Definition: Half Caff coffee is coffee that has half the caffeine and is typically a 50/50 mix of regular and decaf beans.
I love and savor the taste of a good coffee. But like most of the world, I also drink coffee for the caffeine.
But as all coffee lovers know, you can only drink so much caffeine before experiencing the unwanted side effects of the “jitters” and “headaches”. At the same time, the mere mention of decaf as an alternative is offensive to most regular coffee drinkers.
Fortunately, there exists something called half caff coffee and it fills a real need within the coffee market. If you happen to be here in search of the best half caff options, we've a summary of our top picks below:
Maud's Half Caff | Peet's Sumatra Half Caff | Mommee Coffee Half Caff | Green Mountain Half Caff |
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Half-caffeinated coffee, as we already mentioned, is coffee made up of a 50/50 mix of regular and decaf beans. Decaf has a reputation for being watered down although with modern technology that's changing. Drinking half caff coffee ensures that you're reducing your caffeine intake without sacrificing flavor.
I personally like drinking coffee with half the caffeine since it's an attractive middle ground between two extremes. I get to enjoy full-flavored coffee without an overdose of caffeine.
Tip: If you're looking to reduce your caffeine intake, stay away from Robusta beans which typically have twice the amount of caffeine than Arabica beans.
Half caffeinated coffee is also a viable alternative for those looking to gradually cut out all caffeine from their diet. Cutting out caffeine suddenly can be shock to the body. Half caff coffees allows you to slowly but surely ween off of caffeine without just going “cold turkey”. I've done it before, and had I known about half caff, it probably would've made the transition easier.
The truth is that caffeine itself actually has a flavor. Some describe it as a subtly bitter taste. When I drink decaf, I actually can taste that it's missing.
Having said that, below is a curated list of the best half caff coffee on the market. These coffees were chosen primarily for their ability to still deliver high flavor and body despite being mixed with decaf beans.
Best Half Caff Coffee
Maud's Coffee Half Caff – Dark Roast
It's no secret that we've been big fans of Maud's Coffee since they first arrived some years ago. I'd consider their coffee to be very robust, smooth, and low in acidity. Their half caff is no less impressive and delivers a full flavored coffee experience minus jitters. It's appropriately named as the “World's Best Half Caff” as it's easily one of the best half caff k cups available.
Peet's Half Caff – Sumatra
For those who appreciate specialty coffee, Peet's Coffee needs no introduction. I was excited to discover they offered a half caff version of their famed Sumatran coffee with its earthen notes and ultra-smooth finish. Dark roasted to perfection, this half caff offering is certain satisfy even the most uncompromising coffee lovers while reducing caffeine intake.
Mommee Half Caff
Mommee Coffee is best known for their low acid coffee. Although they target their coffee for expecting mothers, there are many reasons for the regular coffee to try this brand. Like the other coffees on this list, their half caff brews are very full-flavored while being gentle on the stomach.
Green Mountain Half Caff
Green Mountain Half Caff isn't low acid like the others on this list, but is still just as impressive. Medium roasted with subtle hints of chocolate and raisins while producing a nutty finish, Green Mountain's half caff is a deeply flavorful brew. It's the type of flavor that will make you ask yourself “this is half caff?”.
How much caffeine can I drink in a day?
According to the Mayo clinic, coffee drinkers should drink no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day. A single 8 oz cup contains about 75 milligrams of caffeine so that comes out to about 5 cups of coffee a day.
Please remember to listen to your own body as well. Be sure to know when not to drink that second or third cup for the day. If you need the caffeine as a way of life to function, chances are you need more sleep and rest. That's going to be the best long term solution.
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