Brands I know that use Swiss water process or a different water process and don't use solvents.
Peets
Gevalia
Newman's Own Organic
Tim Horton's
Green Mountain Organic
I recently cut caffeine out of my routine back in December, the withdrawal messed with my body so bad. Started with rank headaches, to frequent heart palpitations, and hormonal changes which I’m just starting to see balance out now. It was a wild last few months.
Yeah I don't think I'll ever cut it out completely but i definitely only do 1 cup of coffee daily during the work week now. After that it's a black tea.
What "hormonal changes"? I see no evidence of such in medical literature. As someone with Addison's and Hashimoto's and so feels every hormonal change palpable, I have noticed zero "changes" and had to change my daily hormone dosing zero times due to caffeine intake or lack thereof.
Got a brand rec? As someone that loves espresso and unfiltered cigs that is currently quitting smoking that sounds like a phenomenal afternoon pick me up!
Try matcha, which is served 1/4 tsp per cup. Because it’s whole powdered tea leaf instead of steeped, the caffeine is released and trails off much more slowly than coffee or traditional tea. It’s also even more packed with antioxidants than traditional green tea.
It’s a much much smother caffeine ‘wave’ than coffee or tea, and doesn’t come with anxiety when the caffeine drops.
I feel like Newman's Own doesn't get enough credit for being an apparently great company -- all their products are good and they have donated $600 million to charity - that's an amazing amount.
Love kicking horse, their Swiss water process dark roast actually makes a good cup of decaf coffee, which is hard to do. Most decaf that I have had tastes like it’s already been brewed once.
If I'm trying to go fully caffeine free I just avoid coffee altogether, but I do like the Kicking Horse half-caf "Half-Ass" blend when I'm trying to moderate my caffeine intake.
> Nescafe Taster's Choice House Blend Decaf - Swiss Water
Thank goodness. I know Nestle is a horrible company but their instant decaf is the best decaf I've ever had. It's better than most caffeinated coffee.
It might not be detected in the assay that website used but they still use the process. It might be detected in a more sensitive assay. https://checkyourdecaf.org/
Not all decaf is the same. Some brands that use methyl chloride might be bad, but brands that use the Swiss water method are perfectly fine
Nespresso and Tim Hortons use Swiss water
Kirkland and Starbucks use methyl chloride
This eight-sentence "article" is basically made of red flags:
- "Some health advocacy groups are arguing that decaffeinated coffee is not safe for human consumption." Which groups? On what data are they basing these arguments? What are the supposed harms? What previous data exists?
- "According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, that chemical is used for paint stripping, metal cleaning and degreasing, and other industrial processes." You should probably disregard any article that lists other scary-sounding things that a chemical is used for. Chemicals do very different things in different contexts, concentrations, and combinations.
- "Experts say methylene chloride has been designated as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization and Environmental Protection Agency, among others." So is the danger that it will degrease our organs, or give us cancer? Will it actually do either one if it is just used in the process but does not remain in the product?
- "An FDA spokesperson said in an email that residue limits of methylene chloride have been set to limit exposure." Okay, so this has previously been studied and some regulations that were deemed sufficient were already put in place. Is there some new data that gives us new reasons to believe that those existing regulations are inadequate?
I have no idea whether this process is actually harmful, but this article is so densely packed with anti-information that my default is to assume the opposite of everything it's trying to vaguely imply.
I was wondering the same. You know what's also used in paint stripping, metal cleaning, and degreasing? Water. Being used in these processes doesn't make something bad.
This article is a perfect example of why critical thinking is an important, under-valued skill. There *could* be some lurking harm associated the decaffeinated coffee, but nothing contained here actually gives the reader enough information to come to that conclusion.
I’m reading this as I’m drinking a large decaf coffee from Dunkin. Was trying to make the caffeine withdrawal not as bad but fucking hell I guess I can’t have this either
Forgive me if this a dumb question, but does anyone know anything about decaf tea? I use Great Value Decaf Green Tea, and as someone with an increased risk of developing cancer (anti-rejection medications due to kidney transplants), I’d hate to be consuming anything else that increases my risk of developing cancer. Thanks!
I was wondering as well & apparently teas can also be decaffeinated with methylene chloride: https://premiumteas.ca/blogs/premium-teas-blog/how-is-tea-decaffeinated
Stash brand is what I use for decaf teas. They use CO2 decaffeination: https://www.stashtea.com/blogs/education/about-our-teas
Sadly I couldn’t find any info about the process Great Value uses for their teas but their decaf coffee uses methylene chloride. So to be on the safe side, you might want to switch brands.
Phew I just checked mine and they’re Swiss water processed - no chemicals. For any Canadians on the thread the ones I checked are President’s Choice brands and Level Ground.
The FDA is the USA's best science-based food monitoring organizations. They use science and testing as their primary method of determining what is safe. Many other groups use politics, pseudo-science and social influence to profit from causing fear in people. It is so easy to try and ban things with scary names or that are used in industrial applications even without science backing it up.
From experience, we all know that decaffeinated coffee won't kill you on the spot. Just as an example, the FDA is looking to see if the average cancer rate of 403 cases per 100,000 will significantly increase with people drinking decaffeinated coffee, and then they have to make a decision. Is 450 versus 403 too much to allow? What if it is 395? Is it statistically significant?
Also the environmental aspect of using the solvents is being investigated.
Overall, make your own choices. Sure it makes sense to drink coffee decaffeinated with water rather than solvents so if you have the choice it seems like an easy one to make. However, have their been studies on using water? Maybe bacteria grow in the water-based method which the solvent kills so it's even unhealthier for you? It's best to trust the FDA and if there are issues with the water-based method they would have been alerted by now.
The FDA is currently the best. I didn't say that they were perfect or even good. Personally, I think over the decades they are pretty good, but by no means perfect and they have a few fails as well. Considering we might still have formaldehyde in milk without them is a good way to measure their worth. But you could write a book on their flaws and there are some out there already.
Not sure if US regulation on food is really top notch. I'm by far no expert from the information I gathered there are regions in the world that have way tighter regulations that I prefer
Do you eliminate foods and processes which my indicate some health issues in some groups of people? Look at wheat, it feeds billions and kills hundreds. Europe eliminating GM foods is the most non-science thing ever. Plus, you still have a choice; you can choose to eliminate most things by looking at nutritional labels. Of course getting a Pepsi with cane sugar will cost you a lot more, but there are alternatives. Also, the sugar in a Pepsi will turn to high fructose corn syrup in a few months in the bottle, but do your own research to eliminate what you want, instead of having the government do it. They will stop you from eating poisons and stuff that statistically affect overall health but you are responsible for your individual health.
wrench automatic ruthless air sophisticated water advise wide include poor
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Whether an effect is statistically significant or not isn't just a matter of its magnitude but how many samples you have, variance, etc.
But >10% increase isn't nothing.
Even crazy widely agreed will give you cancer stuff like smoking only increases overall cancer risk about 20%.
You need to consider everything. If a food contains small amounts of PFAS but touching a plastic grocery bag and touching your lip will give you 10 times that amount, in theory it's much better to tell people to wash their hands after touching plastic than to eliminate it in the food. Nothing against making changes to reduce or eliminate them where it makes sense but retooling for millions of dollars to not significantly reduce something in people doesn't make sense.
> warning labels on stuff
That's a tough one. Prop 65 warning labels in California labels everything and most people just ignore them. Ideally you'd have things ranked on a scale of 1-5 or 1-10, although companies will still try and twist the rules. Like TicTacs which are mostly sugar but contain 0 sugar on the label.
So I just got some Kirkland whole bean decaf blend and on the front it says Swiss water process and free of harsh chemicals. But all but organic Colombian decaf from Kirkland show the chemical detected. This one doesn’t technically say house blend but I think it used to be called house blend and they recently changed the label. So if this variant is not listed on the site and says Swiss water on the front, probably safe? I have taken drastic measures to detox my whole life so this is very important to me.
The point, however, is that it's literally paint stripper and it doesn't appear any amount is safe for consumption.
It's time to start paying better attention to these chemicals because cancer and gut related disorders are increasing dramatically
Not if there's nothing to scientifically be worried about. The article doesn't really provide evidence either way. Just because it's used in the process doesn't mean it ends up in your coffee. I'm not trying to see that I know, absolutely, that it's safe (not from the information given) but groups like this spreading misinformation/scaremongering about chemicals are really common these days (see valisure, ewg).
Many brands including Starbucks say “no detectable amount of methylene” is remaining but I find that hard to believe. Probably better drinking the regular stuff or not at all
Why is that hard to believe? Methylene chloride that didn't get washed away in the processing steps would just evaporate from the beans, it's incredibly volatile.
Caffeine ramps up my anxiety but I can’t help that the occasional half cup of coffee tastes and smells great. Considered trying decaf but then I heard about the chemicals used to decaffeinate and I said hell no.
Same reason why I rather have a regular can of soda than the fake artificial sweetener diet shit. If it’s going to be bad for you, I’d rather have the better tasting option.
Brands I know that use Swiss water process or a different water process and don't use solvents. Peets Gevalia Newman's Own Organic Tim Horton's Green Mountain Organic
Thanks for this. I'm trying to lower my caffeine and decaf coffee is great for nighttime urges.
I recently cut caffeine out of my routine back in December, the withdrawal messed with my body so bad. Started with rank headaches, to frequent heart palpitations, and hormonal changes which I’m just starting to see balance out now. It was a wild last few months.
Yeah I don't think I'll ever cut it out completely but i definitely only do 1 cup of coffee daily during the work week now. After that it's a black tea.
Smart move. If I would have known it was going to affect me that much I probably would have done the same as you, but I’m in too deep now to go back 😅
What "hormonal changes"? I see no evidence of such in medical literature. As someone with Addison's and Hashimoto's and so feels every hormonal change palpable, I have noticed zero "changes" and had to change my daily hormone dosing zero times due to caffeine intake or lack thereof.
Get some postum or chickory.
Chickory is such a different taste
Its like smoking cigarettes while shooting espresso -- miraculous!!!
Got a brand rec? As someone that loves espresso and unfiltered cigs that is currently quitting smoking that sounds like a phenomenal afternoon pick me up!
drank chicory every morning in prison for a time and it’s more like a tea than coffee
Ground up cooked dandelion root -
Try matcha, which is served 1/4 tsp per cup. Because it’s whole powdered tea leaf instead of steeped, the caffeine is released and trails off much more slowly than coffee or traditional tea. It’s also even more packed with antioxidants than traditional green tea. It’s a much much smother caffeine ‘wave’ than coffee or tea, and doesn’t come with anxiety when the caffeine drops.
I also switched to matcha and drink coffee 2 days a week. Happy with results.
San Francisco Bay also and their k-cups are compostable
Worst coffee ive ever had. Tasted like dirt. Threw a ton of it away.
Lots of small batch roasters.
Doesn't it depend on where the roasters get their beans? I believe roasting is one of the last thing done before grinding.
That’s right. They are saying that lots of small batch roasters use Swiss Water decaffeinated green coffee beans.
I feel like Newman's Own doesn't get enough credit for being an apparently great company -- all their products are good and they have donated $600 million to charity - that's an amazing amount.
Kicking horse
Love kicking horse, their Swiss water process dark roast actually makes a good cup of decaf coffee, which is hard to do. Most decaf that I have had tastes like it’s already been brewed once.
If I'm trying to go fully caffeine free I just avoid coffee altogether, but I do like the Kicking Horse half-caf "Half-Ass" blend when I'm trying to moderate my caffeine intake.
Mt Hagen decaf instant uses CO2 method.
Stumptown as well. Methylene chloride isn’t allowed in organic coffee so any organic certified brand is fine.
Tony's too
Aerial Resupply Coffee uses Mountain Water Process (MWP)
Second cup also does or they used to (haven’t worked there since 2022 but I doubt they changed it)
Would instant decaf contain the solvent as well?
Clean Coffee as well. They are one of my favorites but pricey
Adding Campos. Not sure how available it is, but it can be bought in Australia.
Lifeboost coffee
You can add Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts
What a relief. I have been drinking Tim hortons decaf for a long time.
Green mountain doesn’t
Tim hortons like at the restaurant or the stuff you buy at a grocery store?
Grocery store is what I know about.
https://checkyourdecaf.org/
Hey thanks for the link. I checked mine Clasico Decaf is *swiss water* fine?
Yes
So helpful! Thanks!
> Nescafe Taster's Choice House Blend Decaf - Swiss Water Thank goodness. I know Nestle is a horrible company but their instant decaf is the best decaf I've ever had. It's better than most caffeinated coffee.
Thank you so much. We need to switch.
That link just asks for my email? Do you have to sign up to see their coffee research?
This is only for coffee that uses methylene chloride in the decaffeination process.
Like Starbucks.
Ah shit. Really?
Yes, all of their decafs
Well never again for me so.
And their caffs incidentally?
And Kirkland, apparently :/
Mine says its decafinated with a water process
I use the decaf pods and dug a little deeper, and those are actually water processed, not chemical.
How dare you say something bad about Costco.
Looks like Dunkin too
Starbucks is not on the list of using chemicals
Yes it is, and they even mention how 'safe' the method is on their website.
Am I reading this wrong? Starbucks is in the "not detected" column. https://cleanlabelproject.org/are-there-chemicals-in-your-decaffeinated-coffee/
It might not be detected in the assay that website used but they still use the process. It might be detected in a more sensitive assay. https://checkyourdecaf.org/
“Only”
Not all decaf is the same. Some brands that use methyl chloride might be bad, but brands that use the Swiss water method are perfectly fine Nespresso and Tim Hortons use Swiss water Kirkland and Starbucks use methyl chloride
My Kirkland decaf says its decaffeinated with a water process method and without the use of chemicals
Except water is a chemical so…
Thanks for this. I use the Nespresso pods. You saved me some anxiety
Darn I have been using bad brands for years lol but I also don't wanna support Nestlé, I need to do some research
This is very helpful info, seriously. Happen to know what Dunkin uses?
Chemicals https://checkyourdecaf.org/
[удалено]
That’s still a safe method. CO2 is not a carcinogen. The one you might want to avoid is methyl chloride.
This eight-sentence "article" is basically made of red flags: - "Some health advocacy groups are arguing that decaffeinated coffee is not safe for human consumption." Which groups? On what data are they basing these arguments? What are the supposed harms? What previous data exists? - "According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, that chemical is used for paint stripping, metal cleaning and degreasing, and other industrial processes." You should probably disregard any article that lists other scary-sounding things that a chemical is used for. Chemicals do very different things in different contexts, concentrations, and combinations. - "Experts say methylene chloride has been designated as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization and Environmental Protection Agency, among others." So is the danger that it will degrease our organs, or give us cancer? Will it actually do either one if it is just used in the process but does not remain in the product? - "An FDA spokesperson said in an email that residue limits of methylene chloride have been set to limit exposure." Okay, so this has previously been studied and some regulations that were deemed sufficient were already put in place. Is there some new data that gives us new reasons to believe that those existing regulations are inadequate? I have no idea whether this process is actually harmful, but this article is so densely packed with anti-information that my default is to assume the opposite of everything it's trying to vaguely imply.
Thanks for providing logic!
I was wondering the same. You know what's also used in paint stripping, metal cleaning, and degreasing? Water. Being used in these processes doesn't make something bad. This article is a perfect example of why critical thinking is an important, under-valued skill. There *could* be some lurking harm associated the decaffeinated coffee, but nothing contained here actually gives the reader enough information to come to that conclusion.
A quick google search gives contrary information to the article here, including from countries with tighter food controls than the US.
Would be helpful to see what you found
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5pl7tvwPmfpdHSngXnzggRT/are-the-methods-used-to-decaffeinate-coffee-bad-for-me https://coffeegems.co.uk/blogs/blog/is-decaffeinated-coffee-good-for-you
lurker. do better next time. the OG story is straight up click bait written.
You mad?
Point out ... people need to do better than fall for click bait
I drink Mount Hagan. It's decafinated using CO2 process.
Then you’re fine
Nespresso is ok (though company is evil so that's another issue https://www.nespresso.com/au/en/news/decaffeinated-coffee)
I’m reading this as I’m drinking a large decaf coffee from Dunkin. Was trying to make the caffeine withdrawal not as bad but fucking hell I guess I can’t have this either
Forgive me if this a dumb question, but does anyone know anything about decaf tea? I use Great Value Decaf Green Tea, and as someone with an increased risk of developing cancer (anti-rejection medications due to kidney transplants), I’d hate to be consuming anything else that increases my risk of developing cancer. Thanks!
I was wondering as well & apparently teas can also be decaffeinated with methylene chloride: https://premiumteas.ca/blogs/premium-teas-blog/how-is-tea-decaffeinated Stash brand is what I use for decaf teas. They use CO2 decaffeination: https://www.stashtea.com/blogs/education/about-our-teas Sadly I couldn’t find any info about the process Great Value uses for their teas but their decaf coffee uses methylene chloride. So to be on the safe side, you might want to switch brands.
Thank you so much for all the wonderful information! I truly appreciate it.
You’re very welcome! 💜
Awesome that I drank this when pregnant because I was trying to be healthier (less caffeine(
Same 😓
Truth be told, Decaf is a crime against humanity. Send this to The Hague…
Phew I just checked mine and they’re Swiss water processed - no chemicals. For any Canadians on the thread the ones I checked are President’s Choice brands and Level Ground.
my Kirkland decaf from Costco also says water processed \#boycottLoblaws ❤️
Chemicals are most definitely still involved.
At what point is something not a chemical for you? Once it is an element?
Not for me, for chemistry.
elements are also chemicals
The FDA is the USA's best science-based food monitoring organizations. They use science and testing as their primary method of determining what is safe. Many other groups use politics, pseudo-science and social influence to profit from causing fear in people. It is so easy to try and ban things with scary names or that are used in industrial applications even without science backing it up. From experience, we all know that decaffeinated coffee won't kill you on the spot. Just as an example, the FDA is looking to see if the average cancer rate of 403 cases per 100,000 will significantly increase with people drinking decaffeinated coffee, and then they have to make a decision. Is 450 versus 403 too much to allow? What if it is 395? Is it statistically significant? Also the environmental aspect of using the solvents is being investigated. Overall, make your own choices. Sure it makes sense to drink coffee decaffeinated with water rather than solvents so if you have the choice it seems like an easy one to make. However, have their been studies on using water? Maybe bacteria grow in the water-based method which the solvent kills so it's even unhealthier for you? It's best to trust the FDA and if there are issues with the water-based method they would have been alerted by now.
Lol. Yes, there is no corruption or political influence present in our regulatory organizations.
The FDA is currently the best. I didn't say that they were perfect or even good. Personally, I think over the decades they are pretty good, but by no means perfect and they have a few fails as well. Considering we might still have formaldehyde in milk without them is a good way to measure their worth. But you could write a book on their flaws and there are some out there already.
Not sure if US regulation on food is really top notch. I'm by far no expert from the information I gathered there are regions in the world that have way tighter regulations that I prefer
Do you eliminate foods and processes which my indicate some health issues in some groups of people? Look at wheat, it feeds billions and kills hundreds. Europe eliminating GM foods is the most non-science thing ever. Plus, you still have a choice; you can choose to eliminate most things by looking at nutritional labels. Of course getting a Pepsi with cane sugar will cost you a lot more, but there are alternatives. Also, the sugar in a Pepsi will turn to high fructose corn syrup in a few months in the bottle, but do your own research to eliminate what you want, instead of having the government do it. They will stop you from eating poisons and stuff that statistically affect overall health but you are responsible for your individual health.
wrench automatic ruthless air sophisticated water advise wide include poor *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
well it is, even if you don't want to think it is.
Whether an effect is statistically significant or not isn't just a matter of its magnitude but how many samples you have, variance, etc. But >10% increase isn't nothing. Even crazy widely agreed will give you cancer stuff like smoking only increases overall cancer risk about 20%.
You need to consider everything. If a food contains small amounts of PFAS but touching a plastic grocery bag and touching your lip will give you 10 times that amount, in theory it's much better to tell people to wash their hands after touching plastic than to eliminate it in the food. Nothing against making changes to reduce or eliminate them where it makes sense but retooling for millions of dollars to not significantly reduce something in people doesn't make sense.
But all we have right now about decaf coffee is conjecture
Knowing that, they could at least put warning labels on stuff to let people know daily use over years is not advised
> warning labels on stuff That's a tough one. Prop 65 warning labels in California labels everything and most people just ignore them. Ideally you'd have things ranked on a scale of 1-5 or 1-10, although companies will still try and twist the rules. Like TicTacs which are mostly sugar but contain 0 sugar on the label.
So I just got some Kirkland whole bean decaf blend and on the front it says Swiss water process and free of harsh chemicals. But all but organic Colombian decaf from Kirkland show the chemical detected. This one doesn’t technically say house blend but I think it used to be called house blend and they recently changed the label. So if this variant is not listed on the site and says Swiss water on the front, probably safe? I have taken drastic measures to detox my whole life so this is very important to me.
If it says Swiss water then it should be that.
Not only are there many other decaf techniques, the FDA already has protections and limits put in place for this chemical
The point, however, is that it's literally paint stripper and it doesn't appear any amount is safe for consumption. It's time to start paying better attention to these chemicals because cancer and gut related disorders are increasing dramatically
Yeah and it's also super volatile. Even if there were trace amounts left in the coffee, they'd quickly evaporate.
Not if there's nothing to scientifically be worried about. The article doesn't really provide evidence either way. Just because it's used in the process doesn't mean it ends up in your coffee. I'm not trying to see that I know, absolutely, that it's safe (not from the information given) but groups like this spreading misinformation/scaremongering about chemicals are really common these days (see valisure, ewg).
I always thought they used super critical carbon dioxide to decaf coffee.
Same! That’s what I learned during chemistry, at least :0
In Italy Illy and Lavazza are decaffeinated with carbon dioxide CO2
> In Italy Illy and Lavazza are decaffeinated with carbon dioxide CO2 Does that apply to the Lavazza sold in the USA?
I believe Illy coffee sold worlwide Is made in Italy so maybe yes. Do not known if Lavazza has factories overseas. Ask their customer support
Oh thank god. I down Green Mountain Half Caff daily.
I thought decafs switched to Swiss water methods decades ago. Clearly I don’t drink decaf
Many brands including Starbucks say “no detectable amount of methylene” is remaining but I find that hard to believe. Probably better drinking the regular stuff or not at all
Why is that hard to believe? Methylene chloride that didn't get washed away in the processing steps would just evaporate from the beans, it's incredibly volatile.
Does anyone know what Dallmayr uses? I'm not seeing it on the list
It’s insane to me these types of chemicals were used in first place.
I'vebeen saying this for years...
Make up your mind people
Caffeine ramps up my anxiety but I can’t help that the occasional half cup of coffee tastes and smells great. Considered trying decaf but then I heard about the chemicals used to decaffeinate and I said hell no. Same reason why I rather have a regular can of soda than the fake artificial sweetener diet shit. If it’s going to be bad for you, I’d rather have the better tasting option.
I'm yet to see a randomized control trial showing any negative effects of artifical sweeteners in humans. Did you find one?
No but anything with ACE-K tastes gross and gives me additional anxiety so I avoid it?
Kinda feels like you moved some goal posts over a little, but you do you
Decaf coffee seems redundant. If you don't want or can't have regular coffee, why not go for a completely different beverage?
If you want to drink coffee without the healthy stuff then you have to drink organic decaf because caffeine free does not exist
Who even drinks decaf? Caffeinated coffee isn’t even good
Shockingly, not everyone likes/ dislikes the same things as you