How Long Does Decaf Last? We Put It to the Test

One of the biggest questions we get asked at our roastery is: How long does decaf stay fresh? It’s a great question—because if you’ve followed us for a while, you know we never shut up about freshness. And for good reason.

Stale coffee is the #1 reason decaf has a bad reputation. Bitter, flat, lifeless—sound familiar? That’s not “just how decaf tastes.” That’s just how stale coffee tastes.

We already know that decaf goes stale faster than regular coffee. But why? And more importantly, can we extend its peak freshness?

To find out, we ran an experiment six months in the making.

What We Tested

We took multiple batches of our Zero to Hero blend, roasted them fresh, and froze 3 samples while leaving one simply stored at room temperature. Then, we compared the taste over time to see:

✅ How freezing affects the flavor of decaf over months
✅ If frozen decaf keeps its sweetness, acidity, and crema
✅ How a 6-month-old frozen coffee compares to a freshly roasted batch

The results? Way more interesting than we expected.

Why Decaf Goes Stale Faster

Here’s what most people don’t realize: decaf coffee isn’t just normal coffee without caffeine—the decaffeination process completely alters the bean’s structure.

🔬 When coffee is decaffeinated, the beans are steamed and expanded so the caffeine can be extracted. This process weakens the internal cell structure, creating microscopic tunnels that allow CO₂ and oils (key to freshness) to escape much faster than in regular coffee.

Once roasted, decaf has a much shorter peak freshness window—usually just 3 to 3.5 weeks, compared to 4 to 6 weeks for regular coffee.

Does Freezing Actually Work?

We won’t spoil all the details here, but let’s just say: if you’ve ever been skeptical about freezing coffee, you need to watch this.

💡 We tasted decaf that had been frozen for six months and compared it side by side with a freshly roasted batch. We expected some difference, but the actual results surprised us.

Not only did we test the flavor, but we also analyzed:
☕ Crema formation (how does it compare to fresh?)
☕ Sweetness & acidity (does freezing dull the flavors?)
☕ Mouthfeel (does it get thin and lifeless?)

The outcome? Let’s just say, if you drink decaf and don’t freeze it, you might be missing out on something huge.

👉 Watch the full video now to see the results! 🎥 [Insert Video Link]

Should You Start Freezing Your Decaf?

If you’re the only decaf drinker in your house and a bag takes you 6+ weeks to finish—yes, absolutely. Freezing might be the single best way to keep your decaf tasting amazing from the first cup to the last.

But… there are right and wrong ways to do it. If you make these common mistakes, you could end up ruining your coffee.

We cover exactly how to freeze coffee properly (and what not to do) in the video. Trust us—you’ll want to hear these tips.

🚀 Watch the full experiment here! 🎥