Have you ever heard of the half caff?
Maybe you overheard someone ordering a half caff while you were waiting for your turn in the coffee shop?
Maybe you read it somewhere and wondered what half caff is?
I also got curious when I first heard it being called out by the barista for one of its patrons.
What is half caff?
We are all familiar with decaffeinated coffee.
People who loves the flavor and aroma of coffee but might dislike the idea of caffeine. Either they find it too strong for their liking or it may cause some adverse reactions in their body.
Decaf is born to provide the same coffee experience minus the caffeine.
However, decaffeination can significantly reduce the aroma and flavor of coffee. It could taste a little weak and watered down. Some say it almost tastes bland.
To solve this concern, the half caff is introduced to the coffee drinking world.
“Half caff” refers to a coffee blended with a 50/50 mix of caffeinated and decaf beans. It offers half the caffeine of a regular specialty coffee and one-fourth the caffeine of a robusta coffee. Also known in espresso bars as a “split shot” or a “half and half,” the half caff option affords decaf drinkers an opportunity to enjoy a cup that’s considerably lower in caffeine with bigger and more complex flavors. All the flavor with half the caffeine”.
To create a half caff, most drinkers buy two bags of coffee – one is regular coffee and the other is decaffeinated. They often mix the two grounds and the resulting brew is a half caff.
The benefits of half caff
What are the good things you can get from drinking half caff? Check this out:
According to the Food and Drug Administration, on the average, adults can consume up to 400 mg of coffee per day and its equivalent caffeine. Since a cup of coffee has 75 mg of caffeine, it is recommended to drink up to 2 cups of coffee per day. If you find yourself drinking more than this, one needs to check caffeine consumption.
Caffeine can be beneficial for the body, but make sure to consume just the enough amount recommended for you. Caffeine can help boost adrenaline and brain activity. It can also help promote weigh loss, metabolism. It is a source of dietary fiber. Aside from these health benefits, caffeine could also help reduce asthma attacks, risk of some cancers and liver cirrhosis.
With a half caff, you get the average daily consumption and you enjoy the benefits of caffeine as well.
The best half caff K-cups
While buying two bags of coffee to create half caff is something you can do, don’t you wish something simpler?
The single serve brewer comes to the rescue because you can now enjoy half caff with ease and convenience.
Here is a list of the best half caff K-cups to choose from:
Maud’s Worlds Best Half-Caff K-Cups
Maud is a known roastmaster. The current owners of the company are fifth generation roasters so you know that you can trust them with your brew. This features great quality coffee with advanced recyclable pods. It has a strong and bold coffee flavor with only half the amount of caffeine. They combine two of the best-selling flavors that they have.
Get a medium blend coffee flavor from the combination of Mellow Mood Decaf and bold Tall Dark and Handsome. You can now have a fresh blend with half the caffeine content but great quality and flavor.
Skinnygirl Half-Caff Coffee
The Skinnygirl coffee is rich and smooth that uses 50 percent Swiss Water Process decaf beans. You get a great cup with just half the caffeine kick. It is a medium roast perfect for afternoon drink when you want a lesser caffeine but more flavor and aroma.
This brand is a favorite among health enthusiasts because it does not use any artificial sweeteners.
If you are counting calories down, treat yourself with a Skinnygirl half caff and you will never have to worry about sugar and caffeine.
Green Mountain Coffee Half-Caff
Green Mountain has been providing gourmet coffee for the Keurig brewer. It features notes of chocolate, raisin that yields a smooth and nutty finish. Green Mountain uses only Arabica beans for each K-cup. You know that you are getting freshest ground coffee and brews a perfect, great tasting cup of coffee all the time.
Most K-cup has 75-125 mg of caffeine per 6 ounces of coffee. You can expect that the half caff is 50 percent less caffeine.
Folgers Half-Caff Coffee
Folgers may be a mainstream brand of instant coffee and regular brewed coffee. It is mass produced, yes. But one thing is for sure, their coffee is concentrated. However, Folgers created a special K-cup coffee that will feature bolder taste but with less caffeine. It will surely satisfy your urge for an afternoon drink without sacrificing taste and quality.
You can enjoy great tasting mountain coffee that is known to be Folgers.
Newman’s Own Organics Coffee Special Blend
Newman’s is a known coffee company that supports charities. Since K-cup is such a craze, Newman ventured into the K-cup format and sold half caff to provide coffee patrons with great choices of coffee and support communities.
They combine two great coffee origins, roasted Central American coffee and dark roasted Sumatran coffee. This results to a robust coffee that goes well with cream and sugar. You get a strong coffee but without the extra caffeine kick.
Newman Coffee blends are certified fair trade and organic.
Understanding caffeine in coffee
Caffeine content in coffee varies depending on the type of roast, brewed or instant, and even the different brands of coffee can have varying amount of caffeine. The Mayo Clinic compared different types of 8-ounce coffee and measured an approximate caffeine content:
- Black coffee 95 to 200 mg
- Instant black coffee 27 to 173 mg
- Latte 63 to 175 mg
- Decaf coffee 2 to 12 mg
Caffeine is not the only content of coffee that helps keep you awake.
The ability of coffee to keep you awake lies in the complex ingredients that make up the coffee beans. When the beans are grinded, the antioxidants in coffee are retained and this contribute to the potent power of coffee, according to a report published in Phys.org. Check out this list:
- Cafestol – This acts like a bile acid modulator in the intestine. It can regulate the sugar level in our gut before it can be absorbed by the blood. Also, it is a known anti-inflammatory substance that can help improve memory.
- Trigonelline -Trigonelline is a known anti-bacterial agent that can prevent dental cavities. This antioxidant also gives coffee its bitter taste and heavenly aroma. If you want to get the most of this antioxidant, choose Arabica coffee. When coffee beans are dark roasted, the trigonelline degrades to form nicotinic acid and pyridines. Nicotinic acid is also known as Vitamin B3 (or niacin), which is a well-known antioxidant.
- Chlorogenic Acid – Chlorogenic acid is an important antioxidant because it has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It can help regulate fat in the body and speed up metabolism rate.
- Melanoidins -Melanoidin is the brown colored, nitrogenous compounds in coffee. This antioxidant carries anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, too.
- Quinine – The bitter compound is one of the primary agents in coffee that give the latter some of its antioxidant properties. It is a known element for Malaria treatment.
- Caffeine – Also confirmed by the American Chemistry Society, caffeine is an antioxidant that can help cure headaches, in losing weight and preventing diabetes.
You can enjoy the benefit of coffee with less caffeine with a half caff K-cup.
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Image | Product |
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Check Price on Amazon |
Behmor 5400 1600 Plus Customizable Drum Coffee Roaster
► Controls Smoke & Chaff Best |
Check Price on Amazon |
Gene Cafe CBR-101 Home Coffee Roaster
► The Best Home Drum Coffee Roaster! |
Check Price on Amazon Check Price on Walmart |
TOPCHANCES 110V Home Kitchen Stainless Steel Coffee Roaster Machine
► Inexpensive Entry to Drum Coffee Roasting |
Check Price on Amazon |
Handy Coffee Bean Roaster Set for Home (Manual Crank)
► Your Most Affordable Option |
Check Price on Amazon |
Wotefusi Coffee Roaster Mini Coffee Bean Electric Roasting Machine
► Another Budget Friendly Option (Requires Separate Burner) |
Check Price on Amazon |
KALDI Mini Size Home Coffee Roaster with Thermometer, Sampler, & Hopper
► My Favorite All-In-One Roasting Drum |