Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. But because of the nature of caffeine – a major stimulant, sometimes coffee is not suitable for many people. If you are a coffee lover but want to limit your caffeine intake, decaf coffee is a great choice. However, finding a good decaf coffee is not easy because the process of decaffeination can lose the characteristic coffee taste.
One of the highly regarded decaf coffee brands is Kirkland Signature. Unfortunately, this item is currently very scarce and raises the question for consumers whether Kirkland signature decaffeinated coffee discontinued or not? In this article, let’s find the answer to this problem together.
Kirkland Signature
Kirkland Signature is a trademark and private label of Costco. The name was inspired by Costco’s original headquarters in Kirkland, Washington. This brand specializes in providing products from national brands such as Starbucks, Huggies, and Ocean Spray… at more affordable prices than traditional grocery stores.
Surprisingly, Costco does not manufacture, package, or manufacture anything sold through the Kirkland Signature brand. They convinced their suppliers to produce high-quality products for the Kirkland Signature brand. In other words, to differentiate themselves from other retailers, they strive to make Kirkland Signature products better than those sold by the same manufacturer in other retailers.
Kirkland Signature Decaf Coffee
Similar to coffee, Kirkland Signature decaf coffee is just a rebranded version of Starbucks decaf coffee and is sold through Costco’s premium Kirkland Signature line. Costco has been negotiating and partnering with Starbucks for many years to be able to sell Starbucks decaf coffee under the Kirkland brand.
The essence of Kirkland Signature decaf coffee is just Starbucks coffee, so the coffee taste will be similar to Starbucks coffee, but to build a separate coffee brand, Kirkland Signature decaf coffee still has some different points. Kl worked with Starbucks to enhance some fruity, fruity flavors that you won’t find in a Starbucks latte.
Here, you’ll find flavors commonly associated with medium-roasted coffee, citrus notes, sweet aromas, and a hint of dark chocolate.
Getting good-quality decaf coffee requires a complex and laborious caffeine processing process. Therefore, this type of coffee will be more expensive than other types of coffee. Decaffeinated coffee is required to be 97 percent decaffeinated in order to comply with FDA standards Kirkland Signature decaf coffee is generally appreciated for its high-quality, distinctive Starbucks flavor while also decaffeinating. caffeine while the price is not too high. But now, finding Kirkland decaf coffee is quite difficult because this item is becoming increasingly scarce.
Kirkland Signature Decaf Coffees
Kirkland Signature decaf coffees that have been produced include:
- Kirkland Signature Dark Roast Fine Grind Decaf Arabica Coffee is a 100% pure ground Arabica coffee product. Although it is decaf coffee, it still retains the passionate aroma typical of Colombian coffee, the acidity combined with the right bitterness. This is also Kirkland Signature’s most famous decaf coffee.
- Kirkland Signature Decaf House Blend Coffee: blended decaf coffee that can be made at home.
- Kirkland Signature Organic Colombian Decaf: pure whole bean coffee roasted in small to medium-dark batches, this is primarily a light cup with medium acidity and light floral aromas with decaffeination.
- Kirkland Signature Instant Coffee, Medium Roast: decaffeinated and medium roasted instant coffee.
- Kirkland Signature Coffee Organic Pacific Bold K-Cup Pod – Medium roast coffee with 100% decaffeinated Arabica coffee, packaged as a compressed cup.
The Method Used For Decaffeination Of Kirkland Decaf Coffee
There are currently three commonly used methods for decaffeinating coffee. One is water treatment, the other is the use of chemical solvents, and the last is a method that uses carbon dioxide. Kirkland Signature decaf coffee is roasted and handcrafted by Starbucks. Starbucks does not use water treatment to decaffeinate its coffee.
More specifically Starbucks uses a chemical solvent called methylene chloride which is used to remove the caffeine from Kirkland Signature decaf coffee. Tests showed no trace of methylene chloride remaining on the beans after roasting. Consumers do not have any risk when using Kirkland Signature decaf coffee.
Has Costco Stopped Making Kirkland Decaf Coffee?
Around the end of 2019, Kirkland’s decaf coffee product suddenly disappeared from the shelves of Costco stores. Some information indicates that the product has been discontinued because of low sales. Cosco’s manager at one store shared that this item was dropped from their store because they weren’t selling enough to keep the item on the shelves.
Demand for decaf coffee is usually very small compared to other coffees if they stop selling because of low sales it is understandable. However, finding a good decaf coffee is often difficult, often the coffee that has undergone a process such as decaffeination will change its flavor and not be as bold and delicious as the original. That’s why when Kirkland’s decaf coffee was discontinued, it received mixed feedback from customers because simply for them it was a delicious coffee and they really liked this decaf coffee.
The good news is that maybe because of customer complaints when Costco suddenly stopped selling decaf coffee, some of Costco’s wholesale stores have restocked some decaf coffees. However, there is some feedback from consumers that the new decaf coffee flavor is not as good and quality as the old version. The company may have made changes in the materials and production process of decaf so that this item can exist again.
Currently, you can still find Kirkland Signature’s decaf coffee products at online stores on Amazon, Walmart, and eBay,… You can also go to Costco’s wholesale stores to buy but not Out of stock is very high so you should try to order online.
Costco may have discontinued production or sales of their Kirkland Signature brand decaf coffee. Although it is sometimes possible to find some Costco stores with stock, the number of decaf coffees open for sale is very small and scarce. Therefore, if you want to buy this Kirkland Signature decaf coffee, you can try to search and order it at Costco’s online sales pages or some other online sales sites.
