways to suit the preferences of various customers.

The urcunina decaf beans brewed a juicy cup that had hints of maple syrup, which will make it welcoming to those who like sweet coffee drinks. I'd call it a smooth, fruity cup that boasted surprisingly strong flavor for a decaf coffee. While I think it's too acidic for cream, this is one coffee I'd encourage you to play around with when you're brewing it. If making a pour over, I'd be interested to see how mixing a tiny bit of brown sugar into the grounds amplifies its maple syrup notes and helps round out some of the acidity. On the other hand, if you wanted to accentuate its brightness, you could toss an orange peel into the mix.

Coming in at number three on my list is a bean that stands apart as a decaf espresso choice. Heretic Coffee Co.'s Valle del Cauca Decaf is an interesting and approachable roast that will shine no matter how you brew it, but I'd particularly recommend it if you're the espresso drinker pulling shots at home. It goes down impressively smooth even as a concentrated espresso shot, and is a great coffee to make when brewing for people who don't like coffee.

While this brew is very bright and nutty, boasting both citrus and cocoa notes, it doesn't hit you with an ultra-potent flavor, which I think works to its favor here. I can see this being enjoyed by a wide audience — even those who eschew concentrated brews will find it palatable as an espresso, and it's light enough to be enjoyed black by consumers who usually take their coffee with cream. It sits at the top of your mouth after swallowing with a slightly caramelized flavor. I do think this decaf would get lost when mixed with milk, but I bet you won't think it needs any after trying a sip.

Regent's Colombia Risaralda Decaf coffee is decaffeinated using the sugarcane or ethyl acetate decaffeination process, which uses a naturally-occurring compound derived from sugarcane to strip the coffee of its caffeine. I often find myself enjoying sugarcane processed decaf coffees more than those decaffeinated using other processes — I find the sugarcane compound helps the bean retain more flavor, and that was definitely the case here.

This coffee brewed an impeccably smooth and well-rounded cup. Drinking it is a layered experience. Vanilla and brown sugar will hit you at the beginning of the sip, only to be quickly followed by bright floral notes, which sit at the top of your mouth. The end of the sip will hit the back of your tongue with welcome juiciness. It isn't the least bit acidic or bitter and goes down incredibly easy; whereas the previous roast on this list is mellow enough to be enjoyed by any consumer, I'd say this is a balanced enough cup to be used as an introductory point for those looking to dive into the tasting notes of coffee without the caffeine kick.

Finally, my top choice of decaf coffee goes to Roadmap's Blue Ridge Decaf beans. This coffee feels like the underdog that just manages to come out ahead of all the rest — though it didn't seem particularly noteworthy to me at first (after all, I regularly run into caramel, chocolate, and citrus tasting notes in coffee), it managed to be exceptional in its regularity. I'm guessing you'd be hard-pressed to find a consumer who didn't like this cup of decaf, which takes the top spot on my list because it brewed the ideal cup.

This coffee was the epitome of smooth. It went down incredibly easy and doesn't linger, making it easily drinkable to any coffee consumer. It was bright and full of milk chocolate notes which, combined with the citrus notes, produced a well-rounded cup that I could see anybody enjoying black. If you're an avid coffee fan, you may not write home about this one, but you will find yourself falling back on it time and time again when you need a reliable, comforting cup. It has something for every type of consumer and its extraordinary accessibility gave it a huge leg up in this ranking.

To do this ranking I did a cupping of each coffee and sipped them at room temperature to experience the fullness of what each had to offer. Because most consumers will go after decaf purely for the flavor, it was difficult to rank these coffees, partially because everyone has different flavor preferences. Given that, I had to take into account how each coffee would fare when placed in front of a wide audience.

The coffees that ranked high on my list were incredibly approachable and would be a safe choice for most coffee consumers. They were neutral and smooth enough to be enjoyed black even if you don't typically drink black coffee, but were interesting enough to be appreciated by coffee aficionados. Middling on my list were many bright, fruity, juicy roasts — while I could see these being a favorite of some coffee drinkers, I don't think they'd be appreciated by as wide of an audience. Though I wouldn't call any of my bottom picks bad, they all were asking for some accompaniment to be enjoyed in their fullest capacity.