Decaf Coffee Beans

Most decaf is an afterthought. Roasters buy cheap green beans, strip the caffeine with chemical solvents, and call it done. Nobody's running pesticide tests on it. Nobody's checking for mycotoxins. The thinking goes: decaf drinkers are already making a compromise, so the product doesn't need to clear the same bar.

That thinking is wrong, and we've never applied it.

Simmer Down is sourced from Cajamarca in northern Peru — high altitude, washed process, Bourbon and Typica varietals. The washed method removes the fruit pulp before fermentation, which is why the cup is clean and sweet rather than heavy or earthy. Decaf processed this way tastes like coffee. A lot of decaf doesn't.

The decaffeination itself uses the CO2 Swiss Water process — no solvents, 99.9% of the caffeine removed. It targets caffeine molecules specifically rather than broadly stripping the bean, which is why the flavour survives.

It also goes through the same independent lab testing we run on everything in the Roastery Collection — checked for artificial pesticides, moulds, and mycotoxins before it ships. Most roasters skip this step for decaf entirely. We don't have a category of coffees we test and a category we don't.

Great Taste judges put it like this: "A darker roast that delivered a rich crema. With milk, it becomes a vanilla fudge: soft, round, full of malt and with a pleasingly long finish. No one would guess this was a decaf."

A lot of our customers have said the same thing. Particularly the ones who were convinced they didn't like decaf.

If you're not ready to cut caffeine out entirely, the 50% Decaf uses the same beans and the same roast — blended 50/50 with regular coffee. Roughly half the caffeine, same flavour. It's there for people who want an afternoon coffee without lying awake at midnight wondering if they made the wrong call.

Both are organic. Both are Fairtrade. Both come direct from the farm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does decaf coffee still have caffeine?

Yes. Simmer Down is 99.9% caffeine free, which still means a small amount remains — roughly 2–5mg per cup depending on dose and brew method, compared to 80–100mg in a regular espresso. If you're managing caffeine for health reasons, that's worth factoring in. Full decaf later in the day is the safer option if you're sensitive.

What is Swiss Water decaf?

The Swiss Water Process removes caffeine from green coffee without chemical solvents. The beans are soaked in water that's been saturated with coffee compounds — everything except caffeine — which draws the caffeine out while leaving the flavour molecules in place. CO2 is introduced under pressure to extract the caffeine specifically. The result is 99.9% caffeine-free beans that still taste like they came from a farm rather than a lab.

Should I buy whole coffee beans or ground coffee?

Whole beans stay fresh longer because grinding exposes more surface area to oxygen. Ground coffee goes stale faster — within a couple of weeks, compared to a month or more for whole beans stored in a sealed container. If you have a grinder, whole beans every time. If you don't, ground is fine — just brew it within a fortnight of opening.

Is decaf good for espresso?

Yes. Dial it in the same way you would with regular beans — adjust grind size until your extraction time is in range, taste, adjust. Decaf can actually be slightly easier to dial in because it off-gasses less CO2 after roasting. Less resistance in the puck.

Where do your decaf coffee beans come from?

Simmer Down comes from Cajamarca, a growing region in the northern Peruvian highlands. Bourbon and Typica varietals, washed process, grown at altitude. Organic and Fairtrade certified, bought direct from the farm.

Are your decaf beans tested for mycotoxins?

Yes. Simmer Down is part of our Roastery Collection, which means it goes through the same independent lab testing as our other coffees — checked for artificial pesticides, moulds, and mycotoxins before it ships. Most roasters don't run this testing at all, let alone on their decaf. We run it on everything. More on what we test for here.

What's the difference between Simmer Down Decaf and Simmer Down 50% Decaf?

Same beans, same roast, same flavour profile. The 50% version blends the full decaf with a regular caffeinated coffee in equal parts, cutting the caffeine roughly in half without changing the taste. It's for people who want to reduce caffeine without going cold turkey — a good option if you're stepping down gradually or want an afternoon coffee that won't wreck your sleep without switching to full decaffeinated coffee.