The Growing Demand for Half-Caf Coffee

Specialty coffee has deliciously entered into the era of half-caf. These coffee blends contain a balanced mix of fully caffeinated and decaffeinated beans, thoughtfully put together by roasters for both flavor and lower caffeine enjoyment. This type of coffee has become ever more popular in recent years as people pay closer attention to their caffeine consumption at all times of the day. 

At Swiss Water, we've never seen decaffeinated and "regular" coffee as opponents. Rather, we think of them each as coffee, and like most coffee lovers, we think there's a time and a place for both. Which is why we're excited about the growing trend among specialty roasters to offer regular and decaf—at the same time.  

Emerging Trends 

Half-caf blends are popping up all over these days. Delicious, thoughtfully blended options are available from boutique roasters like Kuma, Savorista, Numa Coffee Company, and Talking Crow, and with other roasters beginning to offer an even more nuanced spectrum of caffeine/decaf balances, like the Circadian line from Onyx Coffee. Naturally, our favorite half-caf offerings use the clean, chemical-residue-free Swiss Water(R) Process. 

It's clear there's long been demand for a roaster-curated version of this clever brew that many have secretly made at home for years. Half-caf coffees meet the need for lower caffeine-content offerings that still give a little more energy boost than a decaf. They’re perfect for people wanting to reduce or attenuate caffeine intake without completely giving it up. And they're a great option for drinkers who are managing their caffeine over the course of a day, expecting a baby, working to reduce anxiety, or just want to drink more cups of coffee without the buzz. 

Kuma Coffee founder Peter Mark says he originally began crafting a special half-caf blend at the Kuma roastery when his wife was pregnant with their first child—but now, the roaster says, "In times like these, we thought everybody else might get some use out of this."  

Caffeine Consciousness 

"We launched our first half-cafs because we realized that caffeine consciousness goes beyond drinking decaf," says Kait Brown, founder of decaf-specialty roaster Savorista Coffee. Savorista, first which won a 2025 Shelfies award for Coffee & Tea, regularly features limited edition single-origin half-caf coffees as well as signature half-caf blends alongside its fully decaffeinated coffees.  

Incorporating lower-caffeine blends into their coffee routine has been a revelation for many coffee lovers, says Braun, and allows people more control of their coffee experience, and as a result, their bodies. 

"Our customers have loved these half-cafs for the bold flavors and a bit of a pick me up, without the jitters or the crash," says Brown.  

The Best Half-Cafs use Swiss Water® Decaf 

Naturally, when it comes to the decaffeinated portion of these blends, roasters in the know look to a clean, chemical-free process that preserves the coffee's best flavor and choose Swiss Water. You wouldn't want to mix great regular coffee with a decaf that carries a chemical aftertaste, right?   

We love the profiles these roasters have chosen, and the lower-caffeine pride they're championing.  Whether you're reducing caffeine, reintroducing it after a break, or just looking for something a little more mellow for later parts of the day, we think you might embrace half-caf, well, fully.