Rich, nutty, and slightly sweet —I can drink hazelnut coffee every day. But then I’m getting more and more frequent heartburns. However, some say hazelnut decaf coffee takes away not only caffeine but also flavor.
Finding the best hazelnut-flavored decaf coffee can be a way to enjoy coffee minus the possible discomfort from regular coffee’s acidity.
How much caffeine is in decaf hazelnut coffee?
Most decaf will likely have a pH level of 5.0 to 5.1 in every cup.
The acidity level is quantified using the rule of less is more and more is less. Let’s gain some understanding.
📢Fact:
A pH of 7 is considered neutral because pure water has a pH of exactly 7. Acidic values are less than 7; basic or alkaline values are greater than 7. When the pH of a food is between 0 and 4, it is considered very acidic.
When the pH is above 4.5, it is considered alkaline or low acidity. A usual cup of coffee that still has most of its caffeine content has an average pH of 4.85 to 5.10.
This could cause you some serious discomfort. It can cause gastric ulcers, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, and even make you poop and experience diarrhea.
We can consider most coffees to be rather acidic. No wonder it hurts our tummy. Good thing switching to decaf is one of the secrets of how to stop coffee from making you poop.
The 5 Best Decaf Hazelnut Coffee Brands
Hazelnut is one of the most popular flavors among the new and unique coffee blends.
How does hazelnut coffee taste? In a nutshell, it has a rich, nutty flavor that has a slight sweetness. It is typically made by brewing coffee grounds with hazelnut extract or flavoring. You can also achieve this by using hazelnut-flavored coffee beans.
Some say hazelnut coffee is pretty chocolatey, while others say it has more of a caramel flavor.
Hazelnut Coffee is a popular and well-liked flavor known for its slightly sweet, earthy, buttery, and toasted hazelnut flavor. Without further ado, let’s go through our list of the best 5 hazelnut decaf coffee. ☕
1. Coffee Bean Direct Decaf Hazelnut
Best for: hardcore coffee lovers
If you are a hardcore coffee lover who has the misfortune of developing acid reflux, this whole-bean option is great for you.
I know that some people take their coffee seriously and prefer fresh coffee always. Just a heads up though that the package says “artificially flavored.” This could mean there isn’t actually any hazelnut in there.
The downside of flavored coffee or tea is that they tend to have weird fruity but chemical tastes. This could completely mask the original flavor of the coffee which could be a bad thing.
It definitely helps if you are using a grind and brew coffee maker. This way, you can enjoy fresh coffee without the hassle of multiple steps in preparing.
Coffee Bean Direct prides itself on sourcing its coffee from around the world. They claim to leverage over 10 years of roasting experience to extract the richest flavors and aroma from each bean.
They claim that the quality is pretty similar to the local coffee shop’s best brew since every bag is hand packed.
Pros:
- From an established roaster
- Good packaging
- flavorful
Cons:
- Artificially flavored
2. Christopher Bean Hazelnut Creme
Best for: Convenience
Hazelnut Creme has a sweet and mellow taste made from a blend of premium Arabica. It is a concoction of roasted hazelnuts, and fresh cream. You can consider it a comforting classic coffee drink.
For those who are concerned about their health, you won't have to worry about sugar. Christopher Bean's Hazelnut Creme is made with sugar-free, fat-free, and non-GMO ingredients.
It has almost no calories which won’t make you feel guilty with a second cup.
It uses 100% Arabica Coffee which is a nod to quality.
Another great thing about Christopher Bean is how they only roast your coffee right before shipping. This help ensures that you receive the freshest coffee always.
What I don’t like about K cups though is the trash and plastic use. Coffee pods reduce cleaning and waste. So it’s good to know that Christopher Bean is BPA Free and 100% Recyclable.
Its size fits most K cup brewers so that’s one less thing to worry about. People like K cups because there you won’t have to worry about things such as:
- Spills
- Tamping
- Emptying
- wasted coffee
- Cleaning up coffee grinds
Pros:
- Less cleaning because you don’t have to use filtered or throw-out grounds
- Fresh Roast Guarantee
- For use in any K-Cup® brewer
Cons:
- not recyclable
- You can’t expect the thick creamy flavor unlike drip machines
3. Lion Coffee Decaf Hazelnut
Best for: drip coffee machines
For those who prefer decaf, the Lion Hazelnut decaf is produced using the Swiss Water Process. They claim that this yields coffee that is 99.9% caffeine-free without sacrificing taste or quality.
📢 Fact:
The Swiss Water Process is a patented decaffeination method first developed in Switzerland in 1933. It uses only water to remove 99.9% of a coffee's caffeine content. The only other element in this process is heat and time.
What I like about it is that it comes in a large package, so I don't have to restock it as frequently. The company also promises to roast it in small batches, so we'll always get a fresh bag.
You can consider this a delicious tropical treat with its smooth hazelnut flavor and subtle hints of coconut. Yes, coconut! It’s pretty tasty. You can even make your own coconut creamer for coffee and take your cup of joe to the next level.
But if you’re not feeling adventurous, this coffee would still go well with your regular milk.
But you’ll still get a creamy and sweet cup of coffee on its own. And since it uses medium-roasted coffee beans, your coffee will taste bold but not bitter. However, some people find the bold taste to be more like burnt.
Pros:
- Decaffeinated using the Swiss water process, meaning no chemical was used
- Comes in a large package
- Great aroma
- Uses arabica beans which results in great flavor
Cons:
- Artificial hazelnut flavor which can have a chemical overly sweet taste
4. Stone Street Vanilla Hazelnut Decaf
Best for: Cold Brew
For those who enjoy a cold brew any time of day, you can stock up on Stone Street Vanilla Hazelnut Decaf.
Most of us may be used to having a hot cup of coffee, but a good number of coffee drinkers prefer their cup of joe to be cold.
Cold brew also has several benefits such as:
- less acidic than regular coffee
- flavorful without the need for cream, milk, or sweeteners
- higher antioxidants (which would have been destroyed by heat)
This makes it healthier than regular coffee.
Stone Street also uses Supremo beans. These beans are known as the largest and highest quality from Colombia.
📢 Fact:
Colombian Supremo Coffee is grown high in the Colombian Andes and is famous for its smooth, pleasant acidity, smooth finish, and nutty overtones.
You can use this blend with your coffee maker, French press, pitcher, or mason jar.
It uses medium roast and is also Kosher —shout to my Jewish friends!
Stone Street Vanilla Hazelnut Decaf is made from Colombian arabica beans for a smooth and well-rounded flavor. It gives you one of the options for the best decaf hazelnut ground coffee.
This is because you can pick your preference between coarse or whole beans. Pretty convenient if you ask me. You can brew straight out of the bag or grind a fresh batch every time.
Pros:
- You can choose between coarse or whole grind
- Kosher
- Affordable
Cons:
- Can be a bit strong and bitter
- Not the best option for espresso
5. Little’s Rich Hazelnut Decaf
Best for: convenience
Little’s Rich Hazelnut Decaf contains freeze-dried Arabica coffee and some flavoring.
If you don’t own any coffee machines but still want to enjoy quality coffee, instant coffee can be a lifesaver. Make it decaf and it’s a home run. 🏆
Little’s Rich Hazelnut Decaf has a smooth and rich arabica coffee with a subtle hint of rich hazelnut. There are no nasty chemicals or solvents because it is gently decaffeinated using the Swiss water process.
The rich hazelnut flavor infused instant coffee has a naturally sweet and comforting flavor.
The company promise that they use Arabica coffee of the highest caliber in making every bottle. This is sort of an assurance of the quality of their coffee.
Now although this is marketed as hazelnut coffee, Little’s promise that there are no allergens in this coffee. Not to mention, it is also gluten and lactose-free. This makes it suitable for people who have serious allergies.
Not only that but it has no added sugar and has only 4 calories per cup. Gym bod is friendly!
Pros:
- No allergens (yes, even though it is hazelnut flavored)
- Low calorie
- Gluten free
- lactose-free
Cons:
- Only artificially flavored, it could taste like chemicals or overly sweet for others
How to Buy the Best Hazelnut Decaf Coffee
Nobody likes to experience tummy aches but people rarely enjoy bland coffee either. I know I don’t. 🙄
This is why if you have acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, or GERD, you might need to switch to decaf. Unfortunately, most decaf ends up bland after the decaffeination process.
The list we have could help you find decaf with enjoyable flavor. And if you are a bit of a foodie, it doesn’t hurt to explore other flavors.
Here are some other factors to consider in picking your hazelnut decaf coffee. 👇
Decaffeination process
The first thing you might like to check is the decaf process used on your coffee.
How the caffeine is removed from the coffee could affect the flavor and quality.
There are 4 different decaffeination processes:
- Direct-Solvent Process
The beans are steamed for about 30 minutes to open their pores in this method of decaffeination. Once the coffee beans are receptive to a solvent, they are rinsed for about 10 hours with either methylene chloride or ethyl acetate to remove the caffeine.
This process isn’t harmful to your health, but could deprive coffee of its natural flavor and aroma.
- Indirect-Solvent Process
With this process, coffee beans are soaked in boiling water for several hours. The water extracts the flavor and oil components from the beans.
The beans are drained and transferred to another tank. The coffee beans will be washed for about 10 hours with methylene chloride or ethyl acetate.
- Swiss Water Process
This process removes almost all of the caffeine in the coffee beans with the help of only water. However, it can be pretty expensive which explains how it can mark up the price of the coffee.
- Carbon Dioxide Process
With this process, decaffeination happens when green coffee beans are soaked in highly compressed CO2. This is done to extract the caffeine during the process.
Caffeine is then extracted from the CO2 using activated carbon filters, which are then reused to extract caffeine from coffee.
Flavor
Most of the coffee in the list above uses artificial flavor which could result in —well, fake-tasting coffee.
The next thing to consider when buying hazelnut decaf coffee is its flavor. Sometimes adding artificial flavor can end up with coffee that is overly sweet, or chemical tasting.
However, using artificial flavor could also mean that the coffee can be safe to drink for people who are allergic to the real thing.
Some people could be allergic to cinnamon hazelnut decaf coffee for example because they are actually allergic to cinnamon.
Unfortunately, hazelnut allergies and other tree nut allergies are common and often severe. These allergies usually manifest themselves by the age of two, and the number of tree nuts which you could be allergic to may increase with age.
This means that organic decaf hazelnut coffee could be bad news.
Type of roast
Flavor and level of acidity in hazelnut decaf coffee can also be affected by the type of roast.
At first, I was seriously misled thinking that the darker the roast the more caffeine there is.
But I was wrong. As it turns out, the lighter roasts have the most caffeine.
Light roast coffee is frequently described as tangy or citrusy. While dark roast coffee is bold and smokey. But the bold, strong taste doesn’t mean more caffeine.
These flavor profiles are thanks to the acids found in coffee beans. Light roasts produce the most acidic coffee, while dark roasts produce low-acid coffee.
Type of bean
Choosing the type of coffee bean can also affect the acidity and quality of hazelnut decaf coffee.
For example, Arabica beans have a higher acidity level than Robusta beans. Arabica coffee grows and matures more slowly. Arabica beans contain 1.2 of caffeine in every 1.5 grams.
This results in better flavor development and higher acidity.
On the other hand, the caffeine content of excelsa beans is lower than that of arabica beans. Caffeine levels in excelsa beans range from 0.86 to 1.13 grams in every 100 grams.
It has a fruitier flavor than Liberica and a tart acidity, making it popular for adding complexity to coffee blends.
Packaging
The quality of packaging plays an important part in keeping your coffee fresh and of good quality.
For example, tin ties allow you to close the bag after opening it, but they cannot seal it. That means the coffee will go stale quickly unless it is transferred to an airtight container.
The amount of quality also affects the convenience of storing your coffee.
Hazelnut decaf coffee let’s you enjoy the flavor without tummy troubles
Finding the best hazelnut decaf coffee can be a challenge. But we made this list just so you won’t have to scour your grocery that tastes good and keep you feeling good.
It helps to know who makes naturally decaf hazelnut coffee so you won’t have to rack your brain whenever you need to stock up.
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