With the rise of health-conscious consumers, the continued breakdown of stigma among caffeine lovers, and an array of new options in the market, could decaf be coffee’s next big trend?
What was once considered a last resort for the caffeine averse or intolerant has emerged as the coffee world’s underdog. Thanks to new processes, innovative roasters, and a growing demographic of health-focused consumers, decaf is cementing its spot in Australia’s specialty coffee scene.
Ten years ago, when ‘death before decaf’ was the unofficial slogan of the specialty scene, the idea of someone ordering decaf coffee was often met with scepticism. But the industry is gradually breaking down this stigma, where decaf was once seen as inferior in taste by consumers and lacking the same passion from baristas as its caffeinated counterparts.
In late 2024, James Hoffman, one of the world’s most influential coffee commentators, led a groundbreaking decaf project designed to prove that decaf can be just as flavourful and high-quality as regular coffee. As part of the initiative, he offered coffee enthusiasts the opportunity to taste the same coffee decaffeinated through three different methods, alongside the caffeinated version.
For the project, 16 tonnes of coffee was sent to three decaffeination facilities for carbon dioxide, ethyl acetate/sugar cane, and Swiss Water processing, then distributed to roasters worldwide for a live-streamed tasting session, where participants compared the decaf processes with the original caffeinated coffee.
Three Australian roasters participated, including Brendon Bonacci of Decaf Co in Melbourne, who is equally keen to breakdown the stigma. Brendon says James’ work was impactful because it challenged his audience of ‘coffee snobs’ – those most likely to sneer at decaf – to reconsider their preconceptions.
“By putting decaf in the spotlight, James got them to try it, and everyone was surprised by how good it actually is. The feedback we received from sending out those kits was amazing, everyone was astonished by the quality of the decafs, which was exciting,” says Brendon.
“We sold around 1500 kits, each containing four bags of coffee, which went out to a lot of people. It was a great opportunity to showcase how each processing method affected the flavour.”
He says having such an influential figure in the coffee world take decaf seriously brought the right people into the conversation.
Brendon began his foray into decaf coffee when looking for caffeine-free alternatives for health reasons, and found most roasters would only offer one option for decaf.
“It was as if it was treated as a joke,” says Brendon. “It’s often not taken seriously and there’s a bit of banter around, which is frustrating when you’re trying to find a proper decaf solution.
“When starting Decaf Co, we saw an opportunity and pushed forward with the idea, knowing there are some truly great, funky, and delicious decafs out there. The issue is that many roasters just don’t put the effort into sourcing them, often because they’re more expensive. That makes it harder to sell, too.”
A major issue with decaf is that it doesn’t sell as much as regular coffee. For many roasters, decaf isn’t their primary product, and if they need to roast a minimum batch but don’t sell it all, it can sit around longer. Therefore, decaf sometimes doesn’t make it to cafés as quickly as regular coffee and has a higher chance of becoming stale.
“The reality is, decaf has a much shorter shelf life, and all the negative perceptions about decaf stem from freshness – it’s really its major downfall,” says Brendon.
Method matters
For a long time, there’s been a negative stigma around the processing methods used for decaf, particularly because of the use of methylene chloride in the 1990s. This solvent was commonly used, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States is currently lobbying to ban it, and it is restricted in Europe due to concerns about carcinogenic properties.
“This created a lasting narrative that decaf was chemically processed, and it’s still one of the most common questions we get – people often ask if it’s harmful or cancer-causing,” says Brendon.
He explains that methylene chloride is rarely used today.
“In Australia, it’s practically impossible to find it, as importers don’t bother bringing it in. While it might still be used in a few large-scale instant coffee products, it’s definitely not used by any roaster here,” he says.
However, the Swiss Water Decaffeination method offered an alternative, gaining popularity and completely changing the decaf narrative. The method uses only water and carbon filters, making it a chemical-free process.
“It’s so clean, in fact, that the decaf can retain its organic certification. Swiss Water decafs taste fantastic, with a range of options from high-end to more standard blends. When treated with care by roasters, these decafs can rival any regular coffee,” says Brendon.
Another method is the sugarcane process, which uses ethyl acetate. Brendon says this often gets a bad rap because of the term ‘ethyl acetate’ being associated with harsh chemicals. He explains that ethyl acetate is a naturally occurring compound, often derived from sugarcane molasses fermentation, and its name is a combination of ethanol (alcohol) and acetic acid (the primary acid in vinegar) – both natural and food-safe.
“The amount of ethyl acetate present in the beans is so low that it’s practically negligible. The FDA’s acceptable daily intake for ethyl acetate is 420 parts per million based on a 70-kilogram person. For one of our sugarcane decaf batches, the caffeine report showed it contained about five parts per million of ethyl acetate – 98.81 per cent lower than the FDA’s acceptable daily intake,” says Brendon. “Additionally, ethyl acetate has an evaporation point of 77 degrees Celsius, and since our roasts end above 210 degrees Celsius, it’s unlikely to have any traces remaining.”
Based on the high-quality products available and the safe processing methods involved, Brendon believes decaf deserves greater recognition.
“For so long, decaf has been treated as the secondary product at cafés. If you ordered a decaf, the barista would have to dig out a container of stale ground decaf under the bench, and end up with a watery, poorly made cup. That’s something we’re working to change,” he says.
“If cafés put in the effort to do it right and really focus on making a quality decaf, they’d see the payoff. It’s not just about offering a decaf option, it’s about making it something people want to drink.
“We’re still in the early stages of decaf’s growth, and while it’s definitely gaining traction, there are major challenges to overcome in order to offer consistently great decaf. But it is possible, and it can be done.”
Non-negotiable
Gabby Mifsud from The Snappy Grump café in Melbourne says decaf wasn’t nearly as popular as it is today when the café first opened in 2021. Now, she says sales have tripled or quadrupled since then.
“We are the coffee city of the world, and regardless of your caffeine intake, there’s something special about sitting down and enjoying a coffee, especially in a city that has perfected it. We put so much effort into perfecting the blend and texturing the milk; there’s a real art to it,” says Gabby.
This art, she says, is becoming more recognised, even among non-coffee drinkers. What’s more, there is a growing consensus that more than two or three cups a day may have negative health consequences, and the health conscious are trading their afternoon pick-ups for decaf coffees.
“You’re still getting that same taste and enjoyment, but without the caffeine hit. It’s kind of like how you have Coke with sugar and Coke without sugar – you’re still able to enjoy the same experience without the health consequences,” says Gabby.
But to capture this growing population of decaf drinkers, Gabby says cafés must offer a high-quality product. For The Snappy Grump, this means grinding the decaf fresh and weighing shots like any other coffee they use to ensure these customers keep coming back.
“Winning over customers these days is tough, especially with coffee prices at an all-time high. So, cafés are increasingly recognising the value of serving a great decaf, knowing it can help expand their customer base,” says Gabby.
Freshness is the number one factor for quality decaf, and it needs to be ground to order. As a separate grinder is required to prepare decaf, and with a professional-grade one potentially costing thousands, it may not be economically viable for a café to cough up the extra cost, especially when they’re not selling high volumes of decaf. The return on investment just isn’t there.
Instead, Gabby says home grinder options are just as viable and can produce the desired results at a fraction of the cost.
“Considering decaf won’t be every second shot, it’s a great option. It can handle around 20 cups a day easily without any issues,” she says.
Another key to decaf success is finding the right roaster who has done the work and sourced a decaf counterpart that matches the quality of traditional beans.
“Our roaster showed us the importance of the decaf process and that it doesn’t have to be bad – decaf can be treated with the same respect as a regular blend. You can tell when the decaf is just some pre-ground beans, and it doesn’t feel right,” says Gabby.
She also suggests not being afraid to advertise to customers that the venue offers specialty decaf.
“One decaf drinker might tell another, ‘Hey, this café grinds fresh decaf beans. They know what they’re doing, and it actually tastes like a regular coffee. You should go try it’. That kind of word of mouth is powerful. It really opens up a whole new customer base, as there are people out there actively looking for a decaffeinated blend that’s actually enjoyable to drink,” says Gabby.
With decaf becoming more popular and being seen as a health-positive option, cafés need to stay in tune with these trends to succeed. Gabby says it’s a non-negotiable for cafés to offer decaf.
“For me, decaf should be a regular part of every café’s offering now. It’s definitely on the rise,” she says.
The middleman
The emergence of innovative approaches to decaf may help fuel the trend and offer an alternative that’s less extreme than zero caffeine.
In March 2025, 2013 World Barista Champion Pete Licata launched Caffeine Control Coffee, a Melbourne-based roastery that offers a range of both caffeinated and decaffeinated options.
“Caffeine is a drug and we don’t necessarily understand how much of the drug is in a cup of coffee. I wanted to create some clarity so people can understand how much caffeine is in there, because I think most people are having more caffeine than they think they are,” says Pete.
The roastery offers four blends, each with a different level of caffeine, as well a as a kit for those wanting to wean themselves off caffeine. Pete explains that some people may want the benefits of caffeine without side effects such as poor sleep quality, which is where options like half-caf coffee come into play.
“I think Caffeine Control solves a problem, because there are a lot of people who have caffeine sensitivity or trouble sleeping, and they want a solution that doesn’t necessarily mean decaf,” he says.
Some of the bitterness in coffee’s flavour profile comes from the caffeine component. So, when this is removed during the decaffeination process, the product can be left feeling ‘hollow’, and lacking flavour complexity. Pete says you may not be able to replace this flavour, but there are now excellent decaf options created with the intention of delivering more flavour intensity.
“Lowering bitterness can be good, but it’ll sometimes feel a little hollow. It’ll feel like something’s missing. You have to find the good decaf options out there that have more acidity and more flavour complexity,” he says.
On the roaster’s side, Pete says there’s an opportunity to give decaf a bit more attention and care.
“Decaf is not often prioritised. When the roaster is started for the day, a lot of times the first batch or two isn’t quite up to the right profile. It hasn’t heated up all the way so some people may throw the decaf in to heat up the drum. That’s not going to produce consistent results, and it’s probably not going to taste as good as it should,” he says.
Pete believes this is an oversight that needs to be addressed because more people than ever are requesting decaf.
“There’s an idea I always come back to: if you’re going to have integrity in your coffee, you can’t be selective about when or how you apply it,” he says.
“Integrity is about doing the right thing even when no one is watching or when it’s easy to let small things slip by. But you do it anyway because you want every product you sell to be of the highest quality. There are roasters out there who live by this principle and make sure every batch reflects that commitment.”
