Decaffeinated gourmet coffee is a drink that is free of caffeine. This is made possible through chemical processes like the European process or the Swiss water process. According to the FDA guidelines decaffeinated coffee must have 97% of the caffeine removed from the beans. The caffeine is usually saved and sold to soda companies and other beverage companies for the purpose of caffeinating their synthetic novelty beverages.

The European process of decaffeination involves soaking the beans in water and washing them with methylene chloride. The chemical effectively absorbs the caffeine from the beans. The treated beans are then dried and roasted. The European process leaves hardly any caffeine in the beans after roasting. Although coffee processed by this method has more flavor, some people don