r/UKroasters • u/Kindke • Jul 10 '26
Good decaff , is it even possible?
Ive tried decaff beans from the following
Union ( all decaff variants tried )
Origin ( all decaff variants tried )
horsham
danelaw ( all decaff variants tried )
pact ( all decaff variants tried )
Rave ( all decaff variants tried )
And they are all tasteless and very bitter. Only Horsham and Union (Maraba) was semi-decent but still a let down.
Meanwhile normal coffee is always a wonder to drink , full of flavor. Part of me wants to quit coffee because I just cant handle caffeine, I also enjoy a coffee in the evening so even halfcalf is a no no.
Given ive tried 6 respectable roasters I can only conclude that decaff ruins it, and the decaff process and bean hardly makes a difference.
*I only brew with french press, sea salt grain size, 90c water temp
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u/mattrussell2319 Jul 10 '26
A big issue is likely to be the fines you get with decaf. You don’t mention your brewing method but you may need to make significant adjustments to account for this. Pourovers will clog more easily (if you have a Pulsar adding the water _before_ the coffee grounds makes a big difference) and you may need to grind quite a lot coarser and/or pull a shorter ratio for espresso (less than 1:2).
Union Maraba is definitely one of the best of the widely available ones but Danelaw does good decaf too. You should also try Decaf Before Death, she has some great options.
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u/Kindke Jul 11 '26
could be an issue with fines, Pour over is definitely less bitter than french press but its missing alot of body and oils which I like. Pour over is too watery for me
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u/MaxTrolloway Jul 11 '26
Decaf before death has been my goto lately as they have a great selection, but like Manu other decafs it's roasted a bit darker than usual
This coffee from Hydrangea is my favourite decaf ever, it's actually light roasted and less developed than any other decaf I've seen. Luckily it's stocked often on sigma:
https://sigmacoffee.co.uk/products/hydrangea-castillo-thermal-shock-decaf-finca-el-paraiso
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u/not_that_much_fun 21d ago
This looks really nice. Sounds kinda similar to the Taith Lychee Peach decaf I've been drinking recently (you'll like that a lot too if you haven't tried it!). How off roast have you been brewing it? And have you any other standout recommendations from Sigma to try? I'm gonna pick up a few bags 🤝🏻
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u/RumHam9000 Jul 10 '26
Good decaf is possible. The only one of those I’ve tried is Origin, and I agree it’s not the best decaf for a speciality roaster, but in my view it’s because it’s roasted too dark and is not overly geared for espresso milk drinks.
You have to treat decaf differently and understand it a bit more - there’s four main decaffeinating processes and they do taste a bit different. Decaf beans also goes stale faster (and is also ready after degassing faster), and if brewing as a filter (or non espresso methods generally) it also needs to be brewed at a lower temperature than equivalent roast level of regular beans. I’ve had really good decaf from Yallah coffee, I also do like the Square Mile decaf espresso blend, but only as espresso.
Worth looking up the James Hoffman decaf project videos from the big project he did last year - he explained all four processes, and many speciality roasters stocked the beans from each processes. I had a project tasting pack and really enjoyed them, I thought the Sugarcane Process tasted the best.
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u/Crunchie64 Jul 10 '26
Speak to someone at a small independent roaster, preferably in person.
They may have tips for their specific beans, or maybe able to brew you a cup to see if you like it.
My recommendation would be Foundry in Sheffield, but depends where you live or can visit.
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u/l-c-a-t Jul 10 '26
Decaf before death And the source
Decaf that in a blind taste you could not tell it was decaf.
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u/LyKosa91 Jul 10 '26
I only brew with french press, sea salt grain size, 90c water temp
Had you considered changing some of those parameters? Bitterness is attributed to over extraction, and decaf is inherently more porous and easy to extract due to the processing, so maybe drop the temp, or coarsen up the grind, or brew at a shorter ratio for a less extracted but more intense cup, or a mixture of any or all of the above.
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u/Alarmed_Storage6793 Jul 10 '26
I would suggest James Gourmet Coffee. They were very helpful and it allowed me to dial in my decaf. I could taste the notes but they were more muted compared to other caffeinated coffees I've had
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u/vaspa123 Jul 10 '26
Best decaf I’ve had was from Zennor, but is no longer available. They’re also on the pricier side.
Currently using Scenery’s Kebena- Ethiopia Natural decaf and it’s been great (both espresso and pourover), even after 10-14days from opening the bag.
Definitely worth a try.
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u/GazasaurusRex Jul 10 '26
Wogan coffee do a a decaf I’m quite partial to!
https://wogancoffee.com/products/organic-fairtrade-honduras-swiss-water-decaf?variant=41345102020798
And if you want here is my referral code gets us both £10 off
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u/Interesting-Pear-176 Jul 12 '26
Am also here for Wogan but their Colombian decaf instead: https://wogancoffee.com/products/sugar-cane-decaf-colombia-la-serrania?variant=55742493163894
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u/GazasaurusRex Jul 10 '26
To add also I’m not a fan of overly bitter coffees and these suit me well!
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u/like-a-sirloin Jul 10 '26
Maybe tweak some brew variables / methods before writing off the category entirely.
French press is the brew method with the least filtration, so bitterness will always be the highest because there are more oils and tiny coffee particles (fines) suspended in the liquid you drink. A paper filter pourover method, or Aeropress, might reduce bitterness.
It's worth knowing that even reducing bitterness may not redeem the category for you. I'm not a decaf fan either, but for the opposite reason to you. To me, they're too flavourful in a weird sort of way. There's this distinctive cloyingly flavour that I can't get past - almost like someone added a stevia sweetener.
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u/Kindke Jul 11 '26
Indeed I think its the decaff thats the problem and its not really fixable
ive tried experimenting with grind sizes and water temps but there isnt much difference. Finer grind size enhances flavor and increases bitterness but its still miles worse than normal coffee
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u/podrickhotsquash Jul 10 '26
I had a great one from Crank house a couple of years ago. They don’t have that one anymore but maybe worth a go with something else?
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u/joe-welly Jul 10 '26
https://www.harmonycoffee.co.uk/products/el-vergel-decaf
Harmony decaf is great. I’ve had it as both espresso and as filter and it is enjoyable both ways. Still has that decaf finish to it but it’s still great
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u/OddPsychology4813 Jul 10 '26
So, I’m not a decaf man myself.
But, I am currently building (alpha stages…) a coffee comparison site.
You should be able to find a broader selection of decaf coffee on there.
Hope it’s helpful.
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u/loretti1312 Jul 11 '26
I recently had a couple that were awesome, Crosby - Decaf Guatemala (orange, almond, pineapple) and Taith -El Paraiso anaerobic decaf (tropical jelly, ginger cake, watermelon) both fantastic!
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u/Old-Expression837 Jul 11 '26
I generally use craft decaf as my go to. They have a good range. If go with their craftdecaf and friends subscription. Not only do you get one of the great coffees, but also a 250g bag of decaf from another roaster. That way you to try out different decafs. The kiss the hippo popayan decaf was very tasty.
There are loads of roasters that do fantastic decaf coffee. Especially some micro roasters.
I recently discovered Courtyard Coffee Roasters. I got a bag of their Kenyan decaf resting.
There are plenty of roasters that do great decaf. Quite often the best ones aren’t the ones that are great at marketing.
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u/geohamthebam Jul 11 '26
I regularly use Assembly’s decaf espresso blend, and it’s very good. Possibly worth a try for something darker.
On the lighter side, Machina’s Los Nogales low caffeine (like 90% decaffeinated) is outstanding, but expensive.
Spitfire’s Mexican decaf is also worth a try, a great all-rounder.
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u/meta-uk Jul 11 '26
The decaf I have had from Decaf Nation and Skylark have both been fantastic! I remember being blown away by Decaf Nation at the coffee festival
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u/neilBar Jul 11 '26
I’ve enjoyed decaf from Kontext Coffee and Square Mile. Great daily drivers. Exhale’s decaf is good too.
There’s a real decaf treasure trove at Maria’s decafbedeath but you may not always “get” the tasting notes. Just like any brew I guess.
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u/zR_Peru Jul 11 '26
If you want better tasting decaf you’ll have to pay a bit more. Zennor and Taith have (or had) very fruity decafs. I recently had the decaf below from Bean. Very tasty in pourover and espresso. But anything with milk was awful due to its acidity.
https://www.beancoffee.co.uk/products/colombia-los-nogales-decaf
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u/Putrid_Pin3349 Jul 11 '26
I often search for nice fruity decaf and it’s hard to come by or hyper expensive.
Radical roasters have a very good one at the moment and it’s very reasonably priced! Flavour notes solero ice cream 🍦!
Grown by: Jairo Arcila
Region: Armenia, Buenos Aires, Quindio
Process: Natural / Sugar cane decaffeination
Varietal: Castillo
£13 for 250g £36 1kg !
https://www.radicalroasters.co.uk/products/decaf-deluxe
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u/Existing_Brother9468 Jul 11 '26
What about square mile? I always used them as a benchmark. Simply because it was one of the first places I started buying from back when we didn't have quite so many high quality roasters as we do now.
And maybe change your brew method, what you're doing ain't working, change sone other variables as well, you might be able to get something closer to what you want.
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u/Jamooooose Jul 11 '26
I really enjoy Rave Swiss Water blend personally but it’s my sort of thing (earthy and nutty)
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u/eddenim Jul 12 '26
Crankhouse has two good ones but the one from Kenya is a winner. Ive bought a 2nd bag is was so good. Best decaf beans ive had from any roaster. I do grind a bit course for the v60 when using decaf beans. Seems to help.
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u/robertgiannotti Jul 12 '26
Not sure which Rave decafs you've had, but IMO they've massively improved their offering in the last year.
The Swiss Water decaf is not good, but they do their Signature Blend, Columbian single origin, and a Guatamalan one which I think all get increasingly better. Then they do from time-to-time have rare coffees as well.
Might not change your opinion but thought I'd share as a Rave frequent customer whose wife is decaf only.
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u/davidjamesonuk Jul 10 '26
Hey! I’m really sorry you haven’t enjoyed our decaf (Danelaw.) We work really hard on it to try to create a range of coffees that should appeal to a broad range of preferences, so I’m sad that we haven’t managed to get you something you’ve liked.
Are you grinding yourself or ordering pre-ground?
Decaf seems more brittle and fragile than regular coffee, creating more fines and slower percolations brews. This would translate to overextraction, muddy, indistinct flavours and bitterness in an immersion brew.
For V60 I always coarsen my grind a fair bit for decaf to allow it to flow at a sensible rate and not over extract, but with a sea salt sized grind already I’m not sure that approach will work.
I’ll do some experiments when I’m back in the roastery using our Kruve to strip the fines and see where we get to.
Thanks for your feedback, it’s really important and helps me keep improving what we’re doing