good decaff coffees is there such a thing?

jesennia · 10-18-2007, 08:32 PM

can anyone recommend a good decaffeinated coffee to try? instant preffered since i dont have much time to perc it..must be strong and have decent flavor. also isn't decaf worse for you because of what has to be done to the coffee ? does starbucks make decaf?

Nat242 · 10-18-2007, 11:47 PM

I wouldn't know...I've never tried Decaf, and I'm not a fan of instant, though with your new little one I absolutely understand you not wanting to mess around.

This site has some info, but I don't know how accurate it is
http://www.wellnessletter.com/html/w...tured0504.html

HubicRuzz · 10-19-2007, 03:05 AM

Instant and decent flavour are mutually exclusive.

lizajuk · 10-19-2007, 04:40 AM

bastet · 10-19-2007, 08:56 AM

There is a water based process which removes the caffeine without chemicals. I'm not sure if it takes out quite as much of the caffeine. I still feel like I get a little boost when I drink mine. I buy a coffee in bulk called "Chem-free decaf" from my local health food co-op. It's supposed to be natural, free trade and all that. I also have some dark roast Soyfee which is not so good. I don't want to waste it so I mix it in with my chem-free decaf. It is tolerable that way!

Lesgemini_Zafirah · 10-19-2007, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesennia

can anyone recommend a good decaffeinated coffee to try? instant preffered since i dont have much time to perc it..must be strong and have decent flavor. also isn't decaf worse for you because of what has to be done to the coffee ? does starbucks make decaf?

Starbucks does make decaf! And I personally believe that you can't taste a difference between their caf/decaf versions. I store the bag/container in the freezer. I do use the grinds in my coffeemaker. But I've always wanted to try the decaf grounds in a coffee press(?)...y'know, microwave a mug of hot water to put in with the grinds in the press...kinda close to "instant" although there's still a little bit of waiting. If I try it this weekend, I'll let you know.

shimarella · 10-19-2007, 09:31 AM

Nope.

I should know... once a month I have to give it up for two or three days and it is hell on earth.

SamiraShuruk · 10-19-2007, 09:33 AM

I'm not a fan of Starbucks- it tastes burnt to me...but I DO use a French press. Only a tiny bit more involved than instant and coffee tastes quite rich. As a sweet tooth I often buy the flavors in the grocery store, but have tried the "water process" decaf and thought it was quite good.
I buy the whole beans and use a grinder so it's fresh each time. That seems to make a difference in flavor- although it could just be a freshness "placebo" effect.

laura 2 · 10-19-2007, 09:47 AM

You live in Hawaii, the land of Kona, and you drink *instant* coffee? Oh man! I have to chime in with HubicRuzz here - the is no instant coffee, IMO, that tastes like good coffee. It's like the difference between pure vanilla extract and that imitation stuff.

I second the french press - it really doesn't take any more time than normal brewing (especially if you have an electric kettle to boil the water), and you can get a creamy, almost espresso-like consistancy and taste to your coffee. I even make my own mochas this way by adding Penzy's Hot Chocolate Mix, creamer and sugar, and it's pretty damn close to coffeehouse quality.

maia · 10-19-2007, 01:05 PM

I will chime in with the others here and say that you may want to ditch the instant coffee. That stuff is gnarly. If a french press sounds like too much to deal with, you may also want to look into a Melitta. It's the little plastic cup-looking thing with holes on the bottom.Place a filter in there, add just-ground beans (yes, that really DOES make a difference) and ,measure out water. Super easy- just boil the water and pour over the top.

As far as a good decaf- there are three basic ways to decaffienated coffee. One is a chemical method. Another is through a water process. A third uses CO2.

The problem with decaf is twofold- one of which is that caffiene does in fact have a bit of a flavor, and NO decaf coffee is going to replace it. The second is that methods used to extract the caffeine usually take away other valuable flavors as well.

There has been a recent discovery of a caffeine free coffee plant, but as far as I know, it is not in actual production yet.

The CO2 method, if you can find it, takes the least of those flavors away. Look for that one, if you can find it.

jessedan · 10-19-2007, 05:22 PM

Decaffeinated coffee just isn't coffee.

Regards
Priscilla

jesennia · 10-19-2007, 06:29 PM

i agree

may as well not drink coffee unless its fully charged..it may be a fluke but yesterday and today i went without coffee (definitely feeling it) but the baby is napping better both days..it could be coincidence ..i only have a small cup every day

the land of kona has to wait :(

ashadanzatrice · 10-20-2007, 11:12 AM

starbucks decaf tastes really good, partly because it's not as fully decaffeinated as some other kinds (forget where i read this).

it would be very rare for your kiddo to feel that small amount of coffee. and instant has a lot less caffeine than brewed coffee to begin with. guess who else has been doing research on this ;^D - my fav breastfeeding reference, kellymom.com, says only a tiny amount of caffeine gets into your milk (for moderate coffee drinkers, up to 3 coffee-cup size cups a day - not mugs) - way too little to affect any but the most sensitive of babies); the level of caffeine in your milk also peaks 1 hour after you drink the coffee, so (at least once the baby gets big enough) you can time feedings to avoid that, if you decide he's really that sensitive.