Best Instant Decaf Coffee: The Ultimate Review

All coffee lovers have their favorite kinds of coffee, but instant and decaf are underrated and unpopular options.

If you want to change your taste buds when it comes to instant decaf coffee, you’ve come to the right place!

Keep your cups ready as we dive into this best instant decaf coffee review!

Best Instant Decaf Coffee – Our Top Picks

1 – Starbucks Italian Roast – Best Overall

We are all aware that Starbucks and its coffees are always off the charts! They never seem to disappoint the coffee lovers.

Starbucks VIA line of Italian roast coffees (there’s more than one) consists of 100% natural roasted Arabica coffee beans.

They also use proprietary patent-pending technology to preserve the coffee’s taste, quality, and freshness.

What Makes Their Instant Decaf Coffee Stand Out?

• Your taste buds will enjoy a rich deep flavor
• It has notes of caramelized sugar
• There is no bitter aftertaste after every sip
• It is a sustainably sourced coffee

This Italian roast instant decaf coffee is bold.

However, it’s definitely for all the dark roast enthusiasts because its flavor and roast profile are on the darker end of the spectrum.

The Starbucks roast has a rich aroma that contributes to its bold taste. It also mixes very well with cream and sugar.

What Makes It Unappealing to People?

• Its smell is strong, which can be off-putting for some
• It also has a tad burnt and gets too smoky.

Pros:

• Bold flavor
• Single-serve packets
• No bitter aftertaste
• Quality and taste is preserved

Cons:

• A bit expensive
• Has a strong burnt smell
• Too smoky

 

2 – Nescafe Taster’s Choice Decaf Instant Coffee – Best Value

The Nescafe Taster’s Choice Decaf is one of the notch-up from their usual run-on-the-mill instant decaf coffee.

Nescafe extracted their coffee from 100% premium, smooth, and mildly roasted coffee beans, making it perfect for the morning.

Nescafe is known for maintaining the flavor and aroma of its perfect rich coffee for a decaf coffee cup!

What Makes Their Instant Decaf Coffee Stand Out?

• It’s tremendously balanced with robust flavors (minus the coffee).
• Their coffee has a light to medium roast finish, which makes the taste fruity and savory.
• You get a hint of hazelnut flavor.
• Expect a full-bodied mouthfeel along with a bright aftertaste.

Indeed, it’s no surprise that Nescafe is one of the best brands of instant coffee, which makes them a part of our top picks!

You will never look for more because its single-serve packets contain 16 sachets that you can bring with you anywhere!

What Makes It Unappealing to People?

• Their coffee’s flavor has a milder taste than other coffee brands.
• Their coffee is decaffeinated.

Pros:

• Balanced robust flavor
• Contains 16 sachets
• Full mouthfeel
• Light roast

Cons:

• Decaf
• Milder taste

 

3- Folgers Classic Decaf Decaffeinated Instant Coffee – Best Budget Pick

This instant decaf coffee by Folgers is the classic blend that is beloved by most coffee lovers.

Folgers coffee comes from mountain-grown beans and is carefully selected, consistently bringing out the richest flavors in each cup.

If you prefer drinking a cup of coffee in the morning or evening but want to avoid caffeine, this is a perfect choice!

It’s a dark roast that has a signature smokiness of dark profiles.

The fine coffee beans from Folgers Instant Decaf Coffee have that authentic flavor that cures our coffee cravings.

What’s So Great About Folgers’ Instant Decaffeinated Coffee?

• Their coffee is a dark roast that shares an identical taste with standard US drip coffee.
• It has a bold, nutty flavor like its caffeinated counterpart.
• It has a low acidity level.
• The coffee beans are easily dissolvable and don’t need any extra liquid or effort to get the best taste out of them.

It’s a good choice for your morning coffee because you can start your day better by adding flavors to it.

It will not harm your health, so you don’t need to worry about how much you intake.

What Makes It Unappealing to People?

• The decaf instant coffee has a dull mouth feel.
• It lacks bitterness and has a touch of stevia aftertaste.
• The packaging varies depending on where you buy the product.

Pros:

• Budget-friendly
• Easily dissolved
• You can add flavors to it
• Low acidity level
• Bold & nutty flavor

Cons:

• Packaging depends on where you buy the product
• Dull mouth feel
• Stevia touch of aftertaste

4 – Mount Hagen Organic Freeze Dried Instant Decaf Coffee

The Mount Hagen Organic Instant Decaf Coffee comes from perfect Arabica coffee beans that are in crystal form.

Mount Hagen’s coffee is most likely the only certified organic decaf instant coffee you’ll find. It is both fair and organic!

They sourced their organic coffee beans from Papua New Guinea, Peru, and Honduras.

They’re gently roasted to perfection using ONLY natural methods that are beneficial for coffee drinkers.

What Makes This Organic Freeze-Dried Instant Decaf Coffee Special?

• Their coffee does not contain any kind of preservatives, additives, or artificial substances.
• The company enhances its rich natural flavors.
• Their organic, unique profile comes with notes of spice while being nutty and fruity.
• They maintain an original and mild coffee aroma naturally through harvesting 100% pure Arabica beans.

The Mount Hagen Organic Decaf Instant Coffee ensures that their coffee comes consistently in every cup of coffee.

Their organic decaffeinated coffee is kept freeze-dried because it preserves the striking aroma and flavor.

It also means that the coffee can be prepared quickly in both hot and cold beverages as the absorbent ground allows it to dissolve quickly.

What Makes It Unappealing to People?

• It does not taste different from other decaf instant coffees.
• It does not give the same pleasure as other medium roast coffees.

Pros:

• Certified Organic
• Freeze-dried coffee beans
• Does not contain preservatives and artificial substances
• Striking aroma and flavor

Cons:

• It lacks taste
• It lacks sensation and pleasure

5 – Joe Coffee Specialty Instant Decaf Coffee Packets, “Nightcap Decaf”

Joe Coffee has been an NYC favorite since 2003. Coffee lovers have gone absolutely nuts for their coffee beans, AND rightfully so!

This instant decaf coffee uses both freeze-drying and the Swiss Water Process, which automatically takes our approval.

Smallholder farmers source the coffee beans from the Honduran mountain range of Merendon.

What’s So Special About This Nightcap Decaf Instant Coffee?

• The coffee is freshly brewed to a coffee concentrate that’s full of flavor in small batches.
• The ground balances the brightness of a medium roast with the sweetness of milk chocolate and caramel.
• It’s a barista-worthy coffee that you can take anywhere.
• It has a delicate flavor of roasted almonds.
• Their instant coffees have an excellent balance of flavor, acidity, and sweetness.

Great taste and convenience come at a reasonable cost.

There is a balance to the aftertaste, mouthfeel, and it lacks the harshness of lower-end instant decaf coffees.

What Makes It Unappealing to People?

• Since it uses more complex and pricey processing techniques, the price range is similar to how much you’d pay for a cup of coffee in shops.
• Its single-serve packets only have 6 individual packs in each coffee box.

However, if you are a coffee lover who owns coffee makers, the 12oz Nightcap grounds are a good option as they are less expensive.

Pros:

• Overall superb balance with its components
• Freshly brewed
• Has a delicate flavor
• No harshness

Cons:

• Expensive
• Single-serve packets only have 6 packs

6 – La Republica Instant Decaf Mushroom Coffee

This organic mushroom instant decaf coffee by La Republica is produced in small amounts of perfection, making it perfect for every cup of coffee.

If you don’t have too much time on your hands to make yourself instant coffees, this is a great secondary option.

What makes this organic coffee worthy as a backup coffee?

Its coffee extract is made from mushrooms and Arabica beans. The mushroom extracts contribute health benefits such as:

• Healthier skin and hair
• The increased energy level and focus
• Better sleep and immune system
• Improved digestion
• Stronger liver and nervous system function
• Improved stress management and cell repair

The coffee has ZERO harmful additives.

Their decaf instant coffees share a great balance between the bitter dark roasts and bland light roasts that you can enjoy!

It breathes notes of toasted caramel, but customers can still add more flavors to it.

This may seem hard to believe, but instant decaf coffees are NOT freshly brewed, but it sure tastes that way.

It works great with everything, especially if you are a coffee lover who prefers light blends!

What Makes It Unappealing to People?

• It’s expensive, but the best products will always come at a high cost.
• Despite the high price point, people have spoken that it is one of the best instant decaf coffees out there!

Pros:

• Organic
• Contributes health benefits
• No harmful additives
• Flavorful
• Has a mixture of dark and light roast

Cons:

• Expensive

7 – Steeped Coffee Eventide Blend Swiss Water Decaf

If your goal in tasting instant decaf coffee is mainly for the flavors, this Swiss Blend Water Decaf Instant Coffee is the one for you.

Their instant coffees are made through a 100% swiss water process and with no chemicals.

What’s So Bewildering About This Swiss Blend Water Decaf Instant Coffee?

• Their instant decaffeinated coffee is hand-roasted and freshly ground in small batches.
• It’s gluten-free!
• It is a single-origin decaf coffee that has balanced low-toned flavors with just a hint of fruitiness.
• Adding cream and sugar only accentuates the tasting notes of molasses, blackberry, and graham!

It’s ideal for on-the-go instant coffees, especially when you can’t bring a coffee maker with you anywhere.

The single-serve packets are light and have no extra plastic packaging, which is good for the environment.

What Makes It Unappealing to People?

Apparently, there’s not so much that makes it unappealing to people. It’s the perfect coffee staple you could find!

Pros:

• Hand roasted and freshly ground
• Gluten-free
• Has fruity low-toned flavors
• Has no extra plastic packaging

Cons:

• None

8 – Café Bustelo Coffee Espresso Decaffeinated Instant Coffee

This Espresso Decaffeinated Instant Coffee stays true to its roots by giving authentic Latin flavors to its consumers.

If you have been browsing through coffee markets, you might have missed stumbling upon this classic.

Café Bustelo has been well-known for its coffee-making skills for more than 80 years.

It has its cultural and traditional Latin roots and has maintained its:

• Class? Check!
• Finest quality coffee? Check!
• Perfect taste? Check!
• Aroma? Check!

What Makes This Espresso Decaf Instant Coffee So Astonishing?

• You can buy their instant coffees through single-serve packets or in a glass jar.
• Their coffees provide a gourmet taste consistently.
• They provide rich and dark roasts to enhance decaf, which has won over the hearts of coffee drinkers.
• They produce coffee in ALL FORMS that maintains a consistent taste of Latin origin.
• All of their decaf instant coffees have a rich flavor, delightful aroma, and a smooth blend.

It’s a terrific idea to take it with you to work, school, camping, and picnics. Grab servings with you for everybody!

What Makes It Unappealing to People?

The only thing that makes it unappealing is that despite its consistent gourmet taste, smooth blend, and delightful aroma, it does not have THAT STRONG FLAVOR.

Pros:

• Provides rich and dark roast
• Authentic Latin flavor
• Easy to carry around

Cons:

• Lacks strong flavor

9 – Cafe Altura Freeze Dried Instant Organic Coffee

We have another organic instant decaf coffee that will fill in your green coffee taste buds! This is another certified organic coffee that is coffee-dried from decaffeination.

It is also NonGMO, Fair Trade, and Kosher certified. All of these give assurance that their decaffeinated coffees are of premium quality.

What Else Makes This Organic Coffee of Premium Quality?

• This decaf coffee contains coffees from Indonesia, South America, and Central America.
• Cafe Altura freeze-dries its grounds for maximum freshness and taste, giving it a rich flavor.
• This decaf version is relatively light on the palate but crisp.
• Their coffee oozes a balanced neutral mouthfeel to it, and there isn’t an acidic aftertaste.

The coffee oozes not only a neutral mouthfeel but also an alluring smell. Plus, since it’s freeze-dried, you can bet that it’s fresh!

If the coffee exudes a bitter taste, you can always add milk or cream to your cup.

What Makes It Unappealing to People?

The slightly neutral taste seems to put off some of the consumers.

Pros:

• Freeze-dried
• Grounded to maximum freshness
• Taste-wise: Light and crisp
• No acidic aftertaste

Cons:

• Slightly neutral

10 – Waka Coffee Decaffeinated Quality Instant Coffee

Waka Coffee is known for their hands-down best instant coffees on the coffee market, making their decaf coffee no exception.

Waka uses ONLY 100% Colombian Arabica beans, which are making their instant decaf coffee:

• Sweeter? Check!
• Smoother? Check!
• Less bitter than the Robusta beans found in low-end instant coffee? Triple check!

What Are the Reasons Behind Waka Coffee’s Best Instant Decaf Coffee?

• The Colombian Arabica beans exude a premium coffee taste.
• The beans are medium roasted, and the brew has a classic, balanced, and polished flavor with notes of citrus.
• The company offers two other flavors, including Instant Kenyan Black Tea and Instant Japanese Matcha.
• The coffee’s aroma is distinctively nutty and sweet.

Every sip will leave a sheer deliciousness of an aftertaste. For instant coffee, the taste will give you the right amount of boost that you need.

The smell is not overpowering, and the product is well-packaged!

What Makes It Unappealing to People?

The only factor that is unappealing is its expensive price. Other than that, it’s an excellent coffee product with little to no flaws.

Pros:

• Sweeter and smoother
• Premium coffee taste
• Medium roast
• Has two other flavors
• Delicious aftertaste
• Well-packaged

 

Cons:

• Expensive

Buy direct from Waka Coffee

11 – Hills Bros. Instant Decaf – Cappuccino Mix, Decaf Cappuccino

Attention to cappuccino enthusiasts! We’ve found the best instant decaf cappuccino coffee for you!

If you fancy a sensational cappuccino taste without the sleeplessness of caffeinated drinks, this French vanilla decaf coffee from Hills Bros will hit that sweet spot perfectly.

• Talk about the perfect decaf coffee with an astounding flavor? Check!
• An enjoyable coffeehouse flavor right at home? Check!
• An excellent decaf cappuccino that tastes like a professional barista makes it? Check!

What’s Inside This Instant Decaf That Hits the Sweet Spot?

• The sweet notes from its french vanilla flavor knock people right off their coffee mugs.
• The taste stays and lingers until you finish the coffee.
• It’s great with milk and ice, which is a bonus for people who prefer iced coffee!
• You can mix it with your regular coffee to add flavor.

If you’d want a regular coffee with a twist that does not keep you awake, this is the answer to your need.

The company has been serving for more than 137 years and still makes perfectly brewed and rich flavored coffee.

What Makes It Unappealing to People?

The only downside of this product is that customers seem to encounter issues when it comes to delivering the products.

Pros:

• Has french vanilla sweet notes
• Perfect for iced coffee or frappuccino

Cons:

• Delivery issues

12 – Maxwell House French Vanilla Decaf Instant Coffee

Maxwell House is one of the most trusted US coffee brands for a reason: it surely gets the job done!

Their French Vanilla instant decaf coffee is stripped of both caffeine and sugar.

You can easily make this tasty coffee as it comes with some hot water or uses it as another way to cream your coffee. This second method adds an extra burst of flavor with a naturally sweet edge.

If that does not cut it out for you, you can also try the French or Viennese-style giving you plenty of choice with nothing added but a wealth of aroma and flavor.

What Makes This Decaf Instant Coffee Lip-Smacking?

• Their coffee is perfect for coffee lovers who love creamy and freshly brewed coffee.
• Their coffee is a great partner for milk, resulting in a richly flavored coffee.
• A cup of coffee leans in towards the cream and vanilla notes.
• It only uses pure Arabica beans, even in its decaffeinated instant coffee.
• It has a great scent and comes in flavors like French Vanilla, Toasted Hazelnut, Pumpkin Spice Latte, and more!

If you’re cutting back on caffeine, you can be confident that mixing in a bit of this will still result in phenomenal flavor.

What Makes It Unappealing to People?

People have encountered delivery issues, so you might want to reconsider if you don’t want any delays whatsoever.

Pros:

• Contains many flavors
• Rich, creamy taste
• Soothing aroma

Cons:

• Delivery problems

What Do People Think About Instant Decaf Coffee?

Everyone has their preferences! Some go for instant coffee, while others like decaf coffee.

These preferences are based on several factors like knowing if decaffeinated coffee is for your taste buds, health, overall needs, etc.

Both decaffeinated coffee and instant coffee production reduce the amount of caffeine, which leaves you with less than 3 mg of caffeine per cup.

However, instant decaf coffee is less nutrient and antioxidant-rich than your standard house blend or regular instant coffee.

Some people think it’s great, while others find it health-conscious.

Is Drinking Instant Decaf Coffees Bad for You?

Decaffeinated coffee has a similar taste to regular coffee but contains a small amount of caffeine.

There are not enough articles or readings that say that drinking instant decaf coffee is bad for your health.

It may even have more health benefits than regular instant coffee.

Why Do People Drink Decaf Coffees?

Drinking caffeinated coffee, in general, is addicting.

The thing with caffeinated coffee is that it boosts people with extra energy, BUT it comes with consequences.

The more caffeine in the body, the more effective it gets. However, the drawbacks that it comes with are:

• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Low energy
• Anxiety

When it comes to decaf coffee, it becomes a milder drink with a mellower taste and fragrance, and of course, less caffeine.

Decaffeinating coffee will contribute to many health benefits such as:

• Reduce the risk of incurring diabetes.
• The high anti-oxidant levels of decaf will protect the cells from damage.
• Reduce chances of incurring colon cancer.
• For female drinkers, it also reduces the risk of breast cancer.

Plus, decaf coffee is ideal for those who don’t like the bitter taste and strong, pungent smell of regular coffee.

Also, if you are wondering whether the decaffeination process itself is safe, the answer is yes.

How Is Decaf Coffee Produced?

As of today, there are 4 methods of making the best instant decaf coffee.

2 methods of extraction use chemical solvents. Green coffee beans are soaked in either methylene chloride or ethyl acetate.

The water softens them up while the chemical solvent acts to draw out the caffeine.

Once the solution is drained, this is recycled until the caffeine content is at the required level.

This should be no more than 0.1%, but you often find decaf coffee that contains a bit more than that amount.

2 Non-chemical Approaches to Decaffeinating Coffee Beans

Let’s take a look at 2 interesting methods to decaffeinate coffee beans. You might want to try these at home when making your homebrew.

Swiss Water Process

This is the process when raw coffee beans are soaked in water to dissolve the caffeine.

Since some of the flavors seeps out, artificial flavor steps in to compensate.

The Swiss Water Process relies on caffeine solubility (dissolvability) and osmosis to remove caffeine from raw coffee beans.

The raw coffee bean already contains other flavors so that those substances won’t dissolve from the beans. Instead, they just remove the caffeine.

Filtering gets rid of 99.9% of the caffeine, and the process is repeated for the next batch.

Liquid CO2

This method follows the same procedure, except the gas used in sparkling water comes into play.

The coffee is decaffeinated when it is in its unroasted and green state.

Water is also used across the board for the reason that caffeine is water-soluble. Because of the way water used can strip away sugars and proteins along with the caffeine,

Another decaffeinating agent helps the taste remain more robust while the process is quicker.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Find the Best Decaf Instant Coffee

There are indeed a lot of instant decaf coffee brands out there, but not all of them can give you the experience of tasting classic decaf instant coffee.,

Tasting the samples is CRUCIAL when trying to find the best decaf or instant coffee.

Whenever we drink decaf coffee before it becomes our favorite, We all have some factors that we check off our list for a coffee to become the best decaf coffee for us.

Here are some of the factors that we think you should also consider:

Flavor

Of course!

The main component to look out for when finding the best decaf instant coffee is the flavor.

Just like what they say, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” or “you wouldn’t know what it tastes like until you try,” which is all entirely true.

We can never determine the taste of a coffee by its appearance. This is why you make the most of the samples that they give.

Make sure that you also check the types of coffee beans it’s made of and the types of roast it offers.

For you to remember the different results from each type of roasts:

Light Roasts:

• Delicate flavors
• Floral, bright, and fruity aromas
• Higher acidity (depends)

Medium roasts:

• Balanced taste

Dark Roasts:

• Robust
• Bitter
• Smoky

A classic decaf instant coffee usually has a milder flavor than caffeinated drinks, so we recommend starting with a medium roast and deciding whether to go lighter or darker from there.

Mouthfeel

The mouthfeel is another factor that you must also have on your list.

You should watch out for instant coffee or instant decaf coffee with a full or round mouthfeel.

Mouthfeel describes the coffee’s “texture.” If you taste an instant coffee that is dull or flat, then there’s a better instant coffee out there.

Blend vs. Single-Origin

With the eminence of more specialty coffee roasters, single-origin coffee is now a sign of a high-end coffee.

Yes, blends are cheaper and common in instant coffee products. However, just because they used blends does not mean it’s poor quality.

Single-origin coffee has a flavor profile that is both consistent and unique.

Even if it is well-loved by many people, some people don’t enjoy it.

It’s important to know that even though single-origin is considered better quality, it’s not always the go-to option because of personal taste.

Our advice? Don’t follow the crow; follow your own preferences for an instant coffee.

Packaging

If you are only an occasional instant coffee drinker, single-serve sachets are good. They last longer because they’re airtight.

Plus, you can also carry them with you anywhere and have one for everyone.

Related: best instant coffee

A Recap of Our Favorite Picks

Let’s review our top 3 picks and see what makes all of them lip-smacking and great-tasting:

Starbucks Via Italian Roast Instant Decaf Coffee – Best Overall

Bring Starbucks into your home with its 100% roasted Italian coffee beans and preserve the quality of their caramelized dark roast coffee!

Nescafe Taster’s Choice Decaf Instant Coffee – Best Value

If you have been drinking Nescafe’s coffee products all your life and want to switch it up by trying their instant decaf coffee, here it is!

Enjoy the experience of a full mouthfeel from a mildly roasted coffee with a hint of hazelnut.

Folgers Classic Decaf Decaffeinated Instant Coffee – Best Budget Pick

Prefer classic blends? Folgers classic instant decaf coffee is the answer to your holler!

Indulge the most decadent flavors from carefully selected mountain-grown beans that are low-acidic, bold, and nutty.

Final Sip

Even if we give you a complete list of the best instant decaf coffees, it will still depend on your coffee checklist.

You now know how instant decaf is produced, thanks to these top-tier options within your grasp.

Do what you will in search of the best instant decaf coffee for you! Let us know if our review helped you!

Last update on 2024-04-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API