5LB Don Pablo Colombian Decaf - Swiss Water Process Decaffeinated - Medium-Dark Roast - Whole Bean Coffee - Low Acidity - 5 Pound (5 lb) Bag

I started drinking decaf (well, mostly decaf. I add a scoop and a half of regular to my half pot in the mornings) a year ago and it's been an endless waste of time to find an good yet economical decaf. I was using Starbucks Decaf Pike Place which is really good but expensive. After reading the reviews I decided to try Cafe Don Pablo Decaf. I have to admit I was a little leery because Colombian coffees usually fall short in delivering a well rounded smooth yet bold cup of decaf coffee. One of the reviews I read had a response from Don Pablo explaining "why" this bean is different i.e. altitude it's grown at, how it's decaffeinated etc...and I can say it is true, it is different. This Colombian is not the same as other Colombian roast and especially for a decaf. Another valuable tidbit of info. I discovered from reading the owner responses to customer comments that the temperature of the water you start out with makes a difference with decaf coffee. I've always heard that it's better to use cold water to get the freshest brew of coffee but I'm finding out that if it's too cold it actually weakens the coffee. I tested that theory and have included my personal findings below.I have a Hamilton Beach Flex Brew. I use the carafe, that I preset the prior evening, to be fully brewed when I wake up. After that I use the mesh filter basket (not a kcup style, rather the small mini basket) for single cups of coffee if I want more. I grind my beans fresh, enough for a few days at a time, storing the ground in an airtight mason jar and the unused beans in an airtight container in their original bag. My grinder is a Hamilton Beach Custom Grind and has 2 percolator; 1 drip and 2 espresso settings. I unintentionally ground the first round of beans at the 2nd espresso setting, the finest of the espresso settings. It was close to, if not, turkish grind, powdery. I made a single cup and the coffee using that extra fine grind and water that was cool but not like ice water. It had that weak and light roast cheap Colombian flavor, blach!. I decided to see if it, the extra fine grind, would taste different if made in the carafe rather than the single cup. It was better 1) because the water, having sat in the well of the coffee maker all night was now at room temp and 2) carafe coffee is always better than single cup. BUT, it still had that "off" taste from the grounds being too fine, but wasn't flavorless and weak due to the water being too cold.Next, I ground another batch using the grind I normally use which is the first of the two espresso grinds; so, not powdery but significantly finer than drip. Measured water to 8 on the carafe, added 1 1/2 scoops of regular (Starbucks Verona) and 4 scoops of Don Pablo Decaf. Set the timer, went to bed, and the morning carafe brew was GREAT! It was flavorful and not flat and had a very nice smooth yet well rounded and robust flavor. Later I tried it in the single cup mesh brew basket, 3 scoops of Don Pablo Decaf, cold water and it tasted a bit flat and weaker than the carafe brew. I made another single cup a few minutes ago using room temp water and 3 scoops of Don Pablo Decaf in the mesh brew basket and it was GREAT!I think that grinding it at drip grind would be too weak for me. I like a stronger cup of coffee so the espresso, not turkish, grind is good for that. I do like that this bean is "medium-dark" roast. If you're worried about it being too strong just use a more course grind. This "medium-dark" roast is not the same as Starbucks medium or dark roast. The beans are very dark and they are oily but not over roasted. I think some people who don't care for strong coffee will shy away when they see "medium-dark". You're missing out if you do. This is a really good coffee. I also love that it's not processed with chemicals. Starbucks is. I'm now paying half of what I was paying for decaf coffee.Just a note about creamer; I've read a lot of reviews for various single cup coffee makers, customers saying that they don't heat the water hot enough. I always warm my half and half for a few seconds to get the chill off so it doesn't cool the coffee off so fast. I've found this is effective whether I'm using the carafe brew or the single cup brew.**UPDATE: After writing this review I noticed that the bag says they recommend one well rounded tablespoon per 6 oz cup and their description of the grind they use matched the espresso grind I use. So, I measured my scoop against their description of a tablespoon and my scoop does make a well rounded tablespoon, not level but a nice rounded mound on top. I used the exact amount they recommended, 8 scoops to 8 6 oz. cups in my carafe (measured to the 8 line on the carafe) and it made a very robust and strong cup of coffee! I like it that way though. I mentioned above that I was using about 5 1/2 scoops and that made it a really good cup of coffee, smooth and full flavored but adding the extra 2 1/2 scoops really boosted the strength. I do use half and half so having a stronger cup of coffee is great for me.

If you want an excellent cup of coffee that does not break the bank, this is it!

This a decent coffee! My preference is a richer flavor. This is a lighter coffee for those who enjoy it like that. I lean more toward a "French Roast" flavor. Still higher quality and Swiss Water Processed.

Really smooth coffee! One of the best I have had in a long time.

Smelled so freshTasted so deliciousGreat tasting real coffeeWe will order again soon

I’ve tried so many brands of decaf beans (I like to grind beans for freshest flavor!), but each one was either too strong, bitter, and acidic. I hit the jackpot with THIS one!! The light roast decaf beans provide a mild, mellow cup of coffee with such a good flavor…tastes like my favorite regular coffee! I make the coffee in a reusable pod in my machine. The search is over….hope this coffee will always be available!!

This is not my favorite coffee. But I say that as a coffee snob. I use this to make espresso, cappuccinos, drip coffee, aero press and nitro cold brew. It does a decent job with all of them.I cannot find a single decaf coffee bean that holds a candle to Lavazza's Super Crema when it comes to making a nice espresso, and no, Lavazza's Dek does not come close. But I'm comparing this to the the other decaf coffees that I buy, and it's definitely above average while being one of the cheapest per pound decaf coffees I can buy as I write this.If the price were the same, I'd personally take the 5LB Subtle Earth Organic Decaf over the 5LB Don Pablo Colombian Decaf, which is the same company. I also really like Organic Coffee Co.'s Gorilla Decaf and Hurricane Espresso if I'm looking for a medium-dark roast coffee bean.That said, this is an enjoyable variation in my coffee bean rotation. I like to start the day with a Super Crema Americano that there is no decaf equivalent for. My cold brew process involves sifting beans, so I use the sifted fines to make cappuccinos and Americanos. For cold brew, darker roasts tend to have a big advantage over medium-dark roasts, and that's true in this case. I still use these beans primarily in the espresso machine and Hario cold brew pots. They make fine drip coffee, but if I have the time, I'd prefer not to have drip coffee. They also make a good cup with an Aeropress. I actually haven't bothered to make a French Press batch with this coffee, so for all I know, I've yet to try them where they really shine.That said, I think "above-average Swiss Water process Columbian decaf" is a fair summary of these beans, and at the price they sell for, that's worth a five-star review from me.

Quality beans