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Instant Decaf Coffee
The best instant decaf coffee brands and how to choose the right one for you.
Published December 14, 2021
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Jennie Backteman
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
If you are looking for a cup of decaf coffee that is quick and convenient to make, the best option to consider is instant decaf coffee. Instant coffee has been popular for a long time and can be a great option for coffee drinkers who don’t want to wait around too long to get their morning beverage.
If you are looking to find the best cup of instant decaf coffee for you, keep reading. We’ve put together some of the best instant decaf coffee on the market and reviewed each one to help you save money and find a decaf instant coffee brand that it best suited for your needs.
How to Find the Best Instant Decaf Coffee
Many people assume that instant decaf coffee is going to taste bad, but the truth is that they haven’t even tried it. They may assume that since instant coffee lacks the freshness that you can from freshly ground whole beans, instant decaf coffee is going to be even worse due to the fact that it does not contain caffeine. However, the good news is that the world of decaf and instant coffees are always improving and there are lots of options available that will completely change your mind once you try them. Roasters are continuously finding new ways to improve flavors so that they can create products that appeal to the preferences and tastes of every coffee drinking.
If you’re trying to find the best decaf instant coffee for you, here are some of the top factors to consider.
Flavor: Unfortunately, just looking at a pack or tin of coffee isn’t going to help you much when it comes to finding out the flavor. However, you can get a better idea of how it’s going to taste by reading the flavor descriptions and finding customer reviews written by people who have tried it. The roast profile is one of the first things to look for when it comes to determining the flavor of a coffee. A medium or light roast will have a more subtle, balanced flavor compared to dark roast, which is smokier and more bitter. Bear in mind that caffeine adds flavor to coffee, so finding out which decaf coffee has the least caffeine may be helpful.
Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel refers to the texture of the coffee and is another characteristic of the coffee that is hard to determine by just looking at the packaging, and probably won’t be talked about as much in customer reviews compared to the flavor of the coffee. However, the best instant decaf coffee to go for is one that is described as having a full or round mouthfeel, if you can.
Portability: How you like to drink your decaf coffee is another thing to think about before you choose the right one for you. If you like to have coffee available to drink when you are on the go, single-serve packets rather than one tin or bag are likely to be a better choice for you, as they are more convenient for traveling.
Single Origin vs. Blend: While people looking for instant decaf espresso don’t always give as much attention to the origin of the coffee compared to those looking for whole beans, it’s definitely worth a mention. Consider whether you want single-origin coffee, which is made from coffee beans that come from just one farm, or a blend, which is often cheaper, has a more rounded and balanced flavor, and comes from different farms.
Now you know what to look for when it comes to choosing the perfect instant decaf coffee for you, here are some of our best picks.
Sanka Instant Decaffeinated Coffee
Sanka was one of the first instant decaf coffee options to hit the market and has grown in popularity ever since. It is one of the best supermarket decaf coffee options. It has become one of, if not the most consumed decaf instant coffees. However, in terms of quality and flavor, Sanka is not the most balanced option out there. It’s an ideal choice for people who prefer to take their coffee with cream and sugar and has a full-bodied mouthfeel.
ColCafe Instant Decaf Coffee
Made with 100% Colombian beans, which makes this brand stand out from its competitors, this is one of the most popular coffee brands in Latin America. It has a bold taste that is very characteristic of Colombian coffee; however, on the downside, it’s not difficult to tell that this is an instant decaf coffee when drinking it. That being said, it is quite well-balanced with roasty, smoky notes and a cocoa flavor from the coffee beans. It is good with cream or sugar.
JOE Coffee House Decaf Instant Coffee
One of the most unique things about the JOE House Decaf is that it’s the only coffee here that uses the Swiss Water process that is used by many of the best quality third-wave coffee roasters today. It is a delicate brew made with a lightly roasted, single origin coffee from Nicaragua. It’s ideal for anybody who prefers softer, lightly roasted coffee, with a bright and fruity taste and a caramel aroma. The mouthfeel is also very balanced, and it is easy to see that this coffee has been meticulously crafted by the roaster.
Café Altura Decaf Instant Coffee
If you are looking for an organic decaf instant coffee option, this is an ideal one to consider. It is a blend made with coffees from Central America, South America, and Indonesia, and has a neutral and balanced feel. It is crisp yet light on the palate and has a very neutral and balanced feel. One of the best things about this coffee is that it’s pretty much impossible to tell that it is decaf as it tastes exactly the same as the caffeinated version.
Folger’s Classic Decaffeinated Instant Coffee
This is a classic coffee blend that many people are familiar with and enjoy, as one of the old instant coffee brands that’s been around for a while. Like the caffeinated version of this coffee, it offers a bold and nutty flavor. The dark roast gives it the smokiness that is generally expected from dark profiles, and it is an ideal decaf instant coffee for anybody who is looking for a beverage with low acidity levels and savory, bold flavors from their drink. Along with being available in a tin, it is also available in handy single-serve packets that are ideal for taking traveling with you or grabbing on your way to work.
Starbucks VIA Italian Roast Instant Decaf
For an instant decaf coffee, this one is surprisingly bold. However, the roast profile and flavor are more on the dark side. If you are a dark roast lover and want to find the perfect decaf espresso powder for you, this one could be the perfect choice. The Italian roast is made with 100% Arabica decaf instant coffee, and has a strong, appealing aroma that adds to its bold taste. You can get it as both an instant coffee and whole beans and is available to buy in Starbucks stores. The taste is pretty much the same when compared to the caffeinated version, and it’s also difficult to tell the difference between the freshly brewed and the instant coffee.
Nescafe Tasters Choice Decaf House Blend
Unlike many other decaf coffee options, this Nescafe decaf instant coffee is seriously bold in flavor, making it an ideal choice for those who want a decaf and instant option but don’t want to compromise on the taste. While the process of removing caffeine from coffee will always strip away some of the flavor, the lack of freshness is not as apparent with this coffee. It offers a full-bodied mouthfeel and a crisp, bright aftertaste. The roast is light to medium, offering a fruitier, rather than a more savory taste. Along with being available in a tin, you can also get this coffee in handy single serve packets for those days when you want coffee on the go.
Conclusion
Now you know what to look for when it comes to finding the best instant decaf coffee and what some of the best options are, you may be wondering, what’s the bottom line? Most instant decaf coffee drinkers recommend Nescafe Taster’s Choice Decaf House Blend or Starbucks VIA Instant Italian Roast if you are looking for the best instant decaf coffee options for you. Starbucks is the better choice if you like your coffee to be dark roasted and have more of a savory flavor, while the Nescafe coffee is ideal for anybody who prefers a fruitier cup of coffee.
While removing the caffeine from coffee will always strip away some of the flavor from the beans, the good news is that today, roasters are always coming up with new ways to make sure that they can cater to every kind of coffee drinker, including those who want a way to get decaf coffee instantly, without compromising on taste. The above instant decaf coffee options have been tried and tasted to be some of the best on the market, offering as much flavor and body as can be expected with many difficult to distinguish from their caffeinated counterparts. If you need an instant decaf coffee option, you don’t have to miss out.
About the author
Jennie Backteman
I´m a ultramarathon runner, landscape designer and a coffee lover.
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