Decaf.... Bleh

by **connor3452** on Sat Dec 03, 2011 12:30 pm

Today while working, i was reminded as to why i hate decaf drip coffee. I dont always make decaf in the morning because no one usually orders it. If someone wants decaf theyll order an espresso based drink.

But today was different. We were expecting it to be extra busy because of multiple town events coinciding. I figured, ill just bite the bullet and go the extra mile to make decaf. Nothing could prepare me for the rage i was about to experience...

I prepared 6.2 ounces of decaf willoughby's coffee, i forget the exact type. I put it into the basket and pressed the button for a gallon. While i waited, i swept and mopped the floor. When the coffee was done i went to dump the grinds only to find that what was supposed to be a somewhat dry compact piece of used coffee actually ended up being an extremely hot soupy dirty mess that spilled all over my hands, burning them, the floor, and my shoes. I didnt like decaf to start because of how pointless it is. But this put me over the edge.

So ITT describe your decaf experiences. Have you had tasted a delicious decaf or do you hate it like me.

Forgive spelling and grammar mistakes. Im on the cafe's ipad.

by **Chert** on Sun Dec 04, 2011 7:49 pm

Right. Who needs decaf?

But Redbird, Caffe Vita, Zoka, Stumptown offer decaffeinated coffee for espresso that I have found quite delicious for straight shots and milk drinks. I tried a SO Brazil from Back Porch out of Bend that was quite nice also.

I found that some people who are willing to try espresso but avoid coffee in general want a decaffeinated latte or cappuccino and really like what they get.

by **drgary** on Sun Dec 04, 2011 11:01 pm

I really like Counter Culture's Decaf Espresso Rustico. If I didn't know it's decaf, I'd still think it's a nice espresso blend.

by **Anvan** on Mon Dec 05, 2011 1:38 am

Two additional outstanding blends in their own rights:
Water Avenue Coffee: El Toro (Decaf version)
Deep Cello Coffee: Black Tie (Decaf version)

Single Origin:
Name-Your-Single-Origin from Coava (every Guatemalan, Honduran etc. decaf has been tremendous)

And +1 on the Stumptown, Redbird, and others already mentioned too.

by **Dodger1** on Tue Dec 06, 2011 8:03 am

Good choices so far but I'm partial to:

http://www.eccocaffe.com/store/product_...cts_id=101 for espressos and Vivace's decaf Vita http://www.espressovivace.com/blends.html for lattes.

by **Eastsideloco** on Tue Jan 10, 2012 8:38 pm

connor3452 wrote: Have you had tasted a delicious decaf....

For sure. My wife had to switch to decaf on doctor's orders. So I make decaf coffee for her every morning, and drink a cup of decaf myself most nights now that we have it. Because I make her pour over at the same time that I prepare my morning cup, I get taste the drinks side by side. Most reputable roasters offer a perfectly acceptable decaf. However, some are good in their own right, meaning if you didn't know it was decaf, it would just pass as a good coffee. (Of course, the process of decaffeination doesn't make any beans better.)

To date my favorite is the Decaf Colombian Las Serranias from Klatch:

http://www.klatchroasting.com/Las_Serra...as_ser.htm

I like it enough that I've started ordering the 2-pound bag when Klatch offers free shipping. It makes a great cup of pour over coffee. Because it has really pronounced chocolate flavors, I suspect it would translate to a decent decaf SO espresso.

(My wife's favorite decaf coffee to date was a decaffeinated Ethiopian Sidamo that Chicago's Bridgeport Coffee offered this summer.)

by **yakster** on Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:41 pm

I don't drink much decaf, but for a while was roasting decaf beans for relatives. Fresh roasted decaf runs circles around stale mass-market and I've enjoyed decaf cups of coffee when I've brewed up some.

I tried Sweet Maria's Donkey decaf espresso blend, but it's a blend best served with milk and I prefer my shots straight. I think of the decaf I've roasted and tried, I've preferred it as brewed coffee, but I haven't tried the high-end roasters decaf espresso blends. It would be nice to be able to pull some decaf shots at night and reduce the caffeine intake.

Roasting decaf is nice, no chaff to deal with and I can roast full pounds of decaf in my Behmor where my ideal range for regular greens is more in the 350 gram range.

I do know for brewing that Bunn had a restricted flow shower head for decaf beans for their BTX coffee makers, I believe that it was to prevent overflow.

by **pizzaman383** on Tue Jan 10, 2012 10:32 pm

I only drink decaf espresso. I've tried 15 different decaf espresso blends in the last year. I definitely like some more than others. Here are my favorites:
Flying Goat Coffee Decaf Espresso No. 9
Counter Culture Coffee Decaf Espresso Rustico
Velton's Coffee Three Raven's Blend Decaf
Klatch Coffee Decaf House Espresso

by **Eastsideloco** on Tue Jan 10, 2012 10:47 pm

I do know for brewing that Bunn had a restricted flow shower head for decaf beans for their BTX coffee makers, I believe that it was to prevent overflow.

No doubt. It is interesting how different decaf behaves. It definitely passes water more slowly than regular coffee. I have one hand grinder dedicated to grinding decaf beans, as a result. It has nothing to do with not wanting the decaf beans to sully the other grinders. It's just that I need a slightly larger grind size to get the water through the the decaf grounds in roughly the same amount of time as the regular coffee grounds.

One thing I like about the Klatch Decaf Colombian Las Serranias is that the grounds bloom in more or less the same fashion as those from freshly roasted regular coffee beans. In general, however, decaf grinds tend not to bloom very much, which makes them seem stale or flat even when they are freshly roasted. I suspect that decaf similarly produces less crema in an espresso extraction.

That alone would turn a lot of Home Baristas off. You could be pulling the "best" shot the beans allow, and still not getting a good looking shot. Brewed decaf coffee is certainly more forgiving aesthetically, and probably doesn't accentuate some of the undesirable flavors the way espresso might.

by **Eastsideloco** on Tue Jan 10, 2012 10:52 pm

pizzaman383 wrote:I only drink decaf espresso. I've tried 15 different decaf espresso blends in the last year. I definitely like some more than others. Here are my favorites:
Flying Goat Coffee Decaf Espresso No. 9
Counter Culture Coffee Decaf Espresso Rustico
Velton's Coffee Three Raven's Blend Decaf
Klatch Coffee Decaf House Espresso

What a great combination for entertaining guests: fantastic espresso and fantastic pizza.


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