Our Approach To Decaf | Do Coffee Roasters

Decaf That Tastes Like Coffee Should

At Do Coffee Roasters, we’re on a mission to change the way people think about decaf. For too long, decaf has been treated like an afterthought — a compromise rather than a choice. We believe it can be something else entirely: complex, sweet, and satisfying, without the caffeine.

We roast decaf with the same attention to detail as any specialty coffee. That means carefully chosen green beans, a thoughtful decaffeination process, and roast profiles designed to let flavour shine.

Why Decaf Deserves Better

Let’s be honest — a lot of decaf out there isn’t great. It’s often poorly sourced, under or over-roasted and just treated as a box-ticking exercise. The result? Coffee that gives decaf a bad name.

We saw an opportunity to do better. Decaf shouldn’t taste second-rate. It should taste like great coffee. We invest all our time and attention into sourcing the highest quality green coffee and roast it to highlight its best characteristics.

Naturally Decaffeinated with the Sugarcane EA Method

Most of our decaf is produced using the ethyl acetate decaffeination method; also known as the Sugarcane Decaf process. This natural process starts with excellent green coffee beans, often from Colombia, and gently removes caffeine without stripping away the flavour.

Here’s how it works:

1. Fermented sugarcane is used to create ethyl acetate, a naturally occurring ester.
2. The coffee is steamed and soaked to open its structure.
3. The ethyl acetate binds to the caffeine molecules and the beans are then heated to drive off the ethyl acetate and caffeine.
4. The beans are washed, steamed again, and dried — leaving behind their original character, minus the caffeine.
   

The result is a coffee that retains its natural sweetness, character, and complexity. No harsh chemicals. No off flavours. Just coffee that happens to be decaf.

👉 Want to learn more? Read our deep dive on the sugarcane EA process.

Sourcing Without Compromise

Decaf is no different to other specialty coffee; flavour is created on the farm. Great tasting decaf requires us to start with the highest quality green coffee, grown by quality driven farmers and sympathetically processed to maximise flavour. Thankfully, there is a growing number of farms that are producing outstanding decaf; producers like Wilton Benitez, Angie Hernandez and small-scale farmers like those in Huila, Colombia that produced our San Antonio Decaf.

We invest a great deal of effort to find quality decaf to roast and we don’t compromise on quality. Our range is relatively small because we only buy decaf that meets the highest standards. We’d rather have only one excellent decaf for sale than 12 OK options.

Roasted to Maximise Flavour

Decaf isn’t something you can just roast like everything else. Because of the way it’s processed, decaf coffee beans behave differently in the roaster. They’re more delicate, which means they need a steady hand and a lot of care.

Our team develops roast profiles that bring out the best in each decaf lot — highlighting the coffee’s character and maximising sweetness. We taste every roast to make sure the quality is exactly where it should be.

Flavour First. Always.

When people try our decaf for the first time, the most common reaction is:

“I can’t believe this is decaf.”

That’s exactly what we aim for. We’re not satisfied with “this is really good for a decaf”, we want to hear “this is really great coffee”. Think rich, chocolatey espresso roasts with bags of caramel sweetness that excel in milk-based coffees or as a short black. Clean, vibrant filter roasts with sparking acidity and fruity sweetness that delight as a pour-over or Aeropress. This is decaf coffee that doesn’t compromise on flavour; because if it isn’t delicious, why bother?

Whether you’re making a flat white in the morning or winding down with a filter brew at night, you don’t have to compromise on taste.

For Coffee Lovers, Any Time of Day

Decaf isn’t just for people who can’t have caffeine; it’s for anyone who loves coffee but wants the flexibility to enjoy it on their own terms.

Our customers drink decaf because they want to have that second (or sixth) cup without the jitters. They drink it at night, during pregnancy, for health reasons, or simply because it tastes great.

We source ethically, roast locally in Melbourne, and treat decaf with the same care and attention as the best single origin coffees.

Taste How Good Decaf Can Be

We’re proud to be a specialist decaf coffee roaster. Every bag we roast is an invitation to experience decaf differently, as something that delights, not disappoints.

👉 Shop our decaf range