I am currently sitting watching the sunrise from my office. I hear the singing birds and the smell of a freshly watered earth from the rain we had last night. I might not be able to be outside soaking up the rays of splendor, but I am surely enjoying it through my opened window as my coffee mug hugs my hands and the aroma sends my senses into total relaxation mode. All is truly bliss.
Since my diagnosis of Hashimoto’s disease, I was told that I could no longer have the amazing coffee that brought morning gladness. It was said that the caffeine would cause me to not absorb by thyroid medication correctly. I was dismayed. I did a little more research and found this article by Izabella Wentz that shares why it’s important for SOME with Hashimoto’s to avoid coffee. I did take the suggestion and stopped drinking regular coffee since it caused my anxiety to soar and my gut to hate me.
Switching to decaf was a little scary. I wasn’t sure what I would find and if I would like it at all. But trial and error led me to Onyx Coffee Lab and in the first place, why wouldn’t I start there? I was excited to find out that Onyx Coffee Lab, my favorite coffee roaster, had swiss water process decaf coffee. For those that don’t know about the Swiss water decaffeination process, you can check out my article here that explains it. But in general, this process removes nearly all (99.9%) the caffeine from the coffee without using harsh chemicals. Now, I can get the benefits of the best coffee in town without the caffeine wrecking havoc on my body. A win win in my book. So cue birds, sunshine, and warm coffee mug hugs, I am back to my happy place.
When I tell people I drink decaf, I love seeing their expressions and hearing their comments:
“What? That’s fake coffee.”
“Decaf tastes horrible”
“Why would you ever want to drink that stuff?”
“What good is it to drink decaf? You don’t get the energy boost!”
Let me tell ya, if there is any decaf coffee anyone should buy, buy it from Onyx Coffee Lab. Most people know that my husband and I are coffee snobs. We have developed our taste for fine coffee, and this place has topped all cafes and roasters we have been to, not to mention they have won many awards for best roasters and winning 1st and 2nd place in barista competitions around the nation. So when people think of decaf, most of the time it doesn’t taste that great, unless it comes from Onyx, and if it’s not swiss water process you may even taste the chemicals that were used to strip the coffee, leaving it more bitter in your mouth. The decaf currently on the shelf at Onyx is: Decaf Colombia Galeras. This beautiful coffee has notes of red apple, brownie, raisin, and silky. Most, or do I say all of their coffee is smooth tasting. I do like some, more than others, and I am not a huge fan of citrus notes in my coffee, as it does tend to leave more of a bitter taste in my mouth.
I prefer my coffee made as a short americano from our espresso machine at home. I leave it sit on my desk for about 5 minutes or so, just so the temp is just right, I don’t like my coffee too hot or too cold. Then I sip away at it, holding it in my mouth a bit before I swallow, so I can taste the notes on my tongue. Rain or shine, those warm coffee hugs are always welcomed. Shall I say again? True bliss.
Overall, Onyx takes the top for decaf coffee on my list. If you have a brand that you would like me to try and review, let me know. It just needs to be Swiss Water Process.
Find my on Instagram @ahealthyhomestead and tag me in a suggested decaf, swiss water process, coffee to try.
Here is from one warm coffee hug to another.
