How does the taste of decaf differ from regular coffee, if at all?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “decaf coffee vs regular coffee“
How does the taste of decaf differ from regular coffee, if at all?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “decaf coffee vs regular coffee“
For most people, there is no evidence that decaffeinated coffee is “healthier” than regular with moderate consumption. And in fact there is some modest data suggesting that caffeine in coffee may have some possible health benefits (see, for example, Top 25+ Caffeine Health Benefits ).
However, there are people for whom caffeine may be contraindicated, such as those with uncontrolled high blood pressure or people on certain drugs. This is a discussion to have with your doctor, not Quora respondents.
Most of the health benefits attributed to coffee, however, appear to come from its antioxidants, not the caffeine, so drinking decaf is likely to get you most of coffee’s healthy attributes.
Hi Grace
It’s not that all decaf is bitter. The real question is what is the quality of the decaf?
If the decaf is a blend and has some robusta as part of the blend, then that will tend to taste a little harsh.
It’s really all about the type of coffee and the grade of the coffee.
All origins produce various levels of quality. Coffee is sorted and graded.
My suggestion is to look for single origin decaf. Blends may use lower grades and also use robusta to lower cost.
Hope that helps.
GG
The best decaffeinated coffee differs from regular coffee only in a greatly reduced caffeine buzz and effect on my blood pressure (and on my need for bathroom breaks). When I can, I buy the same coffee beans in Swiss Water Process decaffeinated as I would in regular, and the difference in taste is minimal. Cheap coffee decaffeinated with solvents is a different story; I avoid it altogether.
Badly made coffee Is bitter – well made coffee is not bitter
Arguably decaf for a number of reasons is a wee bit more difficult to work with – therefore more likely to make a bad Coffee
maybe in your experience you have been had your chair share of badly made coffee
No! Although it is lower in caffeine, it is higher in cholesterol. This is due to the Robusta coffee which is added to make up for the loss of flavour.
I you’re having this problem, go to local roaster. I buy decaf in small quantities, 1/4 pound at a time. Ask if they have a coffee close to the notes of their decaf. Buy a little go home brew them both and compare.
Decaf coffee can taste as good as normal coffee. However, the decaffeination process is a processing step that costs money and adds to the marginal cost of the coffee you buy. Since most people don’t want to pay “extra” (i.e. “more than normal coffee”) for decaf, corners are cut elsewhere.
What this generally means is that decaf coffee will be made from lower-quality green coffee than normal coffee from the same roaster or packager. If you want decaf coffee as good as normal coffee, you’ll have to be willing to pay a bit more for it than you would for comparable normal coffee.
Victor Allen’s
The same coffee beans, de-caffeinated, will usually taste more muted in their colonies if drunk as black filter coffee. This is an optimal scenario where they’ve been de caffeinated through the Swiss Water process, where they’ve been basically washed in a large vat of water. Delicate flavours dissipate into the water and are not reabsorbed, and can even evaporate away.
Peet’s
It depends. I mean, subjectivity decaffeinated tastes different to most people but then they’re usually faced with a couple of different coffees and one type of decaf. It’s almost never a decaffeinated version of the “real” coffee they can compare it with.
A good decaf from a good coffee shop will still taste better than any the coffee from the high street chains.
I’m no expert. I’ve just had decaffeinated coffee at friends’ houses where that’s all they keep, and thought it tasted great.
Eight O’Clock
Decaf coffee can taste better than and stronger (in colour) than a regular coffee. Caffeine has no taste. It is also colourless. The bitterness and colour is not from caffeine. My fellow Indian friends hate if I ask them to try decaf. Decaf coffee is also closer to Indian coffee taste than a regular Cappuccino.
I’ve never noticed any extra bitterness to decaf. I home roast regular and decaf beans and , like the regular beans, the decaf taste varies by region and the roasting time.
The question: Does decaf coffee taste as good as normal coffee?
Well, “good” is subjective.
There may well be people who think it tastes better . Don’t scoff, it’s possible.
But does it taste the same ?
Probably not. The decaffeination process – which does not remove all of the caffeine – is complicated. And the distinct taste and aroma of coffee owes to a variety of organic molecules. Inevitably, the decaffeination process will remove some of the flavor and aroma along with the caffeine – that’s inevitable. The question is, how much? These processes have been refined to lose as little flavor as possible, and overall they do a pretty good job. So, will a given drinker be able to tell the difference? Maybe, maybe not. For most coffee drinkers, who use cream, sugar – or consume lattes from a coffee shop – whatever difference will be vastly overshadowed by additives.
Unfortunately, there’s a powerful stigma against decaffeinated coffee. It’s believed to be an inferior product which will unavoidably be “terrible”. I’ve seen people praise decaf coffee which they believed to be full caffeine, and decry normal coffee which they thought to be decaf. In truth, you really can’t tell from the taste or aroma if coffee is decaf or not. An actual blind taste test controlling for variables might yield interesting results, but even then you’d only get one data point.
First of all, how do you know you are comparing the “identical” bean? Are you sure it’s from the same farm and lot as the regular?
Decaf processing has gotten pretty good, but it still involves basically dissolving the bean a little, washing out caffeine, and then drying the bean back to its original moisture content. It’s impossible to selectively and only remove the caffeine and leave everything else intact. Other compounds in the beans will inevitably be lost or altered in a way that changes the flavor.
Another issue with decaf is that it sells slower and will set on the shelf longer. It’s harder to get a fresh bag of decaf. I’ve roasted decaf fresh and been pleasantly suprised. I agree, it’s not as good as regular, but it can be good.
You won’t believe the amount and variety of chemicals used to decaffeinate decent coffee.
That’s largely up to the consumer, as well as the method of decaffeination. Some decafs are processed chemically, where others are washed to remove the caffeine. In addition to this, some people can taste the difference where others can’t.
No!
Decaf-what’s the point?
😀
The decaffeination process does alter the flavor of the beans. Some think it makes a mellower brew. Apparently, the OP doesn’t agree.
Original question: Why does decaffeinated coffee beans taste so much worse than the identical caffeinated coffee bean?
You need to make it stronger, as it tends to taste watered down. I’m sure you can get used to it over time like with fat-free milk, but I don’t drink decaf regularly so the point is moot.