"No Worries on Sleepless Summer Nights" Decaffeinated Coffee Gains Popularity '↑'

Torrential Rain and Tropical Nights... Increasing Number of People Suffering from Insomnia
Demand for Decaffeinated Coffee Also Rising

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Sunghye] As hot and humid weather combined with tropical nights leads to more people losing sleep, decaffeinated coffee, which can be enjoyed refreshingly while reducing caffeine concerns, is gaining attention.

Decaffeinated coffee refers to coffee beans from which caffeine has been removed using solvents such as methylene chloride or carbon dioxide. Recently, as customers who are sensitive to caffeine increasingly seek to enjoy the taste and aroma of coffee itself, the demand for decaffeinated coffee has also risen. According to the Korea Customs Service, imports of decaffeinated coffee from January to May reached 1,724 tons, a 77% increase compared to 970 tons during the same period last year.

The industry is also introducing a variety of decaffeinated products to meet this trend. Decaffeinated products released in various forms?including summer coffee cold brews made from decaffeinated beans, convenient capsule coffee, and RTD (ready-to-drink) cup coffee?are receiving great responses amid tropical nights.

According to the related industry on the 9th, Ediya Coffee’s nine types of ‘Decaffeinated Cold Brew,’ which remove over 90% of caffeine, have sold an average of more than 140,000 cups per month since their launch. Customers praised the product for reducing caffeine concerns while preserving the rich flavor and taste of cold brew.

In particular, Ediya’s unique blending allows customers to experience the deep sweetness, body, and balanced flavor of coffee in the ‘Decaffeinated Cold Brew Americano,’ while the ‘Decaffeinated Cold Brew Latte’ combines the clean and slightly bitter flavor of cold brew with creamy milk, making them steady sellers. Considering diverse customer preferences, distinctive menu items such as the smooth-foamed ‘Decaffeinated Cold Brew Nitro’ and the Irish cream-flavored ‘Decaffeinated Cold Brew White Vienna’ have also been prepared.

At Starbucks, sales of decaffeinated coffee have increased by more than 40% compared to the previous year since 2020. Customers can choose ‘half decaf’ or ‘decaf’ options for an additional 300 KRW on any beverage, which has resulted in high customer satisfaction. Recently, as more customers seek to enjoy decaffeinated coffee at home with beans and stick coffee, Starbucks launched decaffeinated products such as ‘Decaffeinated House Blend Beans’ and ‘Via Decaffeinated House Blend.’ These products saw sales increases of 40% and 50%, respectively, from January to April compared to the previous year.

Illy recently released a micro-ground stick coffee called ‘Decaffeinated.’ This product reduces caffeine content to below 0.3% while preserving Illy coffee’s characteristic sweet aftertaste and delicate finishing notes of caramel, toasted bread, and chocolate. Tailored to Korean consumers’ tastes, it is available in two types: a mini size for paper cups and a regular size for mugs. It comes in packages of 30 sticks suitable for home or camping use and 70 sticks for office use.

Twosome Place is offering two types of decaffeinated bean-processed products in line with the premiumization and segmentation trends spreading in the home cafe market. In addition to the existing A-List product, they have newly added capsule coffee and stick coffee to expand customer choices. The ‘Capsule Coffee SWP Decaffeinated’ features a blend of Colombian and Brazilian beans, offering the nutty aroma and subtle sweetness, while the ‘Stick Coffee Decaffeinated’ maximizes coffee flavor by including finely ground Brazilian coffee powder.

Maeil Dairies offers the decaffeinated cup coffee ‘Barista Rules Decaffeinated Latte.’ Breaking the stereotype that decaffeinated coffee lacks taste and aroma, it features a rich coffee scent and a smooth milk balance, delivering a full-bodied and clean coffee flavor. It blends Colombian and Brazilian beans and removes caffeine using the patented Swiss Water Process method in water. Instead of espresso extraction, it uses a flannel drip method with natural fabric to enhance cleanliness.