Caribou Coffee, founded in 1992, says nationwide surveys show that the number one complaint of coffee-drinkers is the way it stains. Be it coffee rings to drips on white dress shirts to stains on teeth, a cup of coffee can start your day off right or ruin it right away. 

So they responded with a proprietary new coffee blend that has removed the color while, they say, retaining all the flavor. They say this entirely colorless, stain-free beverage is the result of an innovation in bean cultivation techniques and processing.

They are selling the Clear Coffee beans online at CaribouClearCoffee.com and next month will install its proprietary filtering technology in brewing machines in Caribou coffeehouse stores nationwide.  



"It's a game changer," CEO Mike Tattersfield said in their statement. "Caribou Coffee has always been an innovator in the coffee market, so naturally this was the next step. And we knew April 1 was the perfect day to share this new beverage innovation with the world." 

Tattersfield said that Caribou has several patents pending in connection with the innovation, which combines their "proprietary hydrostatic reverse osmosis with an inverted ice filtration system" and that allowed them to isolate the coffee oils from the coffee color.

But does it taste the same or is this a decaffeinated-style disappointment?

"When I tried it for the first time, I couldn't believe it," said master roaster Brian Aliffi. "The flavor notes were all there — citrus, floral and just a hint of nutmeg. I almost cried."

"We've already switched over entirely to Clear Coffee in our headquarters," Tattersfield said. "The cleaning crew loves it."