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45 sources for great decaf coffee

decaf coffee

A few weeks ago I sent out the monthly-ish newsletter (subscribe here if you don’t already) and in it I shared 7 things that didn’t work for me in 2016. #2 on the list? Decaf coffee. Here’s what I wrote:

I’m a longtime coffee fan, and my love only deepened when my husband worked in coffee for years. (Easy access + constant exposure + samples galore is a dangerous combination!)

But then one day, shortly after having our last child, I woke up and my caffeine tolerance was gone. Just gone. Now, as much as I love coffee, it’s just not worth feeling like a crazy person for twelve hours after consuming the caffeine.

Lately I’ve had a difficult time tracking down good decaf. I know many of you don’t care, and happily drink coffee of any and all kinds, or no coffee at all, and I get that. But coffee is one of those little things I just love, and I was hoping to find better options in 2017. So I asked you, and WOW, did you come through with the recommendations!

Today I’m sharing the list. Fellow decaf drinkers, rejoice!—because as you can see, it’s a long one.

(If you’re in the vast majority of people who happily consume caffeine everyday, have no fear—every single thing here will work just great for you, too.)

Coffee Roasters

1. Camano Island Coffee Roasters. Ethical coffee from Washington state with six decaf and half-caff options.

2. Lavazza Decaf Whole Bean Espresso. Highly recommended by multiple coffee geeks.

3. Mystic Monk Coffee. This Wyoming roaster sells their coffee direct, by single order or subscription, and features more decaf options than your average roaster. One reader calls this “the best decaf I’ve found anywhere.”Also available on Amazon Prime.

4. Blue Bottle Coffee roasts just one decaf blend—Decaf Noir—but they’re still one of my favorites. If you ever get the opportunity to try a latté or cappucino in person at one of their cafés, do it. They also have a smooth-running subscription service.

5.  McNulty’s Tea and Coffee. This tiny West Village shop ships 20+ varieties of decaf worldwide, and sells in both 1-pound and half-pound bags, making it easy to try a wide variety of coffees. (Now I’m kicking myself that I walked right by this shop last fall without going in!)

6. Jolly Roger Roasting Co. This Eugene, Oregon roaster sells in their local store and online, with one decaf option. (Brazilian.)

7. Cafe Campesino. This Georgia company sells 100% organic, fair trade coffee, with 5 decaf and half-caff options available.

8. Railway Coffee. This Louisiana roaster has a physical store in Ruston and also sells online. (Brazil Mogiana Decaf available here.)

9. Red Rooster in Floyd, Virginia has 3 decaf and halfcaff options, including the Funky Chicken.

10. Bulletproof Coffee, including the Original Whole Bean Decaf. (Also available on Amazon.)

11. Abbey Roast. This coffee is small batch roasted at Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery in the mountains of southwest New Mexico. (Also: very cool branding.)

12. Patria Coffee. Seasonal, 100% organic coffee roasted in California.

13. Temple Coffee Roasters. This Sacramento roastery has 5 local stores and ships their coffees, including Decaffeinated Colombia Excelso, nationwide.

14. Buena Vista Roastery. Located high in the mountains of Colorado, but shipped nationwide. Features an impressive five decaf options.

15. Addison Coffee Roasters. This Dallas-based micro-roaster ships nationwide.

16. Allegro Coffee, including 7 decaf options, one of which is called Bel Canto. Also available at Whole Foods and on Amazon.

17. Voyage Coffee. This family-owned and operated micro-roaster in Eugene, Oregon roasts 3x a week and priority shipping is free so their beans are always fresh, including the Organic Ethiopia Decaf.

18. Intelligentsia Coffee is a long-standing personal favorite from the days I lived in Chicago. Four decaf blends available online; my favorite is the Librarian’s Blend, but I can’t decide if this is because of the taste or the name.

19. Metropolis Coffee. Another Chicago roaster; I always reserve plenty of extra suitcase when I visit the Windy City so I can pack plenty of their beans on the return trip. Decaf Redline and Decaf Xeno’s Blend FTO available online; more options available locally.

20. Aspire Coffeeworks, a social enterprise in partnership with Metropolis Coffee. Try the Dream Big Decaf.

21. Big Water Coffee Roasters in Bayfield, Wisconsin features two decaf blends: Dark Devil and Wet Devil.

22. Notting Hill Coffee Roastery in Lewes, Delaware ships 8 different decafs nationwide. One coffee fan calls it “the best I’ve ever had.”

23. Grounds For Change carries a wide variety of coffees, and even offers a decaf option on their Coffee Explorer monthly subscription.

24. Bird Rock Coffee Roasters carries one half-caff option and two decafs. From a reader: “My husband and I could be called “coffee snobs”, and I think their decaf is great.”

25. Coffee Fool calls itself the original fresh coffee seller online. They carry over 190 (!!) coffees, in a wide variety of flavors, including 37 decaf and half-caff options. Also available on Amazon Prime.

26.  Victrola Coffee Roasters is a personal favorite. Whenever my husband’s in Seattle for work, I ask him very nicely to return with a pound of Deco Decaf in his suitcase. 

27. The Roasterie in Kansas City air roasts your coffee beans to order and ships immediately. (One reader calls it “amazing—so fresh, so good.”) 17 decaf and half-caff options.

28. King David Coffee Roasters. This Nashua, New Hampshire roaster carries two decaf options. Subscribe for recurring shipments and receive Melita brewing equipment gratis.

29. Solar Roast Coffee. Solar heat roasts coffee “low and slow, like a good BBQ.” This Pueblo company’s water process decaf is, in the words of one coffee fan, “organic and super yummy.”

30. Barrington Coffee Roasting Co believes that “decaffeinated coffee drinkers drink coffee for one reason, TASTE.” (Amen.) They roast Monday – Thursday, and any order received by 9:00 a.m. ships out that same day.

31. Jittery Joe’s. This Athens shop roasts two kinds of decaf and ships nationwide. (Fun fact: their name comes from an episode of The Simpsons.)

32. Peets Coffee. This prominent West coast brand ships nationwide and is also available for a darn good price on Amazon subscribe and save. Several readers expressed specific love for the Major Dickason’s Decaf Blend and Sumatra Decaf.

33. Kéan Coffee Artisan Roasters. One reader says the lovely couple who operate this California roaster is downright obsessive about serving and/or shipping their beans within hours of roasting. Three decafs available, all Swiss-water decaffeinated.

34. Love Nomads Coffee. 100% of this Georgia roaster’s profits benefit mission and community development projects worldwide, with a special focus on Africa. Subscriptions available.

35. Backroom Coffee Roasters is a specialty micro-roaster in Columbus, Ohio that ships 99.9% caffeine-free coffee nationwide. (Did you know to be certified decaf, only 97% is required? Yep.)

36. Equal Exchange, particularly the Organic French Roast. Available at Whole Foods and online here.

37. Armeno Coffee Roasters never uses chemicals in their decaf processing, currently has 9 decaf varieties to choose from, and, according to one reader, “all are wonderful.”

38. Local Milwaukee roaster Colectivo Coffee ships nationwide and even has a decaf subscription featuring seven different varieties.

39. Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roasters was born in Olympia, Washington all the way back in 1988. Four decafs available, including their signature Dancing Goats blend.

40. Salt City Coffee of Syracuse ships freshly roasted beans that positively impacts our society and our world nationwide.

41. Birds and Beans Coffee was one of the first companies to take up the “bird-friendly” certification, and this love for our flying friends is reflected in their whimsical branding, like the Baltimore Oriole French Roast Decaf.

Coffee services

42. Misto Box. My local (Louisville) roaster Good Folks Coffee recommended this subscription box to my husband, knowing they carry and ship multiple decaf options. It’s been life-changing. Many coffee fans told me they used this service to discover new-to-them decaf roasters that ship. (Use the code 2PAL to get $10 off your first order.)

43. Click Roast Deliver.This artisan coffee marketplace makes it easy to get beans from your favorite local (but not to you) roasters. 10 decaf offerings at this time, including Victrola and Intelligentsia.

44. Coffee Bean Direct sells a huge variety of beans roasted in their large-scale craft New Jersey roastery, in quantities ranging from 1 to 25 pounds. 10 decaf options available.

Also recommended:

45. The American Press. I hardly ever discover new-to-me coffee brewing equipment these days, so I was delighted when a half dozen readers clued me in to a new little gizmo with rave reviews. I haven’t tried it yet but it’s a no-brainer for the next gift-giving (or receiving) occasion at my house, especially because of our longstanding love affair with the similar AeroPress.

What are your favorite coffees and where do you find them? Do you have any experience with the roasters, services, or equipment listed here? Tell us all about it in comments!

45 sources for great decaf coffee

59 comments

Leave A Comment
  1. I’ve also had to give up caffeine. My shift was more gradual. About 11-12 years ago, I would start to get a headache if I didn’t get a cup within an hour of waking up. I could drink a gallon later, and the headache would remain.

    Not the way I wanted to live.

    So I gave up the daily caffeine, indulging a couple of times a month. Then I started to notice a few years ago that coffee at a certain local restaurant would make me super jittery, so I stopped drinking it there. This summer, I finished off some real coffee I’d left for our housesitter, and I’m not kidding you, I was jittery, hot, and felt like I needed to be peeled off the ceiling until late afternoon. No more occasional indulgence. It’s not worth it.

    I’ve heard a lot about the NM monastery not far from here. Must look into it!

  2. Emily says:

    This is great! I am also sooo caffeine sensitive but most decaf I’ve tried is kind of blah. And really, how can you start your morning without coffee?!

  3. Sunshine says:

    This is so awesome, thank you! If you are in Louisville (KY I hope?!), you have to try Coffee Times in Lexington, KY. I cannot remember how many flavors they have in decaf, but they are SO delicious.

  4. Lisa says:

    I do drink caffeine but try to limit to one small cup. Since I love coffee so much the remaining cup(s) are decaf. We have a great local roaster The Hub in Reno who makes decaf with no chemicals. I am also a nespresso fan and the archipego decaf is my favourite. Thanks for sharing this list, I plan to try quite a few.

  5. Sarah says:

    We’ve ordered from Grounds for Change a couple of times and were very happy with the quality. My husband loves learning new skills, though, so he now owns his own roaster and roasts our own coffee in the basement (which is actually much cheaper than buying the “good” stuff at the store). Once you’ve had good, freshly roasted coffee, you’re ruined to everything else. ?

  6. Sarah A says:

    So glad to see Equal Exchange on your list. Their regular, whole-bean decaf is my go-to coffee at home. My local Whole Foods stopped selling it :(, so now I order it from their website. Another great option is L.A.-based Urth Cafe. Everything in their cafes is Amazing, but if you’re not planning a trip to SoCal soon, you can order from their website. ( https://urthcaffe.com/store/organic-coffee ) They have 3 decaf options. “World Peace” is my favorite.

  7. Danielle says:

    We love I Have a Bean coffee. Roasted here in Wheaton IL. If I’m remembering correctly, they only employ ex-prisoners. Excellent coffee + excellent mission.

  8. Pidge says:

    Thank you for putting this list together!
    I love coffee, but have never handled caffeine well.
    This is such a help!
    Thanks again!

  9. Louise says:

    Great list! I buy my decaf from the Vermont Bean Company, but I don’t know that it will be available to me once we move out of New England. Nice to know I’ll have some options!

  10. Laura says:

    Great list!

    I wasn’t a coffee person until my late 20’s, but now that I’m nearing 40 I’ve noticed an unhealthy caffeine addiction. I used to drink one cup in the morning and I was good to go. Now I drink coffee at all hours of the day (and night) and complete the caffeine need with Coke zero (hubby and I drink it by the gallons!)the rest of the time.

    I’ve been meaning to quit caffeine or at least go back down to just a morning cup of Joe and Coke Zero on special occasions, and going decaf is a great way to start!

  11. Breanne says:

    I’ve been thinking about my own caffeine habit as I know I can handle one cup of regular coffee but go a little nuts if I have more then that. But I still have some small children so I’ll wait another year before totally switching to decaf because I need to still function. Great list of resources!

    I do have experience with Blue Bottle and their lattes, because of meeting you there! =)

  12. Jane says:

    I discovered New Mexico Piñon coffee while traveling in NM. Coffee has a wonderful aroma. At first you think it is hazelnut, but it is the aroma of a pinon bean. It is now our coffee of choice.

  13. Mary Metthe says:

    My absolute fav is Salt City Coffee. It’s roasted and sent the next day, so fresh:). They also have a nice selection of teas.

  14. Cheryl Ryshpan says:

    Thank you for this. After my heart attack, the doctor took away my caffeine! I’m in Canada so I’m very limited as to where to get really good decaf. I love Van Houtte’s, followed by LaVazza. I learned that Starbucks Decaf is made from plant sources, not really coffee and it tends to be sweet. Second Cup used to roast decent decaf but switched grinds and now it’s ugh. All the baristas tend to push Americano decaf which may or may not be true decaf. And the cost…blah.
    Again, thank you. My son travels a lot and I’ll have him pick up some to try.

  15. Lori says:

    Would love recommendations for a good decaf tea. I like very strong black tea with milk. Most decaf teas are very blah. One cup of caffeine is my limit but I like more than one cup of tea.

  16. Susan E says:

    Thank you so much for compiling this list. I can (and want to) only drink decaf and it’s hard to find any kind of variety so I’m going to check into several that you’ve listed.

  17. Valerie W. says:

    When I lived in NC, I really enjoyed Joe Van Gogh’s decaf coffee. I just checked their website, and you can order online – they have 7 decaf options and one half-caff. My favorite was the mocha java and I also enjoyed the sea turtle blend. I may have to order some now that I know I can order online…..

  18. Jamie says:

    My heart just about burst when I saw Dancing Goats on this list! From my hometown and a true icon in the city. Two other highly recommended Olympia coffee roasters are Olympia Coffee Roasting Company and Olympic Crest Coffee Roasters. Total disclaimer – I don’t drink coffee at all so these tips aren’t from personal experience and I can’t comment on their decaf (or caffeinated) blend. But growing up in a coffee-centric town does give me a bit of street cred….right? 🙂

  19. Ashley says:

    Some local coffee roasters in Ohio include Silver Bridge Coffee & Crimson Cup. Both have amazing flavors available in decaf that I believe you can order online if you aren’t able to make it to their local retailers or farmers market booths in central Ohio!

    • Joni says:

      I think Bustelo is amazing in Decaf. If you love Cuban coffee, I think this is similar. And, it’s very inexpensive. I have a hard time finding it now so I ordered it online from Target, but there were lots of other places to get it.

  20. Heidi says:

    Thanks immensely for this list! I was wishing to know more of quality decaf options available online… and here it is! Also thanks for the tip about the American Press. My husband might be receiving one for his birthday this year!

  21. Casie says:

    Another option is Simpatico coffee, a roaster out of Holland Michigan that specializes is low acid coffee. They only have one decaf roast, but it is smooth, low acid and 99% caffeine free. They ship from their website.

  22. Michele Gagnier says:

    Awesome list ! I am in Canada and wonder if other members have a list of recommendations for us ? With our dollar exchange it doesn`t make much sense to order from the U.S…

    Coffee is my one vice 😉

  23. Kristen Marsh says:

    I live in the Sacramento area and have really enjoyed all the new craft roasting that’s been going on. I’ve been homeroasting for years and have a little micro-roasting project going on. I thought you’d appreciate the name; J. Thaddeus Coffee (if you’re a Wind in the Willows fan). It’s my Mad new mania 😉

  24. Ani says:

    I don’t know if they have home delivery (I’m sure they must!) but Philz Coffee has great decaf coffee.

    I also really like Stumptown’s Trapper Creek decaf blend. I find it in my grocery store (in LA) but I think they deliver as well.

  25. Ellie Tu says:

    Thank you for the valuable info. I have been searching for tasty decaf resource beyond one I have (blue bottle). And this blog brightens my life during breastfeeding.

  26. Jennifer says:

    Yet another thing I have in common with you. It was a sad day when I realized mochas and lattes were not good for me. Even decaf at Starbucks is too strong. I mostly drink herbal teas now because experimenting with decafs hasn’t been worth it to me (not knowing if it would still be too strong). I do find I can tolerate an espresso size cup of regular coffee when my husband makes it at home.

  27. Janean says:

    Anne, do you have a favorite on this list? I’m having to break up with caffeine too and I don’t even know where to start. Also, if you have a favorite, what’s your favorite brew method? I’m a French presser, but I don’t know if I’d prefer decaf differently?

    • Anne says:

      We do a V60 pourover, and I don’t know if I have a FAVORITE favorite, because I really like variety. My favorites these days are Victrola, my local decaf from Quill’s Coffee, and a rotating selection of whatever I can get my hands on from Click Roast Deliver. I got some amazing Tanzana from Love Nomads last year but they haven’t had any similarly amazing decaf in stock since then. I keep hoping they’ll get some more in!

      • Allison says:

        Anne, I know this is an old thread but I am wondering if you had any withdrawal symptoms when you dropped the caffeine. I am on day 5 and have had major leg and back pain especially at night. Dr. Google says this sometimes happens in sensitive people. Just curious how your experience went and how long it took you to feel back to normal energy wise. Thanks!

        • Anne says:

          I didn’t, but I think that might be because I cut back very, very gradually. That wasn’t a strategy to avoid withdrawal; it was because I wanted to keep as much caffeine in my life for as long as I possibly could. It turns out my tolerance is so low that I worked my way down to nearly nothing, but it took a while to get there.

          • Allison says:

            Thanks so much for your very quick reply and sharing your experience (and sorry for my delay…the first week of school has been extra crazy!). I am finally 10 days in and feeling much better (weirdly I was only cutting out about 12oz a day but I guess going to 0oz cold turkey was quite abrupt for my body). So happy to have this post to reference as I hopefully discover some tasty decaf options! Thanks again.

  28. svscoa says:

    Thank you for the great decaf list. I was going to order a one-pound sample package from McNulty’s, but their shipping charges are extortionate.

    From NY to CA, their lowest charge is $16.38 UPS for a $13.20 order! They never heard of the Post Office?! I’ll try some of the other roasters listed.

  29. Margaret says:

    You should check out Savorista! They make my all time favorite decaf. Promise I don’t work for them or anything – just a local company that specializes in decaf and low-caf coffee, which is such a cool concept!! Decaf doesn’t suck!

  30. Nancy Adise says:

    I can’t drink caffeine, so I’m pretty familiar with many decaf options out there. My hands-down, all time favorite decaf coffee, is roasted and sold by a small roaster in Annapolis, Maryland: ‘Rise Up Coffee’. Their decaf is called Organic Decaf and has the smoothest, almost chocolatey flavor I’ve ever had in an unflavored coffee. Yum. I highly recommend it.

    • Maureen says:

      I love Rise Up Coffee. I wish there was a store near me. Whenever I’m in Annapolis in the morning I always go there. Another good Maryland coffee shop is Vigilante Coffee.

  31. Karla says:

    The thread that keeps on giving?
    I’ve never been a coffee drinker, but I’m a heavy tea and caffeinated/sweetened/flavored seltzer water drinker. And then, like you, suddenly I can’t tolerate the caffeine OR the sweet. Yikes! So I’m looking for a list with great tasting decaf tea options. I’m not into chai or flavored teas – just the plain goodness of black tea.
    Suggestions?

  32. Maureen says:

    I had to give up caffeine when menopause started. I’d drink a cup of coffee and immediately my face would turn red and a hot flash was off and running. I even had to give up tea. A very, very sad time. I also had to give up wine, it did the same thing. I’m several years into menopause and I can drink coffee, tea, and wine again, Hallelujah! If I overdo it I will sometimes still get a slight flush but I can live with that.

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