We get this question all the time and people on social media are in a constant uproar when anyone mentions choosing decaf as opposed to regular coffee as their morning beverage of choice. It's often seen as the 'watered down" version of regular coffee and an abomination to the coffee snobs out there who are addicted to caffeine whether they know it or not.
Decaf coffee is a healthier alternative, but it isn't just for those with an intolerance to caffeine.
Decaffeinated coffee has a number of health benefits that make it worth switching from your regular cup. Not only does decaffeinated coffee help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, but it also helps improve sleep quality, hormone levels, and productivity levels in some people.
Coffee lovers have been faced with the question "is decaffeinated coffee bad?" for decades now. For many years decaf was thought to be a kind of weak imitation or even flavorless brew; however, this couldn't be further from the truth! These days decaffeinated coffees are so good you may not even realize you're drinking decaf. With natural processes like the Swiss Water Process, which removes up to 99% of the caffeine and none of the flavor, you'd be surprised to know that decaf can taste just as good, or dare we say even better than regular coffee.
What's Good Decaf?
The decaffeination process can be achieved by using one of two different methods: the Swiss Water Process and the Traditional Method. The traditional method is typically used in large-scale production, while the swiss water decaf coffee thrives from a more small-batch approach. With this distinction, you'll find that coffee decaffeinated using the Swiss Water Process will have unique flavor profiles (given their diverse range of beans) whereas decafs made with the Traditional Method are less likely to showcase any distinctive flavors due to its mass processing techniques and chemicals used that strip flavor.
Due to these differences, consumers should pay close attention when looking for quality decaffeinated coffee options so they know what it tastes like before trying it out at home or work. And truth be told, high-quality decaf is going to be a bit more expensive than your regular supermarket decaf options. Why? Because it's roasted in small batches within days of being shipped to you, it's been decaffeinated with an all-natural process that takes longer and removes nearly all of the caffeine, and roasters who care about great coffee spend time and resources working hard to create relationships and partnerships with the farmers they sources their beans from. Every step of the way is done to the highest quality possible so you can have the best cup every time you make a mug of your favorite coffee. For us, that's what we want to spend our money on.
Decaf options are available from many companies but high-quality decaf is rarer. Some brands like Starbucks or Folgers offer decaf for their customers but they don't take the care and attention to detail smaller roasters and specialty coffee brands do to making their decaf as great as their regular options.
Health Benefits of Choosing Decaf
Regardless of why you may personally choose decaf, most people come by the way of health. Either a blood or heart condition has resorted in their doctor or physician urging them to drop caffeine or significantly reduce it and they make their way to the decaf section begrudgingly. Or, and I sincerely hope this is not the case, some kind of health episode wakes them up. For most who have this experience, it's usually a panic attack.
Yes, you read that right. When someone drinks too much caffeine, be it with coffee or energy drinks, they are likely to have a panic attack, especially if they are already prone to things like being overstressed and anxious.
Not only that, when you drink too much caffeine you may also experience:
- heart palpitations or heart racing
- sweats
- shaky hands or jitters
- headaches that last for hours
- upset stomach or acid reflux
- higher blood pressure
- emotional breakdowns
- anxiety attacks or episodes of overwhelm
- insomnia
- hormone and cortisol imbalances
- and more
Decaf coffee is a better choice because it removes chemicals and contains significantly less caffeine that can cause insomnia, anxiety, hormonal imbalance, sleep issues, or other health problems
Decaf coffee is a better choice for those who have sensitive stomachs, heart problems, or high blood pressure. It can help you sleep deeper and wake up feeling more refreshed by reducing the amount of caffeine that's consumed in your system and isn't acidic like regular coffee, which means it won't cause acid reflux or upset stomach.
Lifestyle Benefits of Choosing Decaf
When it comes to lifestyle choices these are harder changes to make and often come later as we become more aware of ourselves. Sometimes the health mishaps need to happen to help wake us up to how we treat our body and what we put in it. That was how it happened for me, anyway.
However, there are people out there who are highly aware of what they take in, and when it comes to caffeine, they treat it as any other highly aware person would - as the drug that it is. It's a psychoactive substance and reacts with your brain in a way that excites and improves activity. Similar to other drugs, it wears off eventually, isn't harmful in moderation, and also can be addictive.
We're seeing a trend in young to middle-aged professionals who are extremely aware of their own limitations. They're analyzing their own productivity in a way that errs on fanatic but what they're learning about themselves is some of the most valuable information on the planet. Through trial, error, analysis, and tracking, they are finding out what makes them tick. They learn how their body and mind react to certain things and what happens when certain stimuli are present.
These types are all obsessed with finding out how to be their best. They love elimination diets, tech detoxes, and spending time in isolation just to let their minds go where it pleases. With that, they can't just willy nilly be drinking caffeine and messy up all the tests.
I do not mean for this to sound patronizing either. People who want the lifestyle benefits of quitting or significantly reducing their caffeine are my type of people! I was so tired of feeling wired, on-edge, and unable to focus while drinking coffee. I was sold a bill of goods that didn't feel fulfilled.
With coffee, we're promised productivity, focus, energy, but what we get are unfocused mental chaos, and poor sleep. You may not get the energy jolt you're promised, but instead a crash and more fatigue.
But if you love coffee, the ritual, the taste, the culture, high-quality decaf is your best option. It will give you all of the benefits of coffee and what it means to enjoy coffee without the negative side effects. This is where we win at life: being satisfied with something that still has the complex, nuanced, and well-known flavor profile but none of its drawbacks.
Decaf is Coffee with Control
So here's the point. Decaf coffee is not brown water, it's not watered down coffee, and it's not gross. If you have decaf that does match that profile then it's cheap, mass-produced, over-roasted, and poor quality. If you buy anything that matches that description you should rethink your approach. Decaf is just like anything else in life, you get what you pay for. Finding top-notch decaf isn't as easy as finding the same in regular coffee, but we're here to change that.
We are one of the only coffee brands selling solely decaf and easily the brand with the most decaf options. From classic blends to single-origin favorites, to naturally flavored roasts that coffee-lovers desire for a truly decadent experience. Inspired by our favorite place to sit, work, love, read, and enjoy, it's a coffee drinking experience that transports you to your favorite place with each cup.
That, that is the point of decaf coffee.
