We are in the throws of deciding what kind of coffee machine to buy - Nespresso vs full automatic. And one key deciding factor is the availability of decaf coffee (my hubby and I both drink decaf). Nespresso has 3 kinds of decaf capsules to choose from, all of which are made using the 'Swiss water method' (which we prefer as it doesn't use harsh chemicals). But I am having a hard time finding decaf coffee beans for sale. Does anyone have a recommendation of a great place to get decaf beans locally in Zug or online? Or, should we just go with a Nespresso machine?

I grind my own, did you mean beans to grind? I remember buying decaf beans in Manor, in a blue pack (decaf is usually distinguished by blue color). Check the usual stores, Manor, Coop, Migros even should have them, too.

if we went with a fully-automatic machine, we'd need whole beans. I have seen one or two brands in the supermarkets, but am skeptical as to their quality/taste. Since we don't have a machine to try them, I am hoping someone out there can give us some feedback on where to buy good quality decaf...

We had an automatic machine in the US, saeco Vienna deluxe or something. Great machine, but it was a mess at times. It ground, tamped and dumped the spent coffee into a box. The apartment we rented here had a lavazza machine that used pods and we started drinking a lot of nespresso coffee. Yeah, I know you are paying for marketing. We looked at the Jura automatics, but I wasn't sure where to get beans either and my husband drinks huge amounts of coffee.

We ended up with a nespresso. It's relaible, consistent and steams milk well. Also takes up way less space than the automatic machine. I drink espresso anyway if I want coffee so it suits me. I don't think 50-60 rapp per cup is that expensive, either and you can easily switch between caf and decaf if you like.

Rast has two decaf varieties. You'll find many positive comments about Rast on this forum, but maybe not any for the decaf specifically.

Good Morning ,

I've come across a blue package of Decaf beans from COOP .
SERATO .

Not the absolute best I ever had , but as I haven't found any other decaf beans , they will have to do .

Good luck !

My take is invest in something of quality if you enjoy it often. A thing of beauty, etc.

The coffee in Switzerland is generally of very good quality, even dare I say it supermarket own brands. There are many places where they roast coffee; try asking in a Cafe or even bakery where you like to drink as they often sell what they serve. I don't know about your neck of the woods but in Zurich we're spoilt for choice. Freshly roasted is the important bit.

Forgive me for mentioning it but there's a world of taste difference between freshly roasted and ground, good quality coffee and the stuff in a capsule / pod. Nespresso and their ilk have excellent quality control and make coffee 'easy' for those not too bothered about the taste but it's rather meh. It's the pinacle of Monoculture and lacks soul. If you take sensual pleasure in the things you eat / taste...

If this isn't of interest and the financial element doesn't matter, take the easy route and buy the aluminum capsule / pod device. As with printers and their cartridges, they'll give you a cheap machine and screw you with the price of supply. If you're undecided and are considering a 'real' machine, a decent place will allow sampling of their machines; 45 minutes well spent

Below is where I get my fix supply, where they also do decaf (Hag):

cafe-noir.ch

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