To caffeine or not to caffeine that is the question. Whether it’s noble to have coffee in the evening and to lie awake at night from the coffee. Yes, I’m your regular dime store Shakespeare using one of the gems of literature to represent the coffee dilemma.
The answer to our current dilemma is half caff K cups. There are a ton of reasons you want them. Enjoying their taste and flavor, trying to wean off caffeine, or just about something else. Maybe it’s just coffee cravings of the evening, without the worry of ruining your sleep.
Half caff is a good way to enjoy the coffee while cutting off the caffeine content. There’s our compromise candidate for when we don’t want caffeine but can’t go full decaf either. I’m possibly being harsh here, half caff coffee is a good beverage in its own right.
Top 7 Half Caff K Cups To Enjoy
Comparison Chart
Fresh Roasted Coffee, Swiss Water Half-Caf Sumatra, Organic Fair Trade Kosher RFA, K-Cup Compatible, 72 Pods
World’s Best Half Caff Dark Roast Coffee 24ct. Recyclable Single Serve Dark Roast Coffee Pods – 100% Arabica Coffee California Roasted, KCup Compatible
Skinnygirl Half Caff Coffee Pods for Keurig K Cups Brewers, Reduced Caffeine Medium Roast Coffee in Single Serve Cups, 24 Count
1. Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC, Swiss Water Half Caf Organic Sumatra Coffee Pods — Best Gourmet Coffee
- Organic half caf water decaffeinated coffee pod variety pack contains 4 varieties, 72 single-serve
- Organic ethiopian sidamo water-process half caf coffee pods - bright and flavorful with hints of
- Organic mexican chiapas swiss water-process half caf coffee pods - smooth with notes of walnut and b
- Organic peruvian swiss water-process half caf coffee pods - balanced flavor with almond and chocolate
- Organic sumatra swiss water-process half caf coffee pods - smooth and creamy with notes of bakers
Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC has an excellent range of half caff and decaf K cups. I chose the Sumatra Coffee Pods for their overall great taste. The range is also available in other flavors and coffee origin locations. You can have your pick from
- Colombian Half Caff
- Ethiopian Sidamo Half Caf (Organic and awesome, give it a shot!)
- Indian Monsoon Malabar Half Caf
- Mexican Half Caf Organic
- Peruvian Half Caf Organic
- Sumatra Half Caf Organic
Sumatra Half Caf K cups are made from single-origin coffee sourced from Aceh, Sumatra in Indonesia. The coffee is made using a blend of the company’s regular Sumatra coffee and decaf Sumatra coffee. Half of each is mixed to reach the half-caf variant.
The combination works beautifully well in retaining the taste and notes of rich Sumatra coffee. The astringent decaf flavor is not noticeable, which makes it better. We can like decaf, but I don’t think anyone likes that weird astringent sense. Instead, you get more welcome earthy and chocolate notes.
Coffee Highlights
- Certified from USDA Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, OU Kosher
- K cups made from #5 BPA-free recyclable plastic. Not the best option, but good enough
- Single-origin Sumatra coffee
- Medium roast
- Baker’s chocolate and earthy taste notes
- 100% Arabica
2. World’s Best Half Caff Dark Roast Coffee K Cups — Best Dark Roast
- Roast profile - world's best half caff dark roast coffee is a tasty, heavy bodied coffee with a swee
- 100% arabica half caffeinated dark roast coffee - we use only high quality 100% arabica coffee include
- California roasted & 100% solar energy produced - on their way to your cup, our flavorful beans also
- Single servings - designed for use with nearly all single serve coffee makers and keurig kcup compat
- 100% recyclable half caff dark roast coffee pods - our dark roast half caff coffee pods are made from
“World’s Best Half Caff” is a pretty strong claim, even if it’s hidden in the name. It’s pretty decent coffee, which is why it is on this list. However, the packaging and marketing raise more red flags than Stalin in a parade.
For one, naming your half caff “World’s best half caff” is just cheesy. I don’t mind it going into marketing, but putting it in the name seems more like an attention grabber.
Their box proudly claims in a nice, bright green background “Save the earth, one cup at a time”. No, you’re not saving the world by using #5 plastic K cups. To save the earth one cup at a time, the right way is to not use that single-use plastic cup. It’s recyclable, and that’s the bare minimum anyone should be doing.
Yes, I know there are tons of businesses and companies that won’t even take the trouble of using recyclable plastics. But let’s not pretend it’s a favor to the earth. K cup plastic waste is a real problem. As people who enjoy these cups, we should take real responsibility and action rather than say Hallelujah to non-solution.
Damn, I got triggered and worked myself up with that rant. Anyways, the dark roast tastes good enough to be allowed onto this list and inflict the world with that rant.
Coffee Highlights
- Good dark roast
- Uses #5 BPA-free recyclable plastic
- Also available in Caramel and Hazelnut flavors (medium roast)
- Good flavor
3. Folgers Half Caff Coffee — Best Overall
- Item package length: 14.986cm
- Item package width: 9.906cm
- Item package height: 9.398cm
- Item package weight: 0.204 kg
As I said earlier, it is a bit of a surprise for me that Folgers turned out as the best in this category. They’re not bad, but besting gourmet options is quite unusual. This is a blend of regular and decaf done well enough to have a drink with a nice body and aroma.
What makes this K cup the best is that it’s rich! And deliciously so. This is a medium roast coffee with excellent flavor and taste.
Coffee Highlights
- Rich coffee with great taste
- Mix of regular and decaf coffee
- Good blend
- Medium roast
4. Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC, Half Caf Coffee Pod Variety Pack — Best Variety Pack
- Organic half caf water decaffeinated coffee pod variety pack contains 4 varieties, 72 single-serve
- Organic ethiopian sidamo water-process half caf coffee pods - bright and flavorful with hints of
- Organic mexican chiapas swiss water-process half caf coffee pods - smooth with notes of walnut and
- Organic peruvian swiss water-process half caf coffee pods - balanced flavor with almond and chocolat
- Organic sumatra swiss water-process half caf coffee pods - smooth and creamy with notes of bakers
Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC has two entries on our list. The first one was for individual packs and this one is dedicated to their variety pack. They have quite a great range of great-tasting coffee available. So, it makes sense to give the variety pack a shot.
Most of the options in the pack are single-origin coffees from some of the most renowned locations. Highlights of the variety pack are coffees from Sumatra, Ethiopia, Mexico, and Peru. Plus, they’re organic and are certified fair trade and for several other characteristics. Blends in this variety pack are made from excellent gourmet coffee.
Coffee Highlights
- Certified from USDA Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, OU Kosher
- K cups made from #5 BPA-free recyclable plastic
- Single origin coffee
5. Skinnygirl Half Caff coffee Single Serve Cups — Excellent Blend
- Half caf coffee: a deliciously rich and smooth blend of regular and swiss water process decaf coffee
- Completely reliable: our half caff single serve cups are fully compatible with all keurig k cups bre
- 100% arabica coffee: unwilling to compromise on quality, skinnygirl half caff medium roast is made
- Rainforest alliance certified: we source our coffee exclusively from farms which adhere to a high
- Drink with confidence: skinnygirl half caf coffee is sugar free, gluten free, and contains no artifi
Skinnygirl Half Caff gives you a great tasting cup of coffee in an expert blend. The coffee doesn’t have any artificial flavors or sweeteners. It relies on the goodness of the blend and the coffee and it fairs pretty well.
Coffee Highlights
- Rainforest Alliance certified
- No added flavors or sweeteners
- Medium roast
- Good blend
6. Green Mountain Half-caff Hazelnut K-cups — Best Flavor
- Brand story: the mountains are a special place. it's where green mountain coffee roasters was born.
- Taste: indulge in the sweet, buttery decaf flavor of hazelnut. a lighter-roasted coffee, our hazelnut
- Roast: light roast, decaffeinated coffee and is certified orthodox union kosher (u)
- Sustainability: committed to 100% responsibly sourced coffee by end of 2020
- Compatibility: contains genuine keurig k-cup pods, engineered for guaranteed quality and compatibility
Green Mountain cups is a brand that everyone who’s used a Keurig K cup is familiar with. They never disappoint with their coffee and indeed it matches well with their favorite coffee brewer. The hazelnut flavor takes amazingly well to the half-caff.
Overall, the coffee has a good body and aroma. And together with the touch of hazelnut, the taste is well-worth praise. If you’re on the fence about half caff, start with this one.
Coffee Highlights
- Medium roast coffee
- Hazelnut flavor
- Good body and taste
- Excellent for those new to half caf
7. Green Mountain Half Caff K Cups — Best Body
- From carefully sourcing and roasting the highest quality beans
- To supporting small farms and protecting the environment
- 12-count
Here’s another one of Green Mountain Half Caff K cups you can love. The blend is a result of excellent coffee, blended in perfect ratios of regular and decaf. The blend is careful to keep all of the goodness of coffee in the cup while removing half the caffeine. It succeeds spectacularly at it, and the cup is a delight.
The cup has a good body and uses it to its full advantage. This pod brews a satisfying cup of coffee, one which you can love and enjoy.
Coffee Highlights
- Medium roast coffee
- Excellent body
- Good taste
- Organic and fair trade
Things To Know When Buying Half Caff Pods
Half Caff K Cups – How Much Caffeine?
K cups are available through several companies, blends, flavors, and coffee origins. As such, there can’t be a single, right answer. However, we can make estimations like how much caffeine in a cup of coffee?
It is estimated that the average K cup will deliver 100mg of caffeine for a regular 8oz cup of coffee. We are making estimates here because there are strong K cups that can go very high in caffeine.
Most half-caffs are made with an equal mix of regular and decaf coffee. In a way, these are half decaf K cups! Though there is little value to the term half decaf. The caffeine content for an average K cup can be 50-70mg, for a standard 8oz serving.
Storing And Managing Your K Cups
Did your pod go slightly over the “best before” date? That’s not much to worry about because K cups don’t expire for a fairly long time. So, a couple of weeks after the date should be fine. They will lose taste and flavor the longer they’re kept beyond their date.
It will also depend on the additives used because things like dried milk will go bad faster. The best thing is to store your K cups in a cool and dry place without sunlight. Going slightly beyond the best before date should be okay, but be careful and discard any damaged cups. If they taste or smell funny even within their use-by date, to the bin they go.
Rounding Up For The Best
The pursuit of the right half caff K cups can bring you to great options. This is a relatively smaller niche, so there isn’t the usual variety of K cups and flavors available. However, it is popular enough to have excellent options. You can get everything from flavored to gourmet coffee with these K cups.
Our top choice here is the Folgers Half Caff K cups. A close runner up is Fresh Roasted Coffee with their excellent half caff cups. If you want some flavor, pick the Green Mountain Half Caff Hazelnut K cups.
