Gin and diet tonic? ;-o

Oh I've been THERE for years! :)

(That's a whole 'nother gripe I have. Why is diet tonic water still made with saccharine? I like aspartame just fine, and will tolerate that Splenda stuff, but saccharine? Store brands don't have it. Faygo doesn't have it, but I can't get that since I left Michigan. Canada Dry? Saccharin. Schweppes? Saccharine.)

In a comparison in Cook's Illustrated a few years ago of dark roast coffees available nationwide in supermarkets, the hands-down winner, both from value and taste, was Dunkin Donuts coffee. They make a decaf version, and I linked it below if you can't find it in your local supermarket.

CI determined that Dunkin Donuts made more of an effort to remove the bitter 'quacker' beans than the other brands tested, making for a smoother blend.

In our house we prefer premium coffee beans from a local chain. My DH drinks Italian roast in a very fine grind, Melitta drip. He's one of those rare people who can drink espresso before going to bed, and words can't express how jealous I am of that, LOL.

I settle for Peet's French Roast decaf, which may be more than you want to spend:
http://www.peets.com/shop/coffee_detail.asp?id=59&cid=1000154

Happy coffee drinking!

Here is a link that might be useful: DD decaf by mail

I don't have to drink decaf at night...LOL I can sleep when it's bed time...coffee or not. :)

I get my coffee from a local roaster...it's roasted and sent to me the same day, I get it the next day via USPS Priority.

I love love love their coffee..

Here is a link that might be useful: Camano Island

A contradiction in terms but my favorite is "decaf espresso" from Larry's Beans (fair trade, certified organic, shade grown, kinda tree-hugger, green planet company which I like). After discovering I have high blood pressure, the doc said I must stop drinking everything with caffeine. Finding the most boring and tasteless decafs in the grocery store I started searching for small company roasters with a larger selection of flavors for my lifelong habit. Major brands .30 to .75 per oz, compared to Larry's .87 per oz. (Ever notice that a bag of coffee is now 12 oz. instead of a pound?) I tend to use a lot less of their beans per pot since the flavor is more intense so it levels out to the low end price comparatively making it a good value too, besides being delicious.

Nancy

Here is a link that might be useful: Larry's Beans

Trader joes has a nice decaf

Do be aware that decaf still does retain some small amount of caffeine, just in case you are very sensitive to it.

My husband and I really enjoy herbal teas, and there are so many flavors that I'm sure you could find one (or several) that you like.

Thanks y'all! Many of these are available locally so I'll try them first. Good point about the caffeine, Rachelellen. I don't know if I'm sensitive or not, but I could always put in a shot of something to make me sleep!

O wait...that gets me back to where I started! :)

I've tried herbal teas and like them, but they haven't been able to take the spot of the habit. I was just thinking that since coffee is my morning habit it might be an easy habit switch. Of course while I'll admit that my morning habit is a chemical dependency one, my nighttime one isn't and can easily be substituted with food or some activity--OK who said I should go to the gym instead? Who said that?

If I'm not making sense I apologize--just started my morning coffee.

Fori, never post befor eyou have coffee, LOL.

The Kona decaf from Paramount is not bad. I also have high blood pressure, just a recent development, and so I mixed the decaf and regular beans and got "half-caf". I'm trying to convince myself that it's better for me...

Annie

I have heart problems. I drink decaf a lot. So far the 2 that don't give me issues and taste good are Dunkin Donuts Decaf and Gevalia decaf. I drink coffee all day. I make a big pot in the morning and grind my beans fresh and still doesn't cause ol sparky to race.

At night if I want coffee I use the Tassimo for a single cup and use Gevalia pods.

I find many other decafs give my ticker the fits if fresh ground or from a single cup pot. If I use already ground I can use a few more brands as the already ground doesn't seem as potent.

I've been drinking decaf for years now. If I combine caffeine and sugar, I get "the shakes." So a typical breakfast of coffee & a sweet roll would do me in. But the real reason I swtiched to decaf was because of tinnitus. Too much caffeine results in weird crackling noises in my ears.

That said, I've tried all kinds of brands available in grocery stores. I like dark blends the best, and they are hard to find, especially in whole beans. I've found a good independent coffe house fairly close by that sells wonderful freshly rosted beans, but sometimes I simply can't make it over there. So I depend on the grocery store until I can make the trip.

The Dunkin Donuts was good tasting but only came in pre-ground. So it staled quickly. Peet's has a few good choices: Major Dickason's, Sumatra, and Mocca-Java. Most of the time, however, they, too, are pre-ground. Starbucks Sumatra and Caffe Verona aren't too bad either. I've also used the Trader Joe's French Roast and Columbian. (I combined them to make a strong, bolder taste.)

Maybe ordering online would be worth looking into. Then I wouldn't have to worry about getting to the local coffee house or making sure I stop at Safeway because it's the only store that carries whole bean Starbucks Sumatra.

MM I like coffee. Looking forward to this experiment! Thanks everyone!

Shambo said that some of the Peet's blends are only available pre-ground in the grocery stores, but whole beans are available buying thru their website. That will be greatly fresher coffee than the packages shipped to groceries, and probably worth a little extra money.

Yes, I was referring to grocery store offerings. Even the stores that have Peet's kiosks inside, don't sell decaf whole bean packages. There aren't any stand-alone Peet's coffee houses near where I live either. But I bet ordering online would be a good option. I really liked the decaf Mocca-Java.

In my 40's I switched to decaf, to sleep. And now I brew Starbucks Caffe Verona Decaf which is so delicious to me. I also have instant via starbucks decaf, when traveling. And I treat myself to a Starbucks decaf at the store. I just love it. To me it tastes as good or better than fine restaurant coffee. I'm fussy re coffee.

To sever MY dependence on wine to go to sleep, I drink diet 7up and a sleeping pill. It almost always works but after 3 hours. Not quick for me, like wine.

I know, i know, i know. You can do it.

I've been caffeine-free (well, almost given caff in decaf and chocolate) for 8 years. I like Dunkin Donuts Decaf, but I also like Newman's Own. I prefer a smooth roast, not all water (I call it wedding coffee, since that is usually quite weak), but Starbucks is often too bitter for me.

An interesting aside, I worked for a pharmaceutical company for a while and one of my coworkers did a Master's thesis on caffeine levels in coffee... Starbucks decaf is the highest of decafs and has more caffeine than some "regular" coffees, per the master scholar. (I learned this from him while standing in line at Starbucks at work) and I can feel my body react to the caffeine after about three sips.

I love my Keurig machine, and it makes my evening coffee/tea habit much easier to accommodate. I know it's more expensive per cup, but since I'm the only coffee drinker, I end up wasting far less since I can make one cup at a time.

Right now I'm drinking the Green Mountain Hazelnut Decaf, but there's a vanilla chai decaf that I like a lot too. At night I drink a lot of tea either with their tea pods or by using the machine to make hot water and dipping in a regular tea bag. But you're right, for some reason coffee feels more substantial than a cup of tea. I think it's the splash of fat free milk that adds a feeling of satiety.

AM

Another thought: Eight O'Clock brand (if you can get it). It's med-dark roast (100% Columbian) and comes in bags of whole beans. My husband and I have been on decaf for almost 3 years, due to his heart problems, and we truly enjoy this brand.

Donna

If you like dark roasted coffee, give Community decaf a try. Smoother than Starbucks, good flavor, and not much more in price than mass market coffees like Folgers and Maxwell House.

Here is a link that might be useful: community decaf