Roaster Highlight: Frequent Coffee w/ Head Roaster Mark Gano

Frequent Coffee is doing something most specialty roasters won't touch: building an entire company around high-quality decaf and low-caffeine offerings. Based in Ocean Beach, head roaster Mark Gano sat down with us to talk sourcing, roasting, San Diego water, and why the best decaf he's ever made is currently stuck in customs.

Can you tell us about your journey in coffee and how that path eventually led you to focus on decaf and low caffeine coffees?

The short version is that our focus on low caffeine and decaf came from two main reasons. First, coffee is incredibly fascinating and enjoyable, and we wanted the freedom to drink it, experiment with it, and learn from it at any time of day without negatively impacting sleep or anxiety levels. Second, there has historically been very little focus on high quality, lightly roasted decaf in the US specialty coffee scene. That gap felt worth exploring, and ultimately worth building a company around.

When sourcing beans for decaf or low caf offerings, what unique challenges do you face compared to sourcing fully caffeinated coffees? What qualities are you looking for before a coffee ever reaches the roaster?

Sourcing full caf coffee is relatively straightforward — there is a massive global infrastructure built around it. Decaf is very different. The selection of high quality decaf is limited, and the pool becomes even smaller when you are looking for coffees with real character or unique attributes. We look for coffees that have personality, balance, and drinkability, and that complement the rest of our lineup. One of the biggest challenges is avoiding old or off flavors, which can be more common in decaf. To find truly exceptional decaf, we often have to source directly from producers and air freight coffee to the US, since most large importers do not offer much variety in this category. Freshness is especially critical with decaf, as it tends to degrade more quickly than full caf coffee.

How does your approach to roasting decaf differ from roasting fully caffeinated coffee? Are there specific adjustments that make the biggest difference in the cup?

Decaf coffee is more fragile and sensitive than fully caffeinated coffee. The decaffeination process weakens the structure of the bean, so it requires a gentler approach with careful heat application. That said, there is no single formula. Ultimately, it comes down to trial, error, and a lot of cupping. Every coffee responds differently in the roaster, and we rely heavily on tasting and adjusting to make sure each coffee expresses itself as clearly and pleasantly as possible.

Can you speak to the increase in time and labor required by decaffeination processes and how this is reflected in pricing?

There is definitely an added step and added cost involved in decaffeination. Coffee first goes through all the normal stages of processing, and then must undergo an additional process to remove caffeine. In the Western Hemisphere, decaffeination currently takes place primarily in Canada using the Swiss Water process, in Mexico using Mountain Water, and in Colombia using the Sugarcane EA process. Much of the most exciting experimental decaf is coming out of Colombia right now, which has the added benefit of not requiring the coffee to leave the country before being decaffeinated. Overall, decaffeination typically adds about ten to twenty percent to the cost of green coffee.

Do you profile your roasts assuming people are using San Diego's hard tap water, or do you roast for a standardized water profile?

We take both into account. San Diego generally has higher total dissolved solids and water hardness, which can mute acidity. Since we value acidity in our medium and lighter roasts, we often roast just slightly lighter to compensate. That said, water is only one piece of the puzzle. In our view, the order of importance is how the coffee is grown and processed first, then how it is roasted, then how it is brewed, and finally water quality. There are many variables, and that complexity is part of what makes coffee so interesting.

You mention using carbonic maceration and thermal shock. With decaf, do these aggressive processes overpower origin character or help restore complexity?

Decaffeination tends to mute overall flavor intensity, which can actually work well with more innovative or expressive processing methods. In our experience, these techniques can help restore complexity rather than overwhelm the coffee. We value flavor, but we also value subtlety. Our goal is to offer a wide spectrum of coffees and give people options. For every style of coffee, there is both a fan and a critic.

Looking ahead, what new decaf or low caf concepts are you excited to explore, and how do you see Frequent Coffee's role evolving?

We are very excited to eventually source a great Laurina, which is a naturally low caffeine varietal. We also have several unique experimental decafs arriving soon, alongside more classic washed, single varietal decafs for purists. Long term, our biggest goal is to reach the scale required to commission our own custom decaffeination batches, which requires roughly nine thousand pounds of coffee at a time. Once we reach that point, the possibilities open up dramatically.

If you are not drinking your own coffee, where are you grabbing a cup in San Diego? Who else is doing exciting work locally?

We drink a lot of coffee during quality control, so we do not go out as often as we'd like to. Locally in Ocean Beach, Coffee Cycle, Chuck Roasts Coffee, Memli Coffee Lab, and Ultreya are all doing excellent work, though not all operate cafés. We also really enjoy collaborating with Mostra's roasting team.

Can you highlight your current favorite decaf and what makes it special?

Right now, it would be our Finca El Paraíso PO2 Yeast Inoculated Sugarcane Decaf. My daily driver is actually our Sidekick, which is incredibly versatile, but the Finca El Paraíso is something I reach for as a treat. It is sweet, floral, and juicy without being over the top. I keep coming back to it. We are currently sold out and waiting on more to clear customs. Two of the top three-ranked competitive coffee tasters in the US have told us it was the best decaf they had ever tasted. One technically said "best of the year," but I think they meant ever.

What is your favorite burrito spot in Ocean Beach?

Easy. Mike's Taco Club.

For more information and to see the full Frequent Coffee lineup, visit frequentcoffee.com.