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See why.Decaffeinated Coffees
Has grocery store decaf coffee improved as much as the high-octane stuff in recent years? Or is that asking for the moon?
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Has grocery store decaf coffee improved as much as the high-octane stuff in recent years? Or is that asking for the moon? We tasted seven nationally distributed supermarket brands, all of which are sold preground, to find out. We brewed them according to package directions and tasted them first black and then with milk. We also sent the beans to an independent laboratory to confirm their caffeine content: All had even less caffeine than the U.S. government requirement that decaffeinated coffee be 97 percent caffeine-free.
Our top-rated brands contained only Arabica beans, a lower-caffeine varietal known for good flavor. The bottom-ranked brands blended Arabica with Robusta beans, a high-caffeine varietal that is faster and easier to grow, but doesn't taste as good. Manufacturers would not explain their decaffeination processes, but coffee experts told us that no matter the method, Robusta beans require more processing, which tends to diminish flavor and quality.
While we predicted that premium brands would do well, one of the cheaper ordinary supermarket brands actually edged them out to prevail in both tastings.
Everything We Tested
Recommended
Praised as “mellow and smooth,” our top-ranked brand was neither acidic nor harsh. Tasters liked its “detectable complexity, with a slight nutty aftertaste,” “like dark chocolate,” describing it as “fruitier” than other coffees in the lineup.
Tasters praised this “smoky and robust,” full-bodied coffee for its “woody and chocolate” notes. Some enjoyed its “stronger, bitter flavors.”
"Decent toasted bean flavor” with a “slightly acidic, but rounded” profile, this coffee packed the strongest punch in our lineup. Several tasters liked that, calling it “sharper and more robust,” but detractors faulted it for “bitterness and acidity.”
Recommended with reservations
Some tasters liked the “chocolate notes” and “mellow nutty and vanilla” and “fruity” flavors; others found the coffee “astringent and sour.”
Not Recommended
“Cardboard, ashy, and tastes like yesterday’s reheated brew,” one despairing taster said. “Stale and bland, with an overall thin flavor,” seconded another.
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing.
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