Does Decaffeinated Coffee Taste Different To Regular Coffee?

There is a common belief that, just because decaf coffee is decaffeinated, it would also taste different to regular coffee.

Does regular coffee really taste different to decaf coffee?

The answer is it depends which decaffeinated coffee you drink! There are undoubtedly very bad decafs and there are great decaffeinated coffees out there, but you need to pay attention to what decaffeinated coffee you’re drinking.

Why does bad decaf coffee taste that bad?

Well, this stems from the fact that decaf coffee was traditionally produced by using chemical solvents and the result was weak, insipid or bitter coffee.

As a result of this, decaf coffee was commoditised into a low quality coffee “product”.

At the same time, the decaffeination process is expensive and so, to keep the prices down, low quality coffees (often old coffee from past crops) were often used.

The result: if you put bad coffee in, you’ll get bad coffee out.

How come great decaffeinated coffee tastes the same as regular coffee?

The truth is that there is a lot of high quality decaffeinated coffee available that taste as good as or better than regular coffee.

This is because roasters are increasingly choosing to roast great quality, often single origin, decaffeinated coffees using processes such as the CO2 Process and the Swiss Water Process of decaffeination.

Decaffeinated coffee also need to be roasted more delicately and with more care and it relies on the experience of the roaster to roast great quality decaffeinated coffee.

So, the best way is to choose a reputable coffee roastery that uses high quality decaffeinated coffee beans and do a genuine taste test and see for yourself.

How should we brew decaffeinated coffee to make it as good as regular coffee?

We have an important tip for brewing decaffeinated coffee: use more coffee. That’s right. The serving of decaffeinated coffee should be between 10-20 percent more than regular caffeinated coffee.

The decaffeination process is a miracle of science, but it does remove some boldness or strength to the coffee, so it’s recommended to use a little more decaffeinated coffee when brewing your cup of coffee in order to make it as “strong” as your regular coffee.

IMPORTANT: This information is intended to support, not replace, discussion with your doctor or healthcare professionals. Nothing in the content or products should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. You should always talk to your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment, including your specific medical needs.